An air conditioner indoor unit water full early warning method and system based on condensate water level monitoring

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of air conditioning technology, specifically a method and system for providing an early warning of full water level in an air conditioning indoor unit based on condensate water level monitoring. The method includes the following steps: Step S1: When the water level sensor is installed in the drip tray, a reference current indicating no water is obtained; Step S2: Based on the reference current, a deviation threshold is obtained, and the reference current and the deviation threshold are stored in the non-volatile Flash memory of the air conditioning MCU; Step S3: The current value of the water level sensor is obtained as the first current, and it is determined whether the first current is greater than the current threshold. If it is greater, it is determined that the drip tray is blocked, and an alarm message is sent to a preset communication address; Step S4: A reset signal is received, the deviation threshold is retrieved from the non-volatile Flash memory, and the current reference current is obtained. Based on the deviation threshold and the current reference current, the deviation threshold, the reference current, and the current threshold are updated and stored in the non-volatile Flash memory. This allows the contact electrode sensor to be stably used in air conditioning condensate water environments.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of air conditioning technology, and in particular to a method and system for early warning of water fullness in an air conditioning indoor unit based on condensate water level monitoring. Background Technology

[0002] After prolonged operation, air conditioner indoor units often experience water leakage, primarily due to a clogged condensate drain pan. The dampness in the drain pan easily accumulates dust, and the growth of mold and algae can form sludge, which can then block the drain hole or drain pipe, preventing condensate from draining properly and eventually causing it to overflow.

[0003] To prevent and resolve this issue in advance, a water level sensor can be installed inside the water receiving tray. When the water level rises to a certain height, it indicates a risk of blockage and promptly notifies relevant personnel or users for cleaning. Currently, common water level sensors include contact electrode type, float type, and patch-type infrared photoelectric level sensors, but each has its own limitations. Contact electrode type water level sensors rely on metal electrodes in direct contact with water, utilizing the conductivity of water to form a circuit, and determining the water level through changes in current or resistance. However, air conditioner condensate is not pure water; the minerals and ions it contains may trigger electrolytic reactions, producing gas and corroding circuit boards over long-term use, leading to unstable detection data and affecting the accuracy of water level determination.

[0004] Float level sensors are large and require additional holes for installation, making them generally difficult to fit into the internal structure of most household air conditioners.

[0005] Infrared photoelectric liquid level sensors have certain requirements regarding the color of the receiving tray. For example, the side wall of the receiving tray must be made of transparent / semi-transparent plastic, which means that infrared photoelectric liquid level sensors cannot be directly applied to products that have already left the factory.

[0006] In summary, current water level monitoring solutions for household air conditioner drip trays still face challenges in practical application. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To address the aforementioned shortcomings, the present invention aims to propose a method and system for early warning of full water level in air conditioning indoor units based on condensate water level monitoring, thereby solving the problem of poor accuracy in water level detection by contact electrode type water level sensors.

[0008] To achieve this objective, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a method for early warning of water fullness in an air conditioner indoor unit based on condensate water level monitoring, comprising the following steps: Step S1: When the water level sensor is installed on the water receiving tray, obtain the reference current when there is no water. Step S2: Obtain the deviation threshold amount based on the reference current, and store the reference current and the deviation threshold amount in the non-volatile Flash of the air conditioner MCU; Step S3: Obtain the current value of the water level sensor as the first current, determine whether the first current is greater than the current threshold, if it is greater, determine that there is a blockage in the water receiving tray, and send an alarm message to the preset communication address. Step S4: Receive a reset signal, retrieve the deviation threshold amount from the non-volatile Flash, obtain the current reference current, update the deviation threshold amount, reference current, and current threshold based on the deviation threshold amount and the current reference current, and store them in the non-volatile Flash.

[0009] Preferably, the steps for obtaining the anhydrous reference current are as follows: Power the water level sensor according to the preset pulse parameters, and wait for the circuit to stabilize. Then, sample the electrode circuit current multiple times to obtain several sampled currents. After removing the maximum and minimum values ​​from the sampled current, the average value of the sampled current is obtained as the reference current.

