Central controller and air conditioner

Abstract

This invention discloses a centralized controller and an air conditioner, with a communication connection including a first controller and a second controller. The first controller is configured to send a request message to an outdoor unit to request capability data and / or energy consumption data. The request message includes a multiplexing flag, a data point, and a data type flag. The multiplexing flag distinguishes between a normal mode and a multiplexed mode capability request mode, an energy consumption request mode, and a capability / energy consumption request mode. The data point is used to store capability data or energy consumption data when the outdoor unit sends a response message. When the multiplexing flag is set to the capability / energy consumption request mode, the outdoor unit sends a response message containing capability data and a response message containing energy consumption data twice. The data type flag identifies whether the data in the response message is capability data or energy consumption data. This invention achieves a shared communication protocol for request and response messages through communication protocol point multiplexing, improving communication efficiency and reducing bus occupancy.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of air conditioning technology, specifically to a centralized controller and an air conditioner. Background Technology

[0002] Energy conservation has gradually become a major development trend in the air conditioning industry in recent years, and users are paying increasing attention to energy consumption and energy efficiency ratio. Air conditioning manufacturers have developed complete unit products that combine online energy consumption calculation and online capacity calculation functions, and use visual media such as central controllers, wired controllers, and APP interfaces to display the energy consumption level and capacity level of the entire air conditioning unit in real time to users, allowing users to evaluate air conditioning performance, operating status and other information.

[0003] Currently, there are generally two ways for air conditioner units to transmit data to the central controller. The first is bidirectional communication between the indoor units and the central controller. Each indoor unit transmits its capacity and energy consumption data to the central controller. Due to the large number of indoor units and the large amount of data transmitted, the central controller, acting as the receiving end, needs to process and aggregate the data, which can easily lead to packet loss and latency issues. Furthermore, this method requires the central controller to send multiple request messages, and each indoor unit to send multiple response messages, consuming excessive bus resources and easily causing communication congestion. The second method is bidirectional communication between the outdoor units and the central controller. The central controller sequentially sends capacity and energy consumption request messages, and the outdoor units reply with capacity and energy consumption messages respectively. This question-and-answer approach requires multiple communication protocol formats, resulting in lower efficiency.

[0004] The information disclosed in this background section is only intended to enhance the understanding of the background technology of this application, and therefore may include prior art that is not known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the problem of low data transmission efficiency of capability data and energy consumption data mentioned in the background art, this invention proposes a centralized controller and air conditioner. By using communication protocol point multiplexing, it enables request messages and response messages to share the same communication protocol and achieve one question and multiple answers, thereby improving communication efficiency and reducing bus occupancy.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention employs the following technical solution: A centralized controller includes a first controller for communicatively connecting to at least one outdoor unit; the first controller is configured to request capacity data and / or energy consumption data from the outdoor unit by sending a request message to the outdoor unit. The required message includes multiplexing flag bits, data point bits, and data type flag bits; Based on the different values ​​of the multiplexing flag, the normal mode and the multiplexing mode are distinguished into the capability requirement mode, energy consumption requirement mode, and capability / energy consumption requirement mode; The data point is used to place the capacity data or the energy consumption data when the outdoor unit sends back the response message. When the multiplexing flag is set to the capacity / energy consumption requirement mode, the outdoor unit sends back the response message including the capacity data and the response message including the energy consumption data in two separate transactions. The data type flag is used to identify whether the data at the data point in the response message returned by the outdoor unit is the capacity data or the energy consumption data.

[0007] The centralized controller of this invention reduces communication complexity and improves communication efficiency and reliability by setting the request and response messages to the same protocol rules. By setting multiplexing flag bits in the request and response messages, it can realize separate invitations for capability data and energy consumption data, as well as joint one-time invitations for capability data and energy consumption data. Outdoor units respond to capability data and energy consumption data separately through response messages, realizing one-question-one-answer or one-question-multiple-answer, reducing communication volume, thereby reducing bus occupancy and improving communication efficiency. In addition, it reduces packet loss and improves communication accuracy and reliability.

[0008] In some specific embodiments, the first controller is further configured as follows: The multiplexing flag of the request message consists of two bits; when the value of the multiplexing flag is 00, the request message is used in the normal mode; when the value of the multiplexing flag is 01, the request message is used in the capacity requirement mode or the energy consumption requirement mode; when the value of the multiplexing flag is 10, the request message is used in the energy consumption requirement mode or the capacity requirement mode; when the value of the multiplexing flag is 11, the request message is used in the capacity / energy consumption requirement mode.

[0009] In this embodiment, the centralized controller implements multiple communication modes by setting a two-bit multiplexing flag, thereby improving the utilization rate of required messages and increasing communication efficiency.

