Control method of air conditioner and air conditioner

Abstract

The application provides a control method of an air conditioner and the air conditioner, and belongs to the technical field of energy-saving air conditioners. The method comprises the following steps: obtaining a mold risk index; in the case that the mold risk index is greater than or equal to a first threshold value, controlling the air conditioner to perform a pre-heat storage operation, the pre-heat storage operation being used for storing heat generated by a compressor of the air conditioner in a refrigeration mode; and in the case that a shutdown instruction is received, controlling the air conditioner to perform a dry mold removal operation, the dry mold removal operation using the heat stored by the pre-heat storage operation to dry a wind channel. The method applies the heat generated in the refrigeration process to the drying and mold removal of the wind channel of the air conditioner, avoids the additional energy consumption in the mold removal process, realizes the technical effect of energy saving, and solves the problem that the mold removal technology of the prior art requires additional power consumption and has a large power consumption.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of energy-saving air conditioning technology, and more specifically, to a control method for an air conditioner and an air conditioner. Background Technology

[0002] When an air conditioner is cooling or dehumidifying, a large amount of condensation will be generated on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger. After the unit is turned off, if the fins and air ducts remain damp for a long time (relative humidity > 75%), mold will easily grow, producing odors and affecting the health of users.

[0003] To address the aforementioned issues, existing technologies employ methods such as active heating, waste heat drying, intelligent trigger drying, humidity shock drying, and material-based mold prevention to reduce the impact of mold. However, active heating, which uses an electric heater to generate heat for drying, consumes a lot of energy and produces hot air that affects the cooling experience. Waste heat drying involves the compressor continuing to run after shutdown, generating heat for drying, which still results in additional energy consumption from the compressor. Intelligent trigger drying determines whether to trigger the mold prevention mode based on the temperature and humidity of the air duct, but it cannot remove mold in advance. Humidity shock drying includes humidification and dehumidification, which removes mold by controlling humidity changes to disrupt the mold's living environment, but it generates high additional energy consumption during humidity control. Furthermore, material-based mold prevention cannot actively remove mold once it has already formed.

[0004] In summary, existing active mold removal methods require the continuous operation of compressors, electric heaters, or humidifiers, resulting in significant additional power consumption and increasing the overall energy consumption of the air conditioner. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The main objective of this application is to provide a control method and an air conditioner to at least solve the problem that the existing air conditioner anti-mold technology requires additional power consumption and has a large power consumption.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, according to one aspect of this application, a control method for an air conditioner is provided, comprising: acquiring a mold risk index, the mold risk index being used to quantify the likelihood of mold growth in the air duct of the air conditioner; when the mold risk index is greater than or equal to a first threshold, controlling the air conditioner to perform a pre-heat storage operation, the pre-heat storage operation being used to store the heat generated by the air conditioner's compressor in cooling mode; and upon receiving a shutdown command, controlling the air conditioner to perform a drying and mold removal operation, the drying and mold removal operation utilizing the heat stored in the pre-heat storage operation to dry the air duct.

[0007] Optionally, controlling the air conditioner to perform a pre-heat storage operation includes: controlling the air conditioner to turn off the outdoor fan; controlling the air conditioner's compressor to maintain its current operating state for a set duration; controlling the air conditioner's indoor fan to maintain its current operating state for a set duration; and controlling the air conditioner's electronic expansion valve to close to a first target opening degree, wherein the ratio between the first target opening degree and the second target opening degree is greater than a second threshold and less than a third threshold degree, and the second target opening degree is the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve in cooling mode.

[0008] Optionally, before controlling the air conditioner compressor to maintain its current operating state for a set duration, the method further includes: obtaining a first preset duration and a second preset duration, wherein the first preset duration is a limited duration for the air conditioner to perform pre-heat storage operation, and the first preset duration is less than the second preset duration; determining a third preset duration based on the mold risk index and the second preset duration; if the third preset duration is less than the first preset duration, determining the third preset duration as the set duration; and if the third preset duration is greater than or equal to the first preset duration, determining the first preset duration as the set duration.

[0009] Optionally, controlling the air conditioner to perform a drying and mold removal operation includes: ending the pre-heat storage operation and controlling the compressor to stop running; controlling the indoor fan of the air conditioner to run at a first target speed for a continuous eighth preset time, wherein the indoor fan is powered by an energy storage module, the ratio of the first target speed to the second target speed is greater than a fourth threshold and less than a fifth threshold, and the second target speed is the speed of the indoor fan in cooling mode.