[0010] Preferably, the steps for obtaining the deviation from the threshold based on the reference current are as follows: Step A: Obtain the conductivity range of condensate water from the first mapping table based on the difference between the current reference current and the previous reference current; The offset coefficient is obtained from the second mapping table based on the condensate conductivity range. The deviation threshold is calculated using the reference current and the offset coefficient.

[0011] Preferably, the specific steps of step S4 are as follows: The current reference current is sampled several times to determine whether all reference currents are less than the deviation threshold. If so, the deviation threshold, reference current, and current threshold are updated. If not, the deviation threshold, reference current, and current threshold are not updated.

[0012] Preferably, the update steps for deviations from the threshold are as follows: Obtain the deviation threshold and offset coefficient of the non-volatile Flash memory, and use them as the first offset and the first coefficient; Repeat step A to obtain the new deviation threshold and the new offset coefficient, which will be used as the second offset and the second coefficient. Obtain the difference between the new reference current and the first offset, and use it as the first difference; Obtain the difference between the first coefficient and the second coefficient, and use it as the second difference. Obtain the difference between the first offset and the second offset, and use it as the third difference; The updated offset coefficient is obtained by using the first difference, the second difference, the third difference, and the first coefficient. The updated value of the deviation from the threshold is calculated using the new reference current and the updated offset coefficient.

[0013] Preferably, the formula for obtaining the update offset coefficient is as follows: ; in As the first coefficient, The first difference, The second difference, This is the third difference.

[0014] Preferably, the current threshold is updated by obtaining the percentage of the updated value of the deviation from the threshold compared to the previous deviation from the threshold, and the current threshold is updated by the percentage.

[0015] An air conditioner indoor unit water full warning system based on condensate water level monitoring, using the aforementioned air conditioner indoor unit water full warning method based on condensate water level monitoring, includes: a first acquisition module, a second acquisition module, a monitoring module, and an update module; The first acquisition module is used to acquire the reference current when the water level sensor is installed on the water receiving pan and there is no water. The second acquisition module is used to acquire the deviation threshold amount based on the reference current, and store the reference current and the deviation threshold amount in the non-volatile Flash of the air conditioner MCU. The monitoring module is used to acquire the current value of the water level sensor as the first current, and to determine whether the first current is greater than the current threshold. If it is greater, it is determined that there is a blockage in the water receiving tray, and an alarm message is sent to the preset communication address. The update module is used to receive a reset signal, retrieve the deviation threshold amount from the non-volatile Flash, obtain the current reference current, update the deviation threshold amount, reference current, and current threshold based on the deviation threshold amount and the current reference current, and store them in the non-volatile Flash.

[0016] One of the above technical solutions has the following advantages or beneficial effects: 1. It significantly improves the long-term reliability of water level detection, enabling the contact electrode sensor to be stably applied in the air conditioning condensate environment.

[0017] 2. The software adaptive mechanism reduces the stringent requirements for sensor hardware stability, eliminating the need to replace contact electrode sensors and helping to reduce usage costs.

[0018] 3. By updating the deviation threshold, reference current, and current threshold through the deviation threshold and the current reference current, the detection process has a certain self-learning and self-correction capability, reducing the frequent maintenance or replacement required due to sensor performance degradation, and improving the overall system's intelligence level and service life. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of one embodiment of the method of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of one embodiment of the system of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

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

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

[0023] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0024] like Figures 1-2 As shown, an air conditioner indoor unit water full warning method based on condensate water level monitoring includes the following steps: Step S1: When the water level sensor is installed on the water receiving tray, obtain the reference current when there is no water. Step S2: Obtain the deviation threshold amount based on the reference current, and store the reference current and the deviation threshold amount in the non-volatile Flash of the air conditioner MCU; Step S3: Obtain the current value of the water level sensor as the first current, determine whether the first current is greater than the current threshold, if it is greater, determine that there is a blockage in the water receiving tray, and send an alarm message to the preset communication address. Step S4: Receive a reset signal, retrieve the deviation threshold amount from the non-volatile Flash, obtain the current reference current, update the deviation threshold amount, reference current, and current threshold based on the deviation threshold amount and the current reference current, and store them in the non-volatile Flash.