[0010] In some specific embodiments, the first controller is further configured as follows: Receive the response message; the response message retains the multiplexing flag bit of the request message; Verify the multiplexing flag bit of the request message and the corresponding multiplexing flag bit of the response message; if the values ​​are the same, the data of the data point is valid; if the values ​​are different, the data of the data point is invalid.

[0011] In this embodiment, the centralized controller determines whether the response message has been damaged during transmission by verifying the value of the multiplexing flag bit of the response message with the value of the multiplexing flag bit of the corresponding request message, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the received capability data or energy consumption data and improving the accuracy of the displayed data.

[0012] In some specific embodiments, the first controller is further configured as follows: The data type flag bit is two bits; when the response message returned by the outdoor unit contains the capacity data or the energy consumption data, it is identified by setting the value of the data flag bit to 01 or 10. When receiving the response message, the multiplexing flag bit and the data type flag bit are checked; if the value of the multiplexing flag bit is the same as the value of the data type flag bit, or the value of the multiplexing flag bit is 11 and the value of the data type flag bit is 01 or 10, the data of the data point bit in the response message is valid; otherwise, it is invalid.

[0013] In this embodiment, the centralized controller verifies the multiplexing flag bit and the data type flag bit of the response message to prevent the response message from being damaged during transmission, thereby improving the accuracy and reliability of capability data and energy consumption data.

[0014] In some specific embodiments, the first controller is further configured as follows: The request message also includes a retransmission flag, which is one bit. When the data at the data point of the received response message is invalid, the request message is resent to the outdoor unit, with the retransmission flag set to 1, and the number of consecutive retransmissions of the request message is recorded.

[0015] In this embodiment, the centralized controller identifies retransmission request messages by setting a retransmission flag, making it easier for the air conditioner to identify whether a request message is a retransmission request message. By accumulating consecutively retransmitted request messages and judging the number of retransmissions, it prevents infinite retransmissions caused by centralized controller failures, reduces the bus resources occupied by faulty communication, and improves the effective utilization rate of the bus.

[0016] In some specific embodiments, the first controller is configured with a time threshold and a count threshold, and configured as follows: After sending the request message to the outdoor unit, a waiting time timer is started; When the waiting time exceeds the time threshold and the request message is in the capacity requirement mode or the energy consumption requirement mode and no response message is received, or when the request message is in the capacity / energy consumption requirement mode and no response message is received or only one response message is received, the request message is resent to the outdoor unit, the retransmission flag is set to 1, and the number of retransmissions of the consecutively retransmitted request message is recorded. When the number of retransmissions reaches or exceeds the threshold, the retransmission of the request message is stopped and an alarm is triggered.

[0017] In this embodiment, the centralized controller determines the timeout of the received response message and the control flow of retransmitting the request message if a timeout occurs based on the different multiplexing modes of the request message. This ensures that even if a packet is lost, the capability data and / or energy consumption data can still be obtained normally by retransmitting the request message, and avoids unrestricted and useless communication due to air conditioner failure or communication line failure, thereby saving bus resources and reducing energy consumption.

[0018] An air conditioner includes an outdoor unit; the outdoor unit includes a second controller for communicatively connecting with the aforementioned central controller. The second controller is configured with a capability acquisition module for acquiring capability data and an energy consumption acquisition module for acquiring energy consumption data, and is further configured as follows: Upon receiving a request message from the centralized controller, the request message is multiplexed into a response message; the value of the multiplexing flag is retained; data is placed at the data point; and the data type flag is set according to the data type of the data point. When the received request message is in capacity / energy consumption request mode, the response message containing the capacity data and the response message containing the energy consumption data are sent back in two parts.

[0019] The air conditioner of this invention reduces communication complexity and improves communication efficiency and reliability by setting the request message and response message to the same protocol rules. By setting multiplexing flag bits in the request message and response message, it can realize separate invitations for capability data and energy consumption data, as well as joint one-time invitations for capability data and energy consumption data. The outdoor unit responds to capability data and energy consumption data separately through the response message, realizing one-question-one-answer or one-question-multiple-answer, reducing communication volume, thereby reducing the bus occupancy rate and improving communication efficiency. In addition, it reduces packet loss and improves the accuracy and reliability of communication.

[0020] In some specific embodiments, the second controller is further configured to: After the response message is generated, its multiplexing flag bit and data type flag bit are verified; if the value of the multiplexing flag bit is the same as the value of the data type flag bit, or if the value of the multiplexing flag bit is 11 and the value of the data type flag bit is 01 or 11, the response message is sent to the central controller; otherwise, the response message is regenerated.