[0010] Optionally, the mold risk index is obtained by: obtaining the relative humidity of the indoor environment, obtaining the continuous operating time of the air conditioner in cooling mode, obtaining the cumulative time since the last drying and mold removal operation, and obtaining the compressor's operating frequency; the mold risk index is calculated based on the relative humidity, continuous operating time, cumulative time, and operating frequency, wherein the formula for calculating the mold risk index is as follows: In the formula, , and These are the weighting coefficients, and the sum of all weighting coefficients is 1. This is the mold risk index. For cumulative duration, To pre-set the risk period, Relative humidity, This is a humidity reference value. For continuous running time, This is a reference value for runtime.

[0011] Optionally, before calculating the mold risk index based on relative humidity, continuous operating time, cumulative duration, and operating frequency, the method further includes: obtaining multiple calibration parameter groups, each including relative humidity, operating time, and cumulative duration, with at least one parameter differing between different calibration parameter groups; controlling the air conditioner to operate according to each calibration parameter group, and obtaining the colony-forming units corresponding to each calibration parameter group; performing multiple linear regression analysis on each calibration parameter group with each colony-forming unit as the dependent variable to obtain standardized regression coefficients; and normalizing the standardized regression coefficients to obtain weighting coefficients.

[0012] Optionally, when the mold risk index is greater than or equal to the first threshold, controlling the air conditioner to perform pre-heat storage operation further includes: obtaining the compressor's operating frequency and obtaining the interval between the current time and the last time the pre-heat storage operation was performed; calculating the difference between the indoor ambient temperature and the air conditioner's set cooling temperature to obtain the operating temperature difference; and controlling the air conditioner to perform pre-heat storage operation when the ratio of the operating frequency to the rated frequency is less than the fifth threshold, the operating temperature difference is less than the sixth threshold, and the interval is greater than the seventh threshold.

[0013] Optionally, the method further includes: in the case that no shutdown command is received and the air conditioner is powered off, obtaining the operating mode of the air conditioner and the cumulative running time of the air conditioner in the operating mode within a fourth preset time period before the power outage; and when the operating mode is cooling mode and the cumulative running time is greater than or equal to a fifth preset time period, controlling the indoor fan of the air conditioner to run at a third target speed for a sixth preset time period, wherein the indoor fan is powered by an energy storage module.

[0014] Optionally, the method further includes: acquiring the air conditioner's operation log at seventh preset intervals; determining user operation behavior records based on the operation log; increasing the first threshold if the operation behavior record includes a first preset instruction and the cumulative number of the first preset instruction is greater than an eighth threshold, wherein the first preset instruction is used to instruct the air conditioner to end the drying and mold removal operation; decreasing the first threshold if the operation behavior record includes a second preset instruction, wherein the second preset instruction is used to instruct the air conditioner to perform a deodorization operation; determining multiple user shutdown times based on the operation behavior record; calculating the mean and standard deviation of the shutdown times; determining multiple target times based on the shutdown times if the standard deviation is less than a ninth threshold, wherein the air conditioner automatically performs a pre-heat storage operation at the target times; determining the cooling frequency based on the operation behavior record; increasing the seventh threshold if the cooling frequency is less than a tenth threshold; decreasing the seventh threshold if the cooling frequency is greater than an eleventh threshold, wherein the tenth threshold is less than the eleventh threshold.

[0015] Optionally, after controlling the air conditioner to perform the drying and mold removal operation, the method further includes: interrupting the drying and mold removal operation if any of the following conditions are met: the drying and mold removal operation continues for more than an eighth preset time; the air conditioner receives a start-up command; the difference between the coil temperature of the indoor heat exchanger of the air conditioner and the indoor ambient temperature is less than a twelfth threshold.

[0016] According to another aspect of this application, an air conditioner is provided, comprising: one or more processors, a memory, and one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, and the one or more programs include methods for performing any one of the methods described.