[0025] This invention relates to water level detection in a water tray of a contact electrode type water level sensor, effectively solving the current drift problem caused by electrolytic corrosion in such sensors. When installing the water level sensor in the water tray, the reference current and corresponding deviation threshold are first acquired in a waterless state. These two data are stored in non-volatile Flash memory to prevent data loss after power failure, and automatic reading is possible upon power-up. During water level detection, the contact electrode type water level sensor utilizes the conductivity of water to form a circuit. The water level is determined by the current value in the circuit. Higher water levels result in more electrodes being immersed, lower resistance in the conductive circuit, and thus a larger current. Therefore, the current value at the corresponding water level can be tested beforehand and used as the current threshold. During detection, it is only necessary to check if the first current exceeds the current threshold. If it does, it indicates a high water level and potential blockage in the water tray. In this case, an alarm message should be sent to a preset communication address, such as a warning SMS to the user's mobile phone, informing them of the blockage.

[0026] After the drip tray is cleaned, the user needs to send a reset signal to the air conditioner. At this time, the air conditioner's MCU will call the deviation threshold value from the non-volatile Flash memory. Since the drip tray has been cleaned and there is no water accumulation, and the air conditioner is in a newly started state (equivalent to a water-free state), the reference current can be re-acquired. It is then determined whether the current reference current is less than the deviation threshold value. If it is less, it indicates that the circuit board may be corroded, and therefore the deviation threshold value, reference current, and current threshold need to be updated. If the reference current is not less than the deviation threshold value, the non-volatile Flash memory will retain the previous reference current and deviation threshold value.

[0027] The main advantages of this invention are: 1. Significantly improved the long-term reliability of water level detection, enabling the contact electrode sensor to be stably used in air conditioning condensate water environments.

[0028] 2. The software adaptive mechanism reduces the stringent requirements for sensor hardware stability, eliminating the need to replace contact electrode sensors and helping to reduce usage costs.

[0029] 3. By updating the deviation threshold, reference current, and current threshold through the deviation threshold and the current reference current, the detection process has a certain self-learning and self-correction capability, reducing the frequent maintenance or replacement required due to sensor performance degradation, and improving the overall system's intelligence level and service life.

[0030] Preferably, the steps for obtaining the anhydrous reference current are as follows: Power the water level sensor according to the preset pulse parameters, and wait for the circuit to stabilize. Then, sample the electrode circuit current multiple times to obtain several sampled currents. After removing the maximum and minimum values ​​from the sampled current, the average value of the sampled current is obtained as the reference current.

[0031] In one embodiment, the preset pulse parameters are: 5V / 12V pulse voltage, duty cycle <1%, pulse frequency 1kHz, and detection period 2-5s. After the circuit stabilizes, the loop current is sampled multiple times, which effectively captures random noise and fluctuations during the measurement process. To avoid transient interference, the maximum and minimum values ​​of the sampled current need to be removed when calculating the average value, and the arithmetic mean of the remaining sampled values ​​is used as the final reference current.

[0032] Preferably, the steps for obtaining the deviation from the threshold based on the reference current are as follows: Step A: Obtain the conductivity range of condensate water from the first mapping table based on the difference between the current reference current and the previous reference current; The offset coefficient is obtained from the second mapping table based on the condensate conductivity range. The deviation threshold is calculated using the reference current and the offset coefficient.

[0033] With continuous use, the water level sensor's reference current decreases in the absence of water due to circuit board corrosion. The degree of decrease varies depending on the impurities in the condensate. Therefore, in this invention, when calculating the deviation from the threshold, the difference between the current and previous reference current is obtained to determine the magnitude of the reference current change. This magnitude reflects the amount and type of impurities in the condensate in the drip tray, affecting the conductivity of the condensate. The conductivity of the condensate affects the efficiency of electrolysis during the water level sensor's electrolysis process, thus influencing the degree of circuit board corrosion. Therefore, the difference between the current and previous reference current can be used to infer the current condensate conductivity during the initial waterless sampling phase by using the difference between two waterless reference currents acquired through the PA0 pin. For ease of information retrieval, the conductivity corresponding to two different waterless reference current differences can be stored in a first mapping table for easy reading by the air conditioner MCU. After obtaining the corresponding condensate conductivity range, an offset coefficient can be obtained from the corresponding second mapping table. The deviation from the threshold is obtained by multiplying the reference current and the offset coefficient.