[0021] In this embodiment, the air conditioner determines the validity of the response message by verifying the value of the data type flag bit and the value of the multiplexing flag bit. If the response message is valid, it is sent to the central controller; if it is invalid, the response message is regenerated. This improves the accuracy and reliability of the sent response messages, not only improving the accuracy of the capability and energy consumption data displayed by the central controller, but also reducing the efficiency of the response messages received by the central controller, thus improving communication efficiency and effectiveness.

[0022] In some specific embodiments, the second controller is preset with a first time threshold and configured as follows: Determine whether the time interval between two consecutive request messages that request the capacity data and two consecutive request messages that request the energy consumption data reaches or exceeds the first time threshold; if yes, the request message is valid, and the response message is generated and sent back; if no, the request message is invalid.

[0023] The air conditioner in this embodiment reduces the generation and transmission of unnecessary response messages by setting the interval between received adjacent request messages and discarding request messages that do not meet the interval, thereby improving the control efficiency of the second controller, reducing bus occupancy, improving communication efficiency, and increasing the effective utilization rate of the bus.

[0024] In some specific embodiments, the controller has a preset second time threshold and is configured as follows: Upon receiving a valid request message, acquire the capability data and / or the energy consumption data, transmit and cache them, and start timing for capability data acquisition and energy consumption data acquisition. Upon receiving the request message again, compare the corresponding capability data acquisition time and / or energy consumption data acquisition time with the second time threshold; determine whether the capability data acquisition time and / or energy consumption data acquisition time have reached or exceeded the second time threshold; if not, return the cached capability data and / or energy consumption data; if yes, acquire the real-time capability data and / or energy consumption data, return and cache it, and reset the corresponding capability data acquisition time and / or energy consumption data acquisition time to restart the timing.

[0025] The air conditioner in this embodiment sets a second time threshold for the interval between acquiring capacity data and energy consumption data, and times the acquisition time of capacity data and energy consumption data. This limits the frequency of acquiring capacity data and energy consumption data, reduces invalid acquisition when there is no significant change in capacity data and energy consumption data, improves the control efficiency of the second controller and reduces energy consumption.

[0026] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become clearer after reading the detailed embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0027] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the central controller and the outdoor unit according to an embodiment; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the central controller and the outdoor unit according to an embodiment; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the required message composition according to the embodiment; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of a centralized controller receiving a response message according to an embodiment. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of a centralized controller receiving a response message according to an embodiment. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the centralized controller retransmitting request messages according to an embodiment; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the centralized controller retransmitting request messages according to an embodiment; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the air conditioner receiving request messages according to an embodiment; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the process of sending a response message by an air conditioner according to an embodiment; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the process of sending a response message by an air conditioner according to an embodiment; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the communication process between the central controller and the outdoor unit according to an embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0030] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0031] 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 technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0032] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0033] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0034] The following disclosure provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing various structures of the invention. To simplify the disclosure, specific examples of components and arrangements are described below. These are merely examples and are not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, reference numerals and / or letters may be repeated in different examples; such repetition is for simplification and clarity and does not in itself indicate a relationship between the various embodiments and / or arrangements discussed. In addition, examples of various specific processes and materials are provided in this invention, but those skilled in the art will recognize the application of other processes and / or the use of other materials.

[0035] Air conditioners execute a refrigeration cycle using a compressor, condenser, expansion valve, and evaporator. The refrigeration cycle involves a series of processes, including compression, condensation, expansion, and evaporation, to cool or heat an indoor space.

[0036] Low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant enters the compressor, which compresses it into a high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas and discharges the compressed refrigerant gas. The discharged refrigerant gas flows into the condenser. The condenser condenses the compressed refrigerant into a liquid phase, and the heat is released to the surrounding environment through the condensation process.

[0037] The expansion valve expands the high-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant that condenses in the condenser into a low-pressure liquid refrigerant. The evaporator evaporates the expanded refrigerant in the expansion valve and returns the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant gas to the compressor. The evaporator achieves its cooling effect by utilizing the latent heat of refrigerant evaporation to exchange heat with the material being cooled. Throughout the cycle, the air conditioner regulates the temperature of the indoor space.

[0038] The outdoor unit of an air conditioner refers to the part of the refrigeration cycle that includes the compressor and the outdoor heat exchanger. The indoor unit of an air conditioner includes the indoor heat exchanger, and an expansion valve can be provided in either the indoor or outdoor unit.

[0039] The indoor and outdoor heat exchangers function as either condensers or evaporators. When the indoor heat exchanger is used as a condenser, the air conditioner functions as a heater in heating mode; when the indoor heat exchanger is used as an evaporator, the air conditioner functions as a cooler in cooling mode.