[0017] Applying the technical solution of this application, in the control method of the aforementioned air conditioner, firstly, a mold risk index is obtained, which quantifies the possibility of mold growth in the air duct of the air conditioner; then, when the mold risk index is greater than or equal to a first threshold, the air conditioner is controlled to perform a pre-heat storage operation, which stores the heat generated by the air conditioner's compressor in cooling mode; subsequently, upon receiving a shutdown command, the air conditioner is controlled to perform a drying and mold removal operation, which uses the heat stored in the pre-heat storage operation to dry the air duct. This application introduces a mold risk index, pre-stores the heat generated during the air conditioner's cooling operation when conditions are met, and releases it upon shutdown, using the pre-stored heat to dry the air duct, thereby destroying the mold growth environment. Compared to the existing technologies of active drying and mold removal using electric heaters or compressors, and humidity shock mold removal, this reduces the power consumption of the mold removal operation, achieving energy-saving and emission-reduction effects, and solving the problem that existing air conditioner mold prevention technologies require additional power consumption and have high power consumption. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 A hardware structure block diagram of a mobile terminal for a control method of an air conditioner provided in an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0019] Figure 2 A schematic flowchart of a control method for an air conditioner according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0020] Figure 3 A structural block diagram of a control device for an air conditioner provided according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0021] The above figures include the following reference numerals:

[0022] 102. Processor; 104. Memory; 106. Transmission device; 108. Input / output device. Detailed Implementation

[0023] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. This application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0024] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0025] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate for the embodiments of this application described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0026] As described in the background section, existing active mold removal methods require the continuous operation of compressors, electric heaters, or humidifiers, resulting in significant additional power consumption and increasing the overall energy consumption of the air conditioner. To address the issue of existing air conditioner mold prevention technologies requiring additional power consumption and consuming large amounts of electricity, embodiments of this application provide an air conditioner control method and an air conditioner.

[0027] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0028] The methods and embodiments provided in this application can be executed on a mobile terminal, computer terminal, or similar computing device. Taking running on a mobile terminal as an example, Figure 1 This is a hardware structure block diagram of a mobile terminal for an air conditioner control method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, a mobile terminal may include one or more ( Figure 1Only one is shown in the diagram. A processor 102 (which may include, but is not limited to, a microprocessor MCU or a programmable logic device FPGA, etc.) and a memory 104 for storing data are also shown. The mobile terminal may further include a transmission device 106 for communication functions and an input / output device 108. Those skilled in the art will understand that... Figure 1 The structure shown is for illustrative purposes only and does not limit the structure of the mobile terminal described above. For example, the mobile terminal may also include components that are more... Figure 1 The more or fewer components shown, or having the same Figure 1 The different configurations shown.

[0029] The memory 104 can be used to store computer programs, such as application software programs and modules, like the computer program corresponding to the air conditioner control method in this embodiment of the invention. The processor 102 executes various functional applications and data processing by running the computer program stored in the memory 104, thereby implementing the above-described method. The memory 104 may include high-speed random access memory and non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic storage devices, flash memory, or other non-volatile solid-state memory. In some instances, the memory 104 may further include memory remotely located relative to the processor 102, and these remote memories can be connected to the mobile terminal via a network. Examples of the aforementioned networks include, but are not limited to, the Internet, corporate intranets, local area networks, mobile communication networks, and combinations thereof. The transmission device 106 is used to receive or send data via a network. Specific examples of the aforementioned networks may include wireless networks provided by the mobile terminal's communication provider. In one example, the transmission device 106 includes a network interface controller (NIC), which can be connected to other network devices via a base station to communicate with the Internet. In one example, the transmission device 106 may be a radio frequency (RF) module, which is used to communicate with the Internet wirelessly.

[0030] This embodiment provides a control method for an air conditioner that runs on a mobile terminal, computer terminal, or similar computing device. It should be noted that the steps shown in the flowchart in the accompanying drawings can be executed in a computer system such as a set of computer-executable instructions. Also, although a logical order is shown in the flowchart, in some cases, the steps shown or described may be executed in a different order than that shown here.

[0031] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of an air conditioner control method according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 As shown, the method includes the following steps:

[0032] Step S201: Obtain the mold risk index, which is used to quantify the possibility of mold growth in the air duct of the air conditioner.

[0033] Specifically, environmental and operational data during air conditioner operation are collected, including indoor relative humidity, continuous cooling operation time, cumulative interval since the last drying and mold removal operation, and compressor operating frequency. Based on the biological laws of mold, a multi-factor weighted mathematical model is established to quantitatively assess the risk of mold growth and obtain the aforementioned mold risk index. This allows for continuous calculation of the mold risk index as the air conditioner operates, enabling early prediction of mold trends.

[0034] Step S202: When the mold risk index is greater than or equal to the first threshold, control the air conditioner to perform a pre-heat storage operation. The pre-heat storage operation is used to store the heat generated by the air conditioner's compressor in the cooling mode.