[0034] Specifically, the formula for obtaining the deviation from the threshold is as follows: ,in For the current reference current, This is the current offset coefficient.

[0035] Since there is no previous reference current in the first calculation, it is only necessary to calculate using the preset offset coefficient in the first calculation.

[0036] Preferably, the specific steps of step S4 are as follows: The current reference current is sampled several times to determine whether all reference currents are less than the deviation threshold. If so, the deviation threshold, reference current, and current threshold are updated. If not, the deviation threshold, reference current, and current threshold are not updated.

[0037] When updating the reference current, a reset signal is sent after the user cleans the system. Upon receiving the reset signal, the updated reference current can be obtained by simply re-executing the reference current acquisition step. Because the reference current is updated accordingly, its associated deviation threshold and current threshold are also updated accordingly.

[0038] Preferably, the update steps for deviations from the threshold are as follows: Obtain the deviation threshold and offset coefficient of the non-volatile Flash memory, and use them as the first offset and the first coefficient; Repeat step A to obtain the new deviation threshold and the new offset coefficient, which will be used as the second offset and the second coefficient. Obtain the difference between the new reference current and the first offset, and use it as the first difference; Obtain the difference between the first coefficient and the second coefficient, and use it as the second difference. Obtain the difference between the first offset and the second offset, and use it as the third difference; The updated offset coefficient is obtained by using the first difference, the second difference, the third difference, and the first coefficient. The updated value of the deviation from the threshold is calculated using the new reference current and the updated offset coefficient.

[0039] In this invention, when updating the deviation threshold, the new deviation threshold obtained in step A is not used as the update value. This would potentially lead to abrupt changes in the offset coefficient due to jumps in the conductivity range of condensate water, making it impossible to accurately estimate the corresponding deviation threshold. Therefore, this invention first obtains a new deviation threshold and a new offset coefficient through step A, serving as the second offset and second coefficient. Then, the difference between the new reference current and the first offset is used as the first difference, reflecting the overall drift of the sensor's basic electrical characteristics since the last calibration. The second and third differences reflect the changes in detection sensitivity requirements caused by water quality variations. Finally, the updated offset coefficient is calculated through interpolation. The updated offset coefficient obtained through interpolation is continuous and smooth, avoiding misjudgments because the conductivity of condensate water in an air conditioning scenario is gradual, not abrupt. Therefore, interpolation matches the gradual change, thus more accurately estimating the updated value of the deviation threshold.

[0040] Preferably, the formula for obtaining the update offset coefficient is as follows: ; in As the first coefficient, The first difference, The second difference, This is the third difference.

[0041] Preferably, the current threshold is updated by obtaining the percentage of the updated value of the deviation from the threshold compared to the previous deviation from the threshold, and the current threshold is updated by the percentage.

[0042] An air conditioner indoor unit water full warning system based on condensate water level monitoring, using the aforementioned air conditioner indoor unit water full warning method based on condensate water level monitoring, includes: a first acquisition module, a second acquisition module, a monitoring module, and an update module; The first acquisition module is used to acquire the reference current when the water level sensor is installed on the water receiving pan and there is no water. The second acquisition module is used to acquire the deviation threshold amount based on the reference current, and store the reference current and the deviation threshold amount in the non-volatile Flash of the air conditioner MCU. The monitoring module is used to acquire the current value of the water level sensor as the first current, and to determine whether the first current is greater than the current threshold. If it is greater, it is determined that there is a blockage in the water receiving tray, and an alarm message is sent to the preset communication address. The update module is used to receive a reset signal, retrieve the deviation threshold amount from the non-volatile Flash, obtain the current reference current, update the deviation threshold amount, reference current, and current threshold based on the deviation threshold amount and the current reference current, and store them in the non-volatile Flash.