[0040] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2 The air conditioner of the present invention is a multi-split unit, which includes an outdoor unit and multiple indoor units connected thereto; the central controller of the present invention is communicatively connected to at least one outdoor unit and performs centralized control of each indoor unit corresponding to the outdoor unit.

[0041] The centralized controller can also communicate with multiple outdoor units to centrally control the indoor units corresponding to each outdoor unit. The communication connection between the centralized controller and each outdoor unit is achieved in the following way: a master outdoor unit is set up, and the other outdoor units are slave outdoor units; each slave outdoor unit communicates with the master outdoor unit, and then communicates with the centralized controller through communication with the master outdoor unit.

[0042] The outdoor unit includes a capacity and energy consumption monitoring module and a second controller. The second controller is connected to the capacity and energy consumption monitoring module and is equipped with a capacity acquisition module and an energy consumption acquisition module to acquire the capacity data and energy consumption data of the air conditioning unit. The second controller is configured to send the acquired capacity data and energy consumption data to the central controller.

[0043] Reference Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 8 The centralized controller includes a first controller, which is communicatively connected to a second controller and configured to request capacity data and / or energy consumption data from the outdoor unit by sending a request message to the outdoor unit.

[0044] The message requires a multiplexing flag; the multiplexing flag is used to distinguish the communication categories between the central controller and the outdoor unit, and the multiplexing distinguishes the request modes for capacity data and energy consumption data; specifically, the communication categories are normal mode and multiplexing mode; the normal mode is used to request other data besides capacity / energy consumption from the outdoor unit or to exchange other information with the outdoor unit; the multiplexing modes include capacity request mode, energy consumption request mode, and capacity / energy consumption request mode, which are used to request capacity data from the outdoor unit separately, request energy consumption data from the outdoor unit separately, and request both capacity data and energy consumption data from the outdoor unit at once, respectively.

[0045] The request message also includes data points; when the outdoor unit receives the request message, it directly converts the request message into a response message and retains the value of the multiplexing flag; that is, the response message and the request message share the same protocol format; the value of the multiplexing flag is equal to the value of the multiplexing flag in the request message; the data points are used by the outdoor unit to place the invitation's capacity data or energy consumption data when transmitting the response message back.

[0046] The request message also includes a data type flag. When the central controller sends a request message in either capacity or energy consumption mode to the outdoor unit, the outdoor unit generates a corresponding response message containing either capacity or energy consumption data and sends it to the central controller. The data type flag indicates whether the response message contains capacity or energy consumption data. When the central controller sends a request message in either capacity or energy consumption mode to the outdoor unit, the outdoor unit generates a response message containing capacity data and a response message containing energy consumption data, respectively, and sends them to the central controller twice. The data type flag indicates whether the response message contains capacity or energy consumption data.

[0047] The centralized controller and air conditioner of this invention reduce communication complexity and improve communication efficiency and reliability by setting the request message and response message to the same protocol rules. By setting multiplexing flag bits in the request message and response message, it is possible to realize separate invitations for capacity data and energy consumption data, as well as joint one-time invitations for capacity data and energy consumption data. The outdoor units respond to the capacity data and energy consumption data separately through the response message, realizing one-question-one-answer or one-question-multiple-answer, reducing communication volume, thereby reducing the bus occupancy rate and improving communication efficiency. In addition, it reduces packet loss and improves the accuracy and reliability of communication.

[0048] The specific structure, control process, and principle of the centralized controller and air conditioner of the present invention will be described in detail below through specific embodiments.

[0049] In some specific embodiments, the second controller of the air conditioner is configured as follows: When the received request message is in capacity / energy consumption request mode, a first response message containing capacity data and a second response message containing energy consumption data are generated and sent to the central controller in a time-division manner; the interval between sending the first response message and sending the second response message can be dynamically adjusted according to the bus usage.

[0050] Specifically, the second controller presets a fourth time threshold and configures it as follows: When the bus is busy, the interval between sending the first and second response messages is shortened based on the fourth time threshold; when the bus is idle, the interval between sending the first and second response messages is the fourth time threshold.

[0051] In this embodiment, the air conditioner dynamically adjusts the sending interval of the first and second response messages according to the bus usage, thereby improving bus utilization and bus communication efficiency.

[0052] In some specific embodiments, refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 8 The central controller's first controller and the outdoor unit's second controller are configured as follows: The multiplexing flag for request and response messages consists of two bits. When the multiplexing flag is 00, the request message is used for normal mode communication; that is, when the multiplexing flag is 00, the request message is in normal mode. When the multiplexing flag is not 00, it is in multiplexing mode; specifically, when the multiplexing flag is 01, the request message is in capacity requirement mode or energy consumption requirement mode, used to request capacity data or energy consumption data from the outdoor unit separately; when the multiplexing flag is 10, the request message is in energy consumption requirement mode or capacity requirement mode, used to request energy consumption data or capacity data from the outdoor unit separately; when the multiplexing flag is 11, the request message is in capacity / energy consumption requirement mode, used to request both capacity data and energy consumption data from the outdoor unit at once.

[0053] In this embodiment, the centralized controller and air conditioner implement multiple communication modes by setting a two-bit multiplexing flag, thereby improving the utilization rate of the required messages and increasing communication efficiency.

[0054] In some specific embodiments, refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 8 The centralized controller receives the response message and determines whether the data in the response message is valid by comparing the value of the multiplexing flag bit in the response message with the value of the multiplexing flag bit in the corresponding request message.

[0055] This is achieved by configuring the control flow of the first control, specifically as follows: S1. Determine whether a response message has been received; if yes, proceed to S2. S2. Verify the value of the multiplexing flag bit of the response message with the value of the multiplexing flag bit of the corresponding request message; if the value of the multiplexing flag bit of the response message is equal to the value of the multiplexing flag bit of the request message, then execute S3; if the value of the multiplexing flag bit of the response message is not equal to the value of the multiplexing flag bit of the request message, then execute S4. S3. The data points of the response message are valid. Process and calculate them to obtain the capability or energy consumption display for the centralized controller. S4. The data at the data point in the response message is invalid; an alarm should be triggered or the message should be resent to request a new request for capability or energy consumption data.

[0056] That is, when the value of the multiplexing flag bit of the response message and the value of the multiplexing flag bit of the corresponding request message are both 01, 10 or 11, the data of the data point bit of the response message is capacity or energy consumption data and is valid.

[0057] In this embodiment, the centralized controller determines whether the response message has been damaged during transmission by verifying the value of the multiplexing flag bit of the response message with the value of the multiplexing flag bit of the corresponding request message, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the received capability data or energy consumption data and improving the accuracy of the displayed data.

[0058] In some specific embodiments, refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 8 When the air conditioner receives a request message for capacity data and / or energy consumption data, it places the capacity data or energy consumption data on the data point; and sets the value of the data type flag to identify the data type as capacity data or energy consumption data.

[0059] The data type flag is two bits; its setting depends on the value of the multiplexing flag. If the multiplexing flag in the request message is 01, requesting a single capability or energy consumption data, then the data type flag in the response message is set to 01, indicating that the data point value is capability or energy consumption data. If the multiplexing flag in the request message is 10, requesting a single energy consumption or capability data, then the data type flag in the response message is 10, indicating that the data point value is energy consumption or capability data. If the multiplexing flag in the request message is 11, requesting both capability and energy consumption data, then the data type flag in the response message is either 01 or 10.

[0060] The air conditioner determines the validity of the response message by verifying the value of the data type flag bit and the value of the multiplexing flag bit. If the response message is valid, it is sent to the central controller. If the response message is invalid, it is discarded and a new response message is retrieved.

[0061] In this embodiment, the air conditioner determines the validity of the response message by verifying the value of the data type flag bit and the value of the multiplexing flag bit. If the response message is valid, it is sent to the central controller; if it is invalid, the response message is regenerated. This improves the accuracy and reliability of the sent response messages, not only improving the accuracy of the capability and energy consumption data displayed by the central controller, but also reducing the efficiency of the response messages received by the central controller, thus improving communication efficiency and effectiveness.

[0062] In some specific embodiments, refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 8 When the centralized controller receives a response message, it verifies the value of the multiplexing flag bit and the value of its data type flag bit in the response message, and determines whether the response message is valid based on the verification result, that is, whether the capacity data or energy consumption data of the data point bit in the response message is valid.

[0063] Specifically, the first controller is configured as follows: S1' Determine if a response message has been received; if so, proceed to S2'. S2': Verify whether the value of the multiplexing flag bit of the response message is equal to the value of its data type flag bit; if yes, proceed to S3'; if no, proceed to S4'. S3', the response message is valid, and the data points are processed and saved; S4' Determine if the value of the multiplexing flag bit of the response message is 11 and the value of the data type flag bit is 01 or 10; if yes, execute S5'; if no, execute S6'. S5', the response message is valid, and the data points are processed and saved; S6': The response message is invalid. Discard it and resend the request message to invite or alarm.

[0064] In this embodiment, the centralized controller verifies the multiplexing flag bit and the data type flag bit of the response message to prevent the response message from being damaged during transmission, thereby improving the accuracy and reliability of capability data and energy consumption data.

[0065] In some specific embodiments, refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 The request message of the centralized controller also includes a retransmission flag bit; when the received response message is invalid, it generates a request message with the retransmission flag bit set to 1 and retransmits it, and records the number of times the request message is retransmitted consecutively; that is, it records the number of retransmissions; it determines whether the number of retransmissions reaches or exceeds the number threshold; if the number of retransmissions reaches or exceeds the number threshold, an alarm is triggered.