[0043] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0044] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for early warning of water overflow in an air conditioner indoor unit based on condensate water level monitoring, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step S1: When the water level sensor is installed on the water receiving tray, obtain the reference current when there is no water. Step S2: Obtain the deviation threshold amount based on the reference current, and store the reference current and the deviation threshold amount in the non-volatile Flash of the air conditioner MCU; Step S3: Obtain the current value of the water level sensor as the first current, determine whether the first current is greater than the current threshold, if it is greater, determine that there is a blockage in the water receiving tray, and send an alarm message to the preset communication address. Step S4: Receive a reset signal, retrieve the deviation threshold amount from the non-volatile Flash, obtain the current reference current, update the deviation threshold amount, reference current, and current threshold based on the deviation threshold amount and the current reference current, and store them in the non-volatile Flash.

2. The method for early warning of water fullness in an air conditioner indoor unit based on condensate water level monitoring according to claim 1, characterized in that, The steps for obtaining the anhydrous reference current are as follows: Power the water level sensor according to the preset pulse parameters, and wait for the circuit to stabilize. Then, sample the electrode circuit current multiple times to obtain several sampled currents. After removing the maximum and minimum values ​​from the sampled current, the average value of the sampled current is obtained as the reference current.

3. The method for early warning of water fullness in an air conditioner indoor unit based on condensate water level monitoring according to claim 1, characterized in that, The steps for obtaining the deviation from the threshold based on the reference current are as follows: Step A: Obtain the conductivity range of condensate water from the first mapping table based on the difference between the current reference current and the previous reference current; The offset coefficient is obtained from the second mapping table based on the condensate conductivity range. The deviation threshold is calculated using the reference current and the offset coefficient.

4. The method for early warning of water fullness in an air conditioner indoor unit based on condensate water level monitoring according to claim 1, characterized in that, The specific steps of step S4 are as follows: The current reference current is sampled several times to determine whether all reference currents are less than the deviation threshold. If so, the deviation threshold, reference current, and current threshold are updated. If not, the deviation threshold, reference current, and current threshold are not updated.

5. The method for early warning of water fullness in an air conditioner indoor unit based on condensate water level monitoring according to claim 3, characterized in that, The update steps for deviating from the threshold are as follows: Obtain the deviation threshold and offset coefficient of the non-volatile Flash memory, and use them as the first offset and the first coefficient; Repeat step A to obtain the new deviation threshold and the new offset coefficient, which will be used as the second offset and the second coefficient. Obtain the difference between the new reference current and the first offset, and use it as the first difference; Obtain the difference between the first coefficient and the second coefficient, and use it as the second difference. Obtain the difference between the first offset and the second offset, and use it as the third difference; The updated offset coefficient is obtained by using the first difference, the second difference, the third difference, and the first coefficient. The updated value of the deviation from the threshold is calculated using the new reference current and the updated offset coefficient.

6. The method for early warning of water fullness in an air conditioner indoor unit based on condensate water level monitoring according to claim 5, characterized in that, The formula for obtaining the update offset coefficient is as follows: ； in As the first coefficient, The first difference, The second difference, This is the third difference.

7. A method for early warning of water fullness in an air conditioner indoor unit based on condensate water level monitoring according to claim 5, characterized in that, Obtain the percentage of the updated value of the deviation from the threshold compared to the previous deviation from the threshold, and update the current threshold using the percentage.

8. An air conditioner indoor unit water full warning system based on condensate water level monitoring, characterized in that, The air conditioner indoor unit water full warning method based on condensate water level monitoring according to any one of claims 1 to 7 includes: a first acquisition module, a second acquisition module, a monitoring module, and an update module; The first acquisition module is used to acquire the reference current when the water level sensor is installed on the water receiving pan and there is no water. The second acquisition module is used to acquire the deviation threshold amount based on the reference current, and store the reference current and the deviation threshold amount in the non-volatile Flash of the air conditioner MCU. The monitoring module is used to acquire the current value of the water level sensor as the first current, and to determine whether the first current is greater than the current threshold. If it is greater, it is determined that there is a blockage in the water receiving tray, and an alarm message is sent to the preset communication address. The update module is used to receive a reset signal, retrieve the deviation threshold amount from the non-volatile Flash, obtain the current reference current, update the deviation threshold amount, reference current, and current threshold based on the deviation threshold amount and the current reference current, and store them in the non-volatile Flash.

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