[0066] Specifically, the first controller of the centralized controller has a preset threshold for the number of occurrences, and is configured as follows: S10. Determine whether the received response message is invalid; if so, proceed to S20. S20. Determine whether the number of retransmissions has reached or exceeded the threshold. If yes, proceed to S40; otherwise, proceed to S30. S30. Generate a retransmission flag at position 1 and resend the message to the air conditioner. S40: Accumulate the number of consecutive retransmissions of the request message, i.e., the number of retransmissions; and return to S10 to determine whether the received response message is invalid.

[0067] In this embodiment, the centralized controller identifies retransmission request messages by setting a retransmission flag, making it easier for the air conditioner to identify whether a request message is a retransmission request message. By accumulating consecutively retransmitted request messages and judging the number of retransmissions, it prevents infinite retransmissions caused by centralized controller failures, reduces the bus resources occupied by faulty communication, and improves the effective utilization rate of the bus.

[0068] Of course, when the response message is valid, the retransmission flag will be set to 0 when the request message is sent again.

[0069] In some specific embodiments, refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 The first controller of the centralized controller is preset with time thresholds and frequency thresholds, and is also configured as follows: S11. Send a request message to the air conditioner and start timing the waiting time; S12. Determine whether the request message is a capacity requirement mode or an energy consumption requirement mode; if yes, proceed to S13; if no, proceed to S12'. S13. Determine whether a response message has not been received when the waiting time reaches or exceeds the time threshold; if so, proceed to S14. S14. Determine whether the number of retransmissions has reached or exceeded the threshold; if yes, proceed to S15; if no, proceed to S16. S16. Retransmit flag position 1 and send a request message to the air conditioner; S17. The cumulative number of times the request message is resent, i.e., the number of resends; return to S13; S12' Determine if the request message is a capacity / energy consumption requirement mode; if so, execute S13'; S13': If no response message is received or only one response message is received when the waiting time reaches or exceeds the time threshold; if so, proceed to S14'. S14' Determine whether the number of retransmissions has reached or exceeded the threshold; if yes, proceed to S15'; if no, proceed to S16'. S16', Retransmit flag position 1 and send a request message to the air conditioner; S17', The cumulative number of times the request message has been resent, i.e., the number of resentments; return to S13'.

[0070] In this embodiment, the centralized controller determines the timeout of the received response message and the control flow of retransmitting the request message if a timeout occurs based on the different multiplexing modes of the request message. This ensures that even if a packet is lost, the capability data and / or energy consumption data can still be obtained normally by retransmitting the request message, and avoids unrestricted and useless communication due to air conditioner failure or communication line failure, thereby saving bus resources and reducing energy consumption.

[0071] In some specific embodiments, refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Figure 9 , Figure 11 The second controller of the air conditioner is preset with a first time threshold and configured as follows: S21. Determine if the received request message is valid; if so, proceed to S22. S22. Determine whether the request message contains a capability data invitation; if yes, proceed to S23; if no, proceed to S22'. S23. Send a response message to the centralized controller and start timing the first interval. S24. Determine whether a request message containing invitation capability data has been received; if so, proceed to S25. S25. Determine whether the first interval time has reached or exceeded the first time threshold; if yes, execute S23; if no, execute S26. S26. The received request message is invalid. The first interval time continues to be counted, and the process returns to S24. S22' Determine whether the request message contains an invitation for energy consumption data; if so, proceed to S23'; S23' Send a response message to the central controller and start timing the second interval; S24' Determine whether a request message containing energy consumption data has been received; if so, proceed to S25'. S25' Determine whether the second interval time has reached or exceeded the first time threshold; if yes, execute S23'; if no, execute S26'; S26' The received request message is invalid. The second interval time continues to count down and returns to S24'.

[0072] That is, if an air conditioner continuously receives request messages containing invitation capability data or energy consumption data within the first time threshold, it will consider subsequent request messages as invalid.

[0073] The air conditioner in this embodiment reduces the generation and transmission of unnecessary response messages by setting the interval between received adjacent request messages and discarding request messages that do not meet the interval, thereby improving the control efficiency of the second controller, reducing bus occupancy, improving communication efficiency, and increasing the effective utilization rate of the bus.

[0074] In some specific embodiments, refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Figure 9 , Figure 10 , Figure 11 The second controller of the air conditioner is preset with a second time threshold and is also configured as follows: S31. Determine whether the received request message is valid; if yes, proceed to S32. S32. Acquire capacity data and / or energy consumption data, send a response message to the central controller and save the capacity data and / or energy consumption data; S33. Timing of capacity data acquisition time and / or energy consumption data acquisition time; S34. Determine if the request message has been received; if yes, proceed to S35. S35. Determine whether the capability data acquisition time and / or energy consumption data acquisition time have reached or exceeded the second time threshold; if yes, execute S32; if no, execute S36. S36. Send the saved capability data and / or energy consumption data; and return to S34 to determine whether the request message has been received.

[0075] Of course, in S32, the storage of capability data and energy consumption data can be limited to caching. When new capability data and energy consumption data are acquired, the cached data is updated. When the capability data acquisition timer or energy consumption data acquisition timer fails to reach or exceed the second time threshold, a response message is generated and sent to the central controller.

[0076] In S33, the timing for acquiring capability data and energy consumption data is cleared before timing begins; that is, timing starts from 0.

[0077] The air conditioner in this embodiment sets a second time threshold for the interval between acquiring capacity data and energy consumption data, and times the acquisition time of capacity data and energy consumption data. This limits the frequency of acquiring capacity data and energy consumption data, reduces invalid acquisition when there is no significant change in capacity data and energy consumption data, improves the control efficiency of the second controller and reduces energy consumption.

[0078] In some specific embodiments, refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Figure 9 , Figure 10 , Figure 11 The second controller of the air conditioner is also configured to compare a first time threshold with a second time threshold, and control the generation and transmission of a response message based on the comparison result.

[0079] Specifically: Compare the first time threshold with the second time threshold; If the first time threshold is greater than or equal to the second time threshold, then there is no need to perform timers for capability data acquisition, energy consumption data acquisition, or compare the capability data acquisition timer, energy consumption data acquisition timer, and the second time threshold; when a valid request message is received, the capability data and / or energy consumption data can be acquired and sent in real time directly.

[0080] If the first time threshold is less than the second time threshold, and the request message is valid when it reaches the first time threshold, and the capability data acquisition time and energy consumption data acquisition time have not reached the second time threshold, then the cached capability data and energy consumption data are used to generate a response message and send it to the central controller. If the request message is valid when it reaches the first time threshold, and the capability data acquisition time and energy consumption data acquisition time have reached the second time threshold, then the capability data and energy consumption data are acquired in real time, a response message is generated and sent to the central controller, and the capability data and energy consumption data are cached, and the capability data acquisition time and energy consumption data acquisition time are cleared and reset.

[0081] In this embodiment, when the air conditioner is set with a first time threshold and a second time threshold as needed, the first time threshold and the second time threshold are compared, and the generation and transmission of response messages are controlled based on the comparison result, thereby improving communication efficiency and data accuracy.

[0082] In some specific embodiments, the second controller of the air conditioner is configured as follows: When the first time threshold equals the second time threshold, the message is required to be valid when the first interval time and the second interval time reach or exceed half of the first time threshold. At this time, the capability data and energy consumption data to be sent are determined by comparing the timing of capability data acquisition and energy consumption data acquisition with the second time threshold, or by acquiring capability data and energy consumption data in real time.

[0083] In some specific embodiments, the second controller of the air conditioner is preset with a third time threshold and configured as follows: When the air conditioner is initially connected to the central controller, the outdoor unit sends a handshake signal to the central controller to initiate a handshake process. After the handshake is completed, a silent timer is started, and the outdoor unit remains silent when the silent timer is within the third time threshold range. That is, after the handshake is successful, even if the central controller sends a request message to the outdoor unit, the outdoor unit remains silent and does not return a response message. When the silent timer reaches the third time threshold, the outdoor unit actively sends a response message containing capacity data and a response message containing energy consumption data to the central controller.

[0084] In some specific embodiments, the first controller of the centralized controller is configured as follows: After successfully shaking hands with the air conditioner, when the capacity data and energy consumption data are received for the first time, the recording time is automatically calibrated, starting from the moment the handshake is successful and ending at the moment the capacity data and energy consumption data are received.

[0085] In some specific embodiments, the third time threshold is twice the first time threshold.

[0086] In some specific embodiments, the central controller communicates with each slave outdoor unit via communication with the main outdoor unit; each slave outdoor unit is communicatively connected to the main outdoor unit. The capacity and energy consumption data of each slave outdoor unit are also sent to the central controller through aggregation by the main outdoor unit.

[0087] In the description of the above embodiments, specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0088] The above are merely specific embodiments of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A centralized controller, characterized in that, Includes a first controller for communicating with at least one outdoor unit; the first controller is configured to request capability data and / or energy consumption data from the outdoor unit by sending a request message to the outdoor unit. The requested message includes: The reuse flag is used to distinguish between the normal mode and the reuse mode, the capacity requirement mode, the energy consumption requirement mode, and the capacity / energy consumption requirement mode, depending on its value. The data point is used to place the capacity data or the energy consumption data when the outdoor unit sends back the response message. When the multiplexing flag is set to the capacity / energy consumption requirement mode, the outdoor unit sends back the response message including the capacity data and the response message including the energy consumption data in two separate transactions. The data type flag is used to identify whether the data at the data point in the response message returned by the outdoor unit is the capacity data or the energy consumption data.

2. The centralized controller according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first controller is also configured to: The multiplexing flag of the request message consists of two bits; when the value of the multiplexing flag is 00, the request message is used in the normal mode; when the value of the multiplexing flag is 01, the request message is used in the capacity requirement mode or the energy consumption requirement mode; when the value of the multiplexing flag is 10, the request message is used in the energy consumption requirement mode or the capacity requirement mode; when the value of the multiplexing flag is 11, the request message is used in the capacity / energy consumption requirement mode.

3. The centralized controller according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first controller is also configured to: Receive the response message; the response message retains the multiplexing flag bit of the request message; Verify the multiplexing flag bit of the request message and the corresponding multiplexing flag bit of the response message; if the values ​​are the same, the data of the data point is valid. If the values ​​are different, the data at the data point is invalid.

4. The centralized controller according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first controller is also configured to: The data type flag bit is two bits; when the response message returned by the outdoor unit contains the capacity data or the energy consumption data, it is identified by setting the value of the data flag bit to 01 or 10. When receiving the response message, the multiplexing flag bit and the data type flag bit are verified. If the value of the multiplexing flag bit is the same as the value of the data type flag bit, or if the value of the multiplexing flag bit is 11 and the value of the data type flag bit is 01 or 10, the data of the data point bit in the response message is valid; otherwise, it is invalid.

5. The centralized controller according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The first controller is also configured to: The request message also includes a retransmission flag, which is one bit. When the data at the data point of the received response message is invalid, the request message is resent to the outdoor unit, with the retransmission flag set to 1, and the number of consecutive retransmissions of the request message is recorded.

6. The centralized controller according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first controller is configured with a time threshold and a number of times threshold, and is configured as follows: After sending the request message to the outdoor unit, a waiting time timer is started; When the waiting time exceeds the time threshold and the request message is in the capacity requirement mode or the energy consumption requirement mode and no response message is received, or when the request message is in the capacity / energy consumption requirement mode and no response message is received or only one response message is received, the request message is resent to the outdoor unit, the retransmission flag is set to 1, and the number of retransmissions of the consecutively retransmitted request message is recorded. When the number of retransmissions reaches or exceeds the threshold, the retransmission of the request message is stopped and an alarm is triggered.

7. An air conditioner, characterized in that, It includes an outdoor unit; the outdoor unit includes a second controller for communicatively connecting with the central controller of any one of claims 1 to 6; The second controller is configured with a capability acquisition module for acquiring capability data and an energy consumption acquisition module for acquiring energy consumption data, and is further configured as follows: Upon receiving a request message from the centralized controller, the request message is multiplexed into a response message; the value of the multiplexing flag is retained; data is placed at the data point; and the data type flag is set according to the data type of the data point. When the received request message is in capacity / energy consumption request mode, the response message containing the capacity data and the response message containing the energy consumption data are sent back in two parts.

8. The air conditioner according to claim 7, characterized in that, The second controller is also configured as follows: After the response message is generated, its multiplexing flag bit and data type flag bit are checked; and if the value of the multiplexing flag bit is the same as the value of the data type flag bit, or the value of the multiplexing flag bit is 11 and the value of the data type flag bit is 01 or 11, the response message is sent to the central controller. Otherwise, regenerate the response message.

9. The air conditioner according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, The second controller has a preset first time threshold and is configured as follows: Determine whether the time interval between two consecutive request messages that require the capacity data and two consecutive request messages that require the energy consumption data reaches or exceeds the first time threshold. If yes, the request message is valid, and the response message is generated and sent back; if no, the request message is invalid.

10. The air conditioner according to claim 9, characterized in that, The controller is preset with a second time threshold and configured as follows: Upon receiving a valid request message, acquire the capability data and / or the energy consumption data, transmit and cache them, and start timing for capability data acquisition and energy consumption data acquisition. When the request message is received again, the corresponding capability data acquisition time and / or energy consumption data acquisition time are compared with the second time threshold. Determine whether the capability data acquisition time and / or the energy consumption data acquisition time have reached or exceeded the second time threshold; If not, return the cached capability data and / or energy consumption data; If so, the real-time capability data and / or energy consumption data are acquired, transmitted back, and cached, and the corresponding capability data acquisition time and / or energy consumption data acquisition time are reset and re-timed.

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