[0035] Specifically, when the aforementioned mold risk index accumulates to a set critical value (the aforementioned first threshold), a short-term heat storage action is actively triggered to store the heat generated by the compressor (such as turning off the outdoor fan to reduce heat exchange with the outside, so that the heat originally lost by the outdoor heat exchanger is temporarily retained inside the refrigerant system of the air conditioner).

[0036] Through the above operations, the waste heat accumulated in the outdoor heat exchanger during the conventional cooling process is converted into heat energy that can be used. Compared with the methods in the prior art, the method of obtaining heat energy in this application does not require additional power consumption, reduces the overall power consumption of the air conditioner, and achieves the technical effect of energy saving.

[0037] It is understandable that the above-mentioned pre-heat storage operation is an action performed in a short period of time, and its impact on indoor temperature is small (fluctuation <1.5℃). Compared with active heating using an electric heater, the method of this application will not affect the user experience.

[0038] In step S203, upon receiving a shutdown command, the air conditioner is controlled to perform a drying and mold removal operation, which utilizes the heat stored in the pre-heat storage operation to dry the air duct.

[0039] Specifically, after the air conditioner is turned off, the operation switches from pre-heat storage to drying and mold removal (i.e., humidity no longer accumulates in the air ducts and fins inside the air conditioner). At this time, the temperature difference accumulated in the system during the pre-heat storage operation drives the refrigerant to circulate naturally in the pipes. The refrigerant from the high-temperature side (compressor and condenser) expands due to heat, its density decreases, and it migrates to the low-temperature side (indoor evaporator). It condenses and releases heat on the surface of the evaporator, and the liquid refrigerant flows back by gravity, forming a thermosiphon cycle that does not require external power. The heat released by condensation dries the air ducts and fins.

[0040] Understandably, the above operation requires no compressor, electric heater or external power supply. The drying process lasts for 5-10 minutes, which allows the condensate on the fin surface and inside the air duct to evaporate completely. The above solution achieves zero additional energy consumption, converting the originally wasted system waste heat into heat for drying. The drying is achieved by using energy recovery, saving the electricity consumed in drying and mold removal.

[0041] In this embodiment, firstly, a mold risk index is obtained, which quantifies the likelihood of mold growth in the air duct of the air conditioner. Then, when the mold risk index is greater than or equal to a first threshold, the air conditioner is controlled to perform a pre-heat storage operation, which stores the heat generated by the air conditioner's compressor in cooling mode. Subsequently, upon receiving a shutdown command, the air conditioner is controlled to perform a drying and mold removal operation, which uses the heat stored in the pre-heat storage operation to dry the air duct. This application introduces a mold risk index, which, when conditions are met, pre-stores the heat generated during the air conditioner's cooling operation and releases it upon shutdown. The pre-stored heat is used to dry the air duct, thereby destroying the mold growth environment. Compared to the existing technologies of active drying and mold removal using electric heaters or compressors, and humidity shock mold removal, this reduces the power consumption of the mold removal operation, achieving energy-saving and emission-reduction effects. It also solves the problem that existing air conditioner mold prevention technologies require additional power consumption and have high power consumption.

[0042] In order to store the heat generated by the compressor, in one optional embodiment, step S202 above includes:

[0043] Step S2021: Control the air conditioner to turn off the outdoor fan;

[0044] Specifically, when the air conditioner is cooling or dehumidifying, the outdoor fan runs continuously to dissipate heat efficiently. Therefore, this application sets up a tree hole to shut off the outdoor fan, so that the outdoor heat exchanger, which was originally used for heat dissipation, loses its forced convection cooling capacity and only retains natural convection heat dissipation (efficiency reduced to 5%–10%), which greatly reduces the rate of heat loss to the outdoor environment and achieves heat accumulation.

[0045] Step S2022: Control the air conditioner compressor to maintain the current operating state for a set duration;

[0046] Specifically, the compressor continues to operate at its current frequency and load, allowing the refrigerant to circulate continuously and complete condensation and heat release. However, since the outdoor fan is shut off, outdoor heat dissipation is suppressed, and the heat released by the refrigerant in the condenser cannot be effectively dissipated. This leads to an increase in condensing pressure and refrigerant temperature within the system, thereby storing heat in the compressor casing, condenser piping, and the refrigerant itself for subsequent drying and mold removal.

[0047] Step S2023: Control the indoor fan of the air conditioner to maintain the current operating state for a set duration;

[0048] Specifically, during the preheating stage, the indoor fan maintains its original operating state, preventing users from perceiving changes in airflow or temperature fluctuations and ensuring that the user experience remains unchanged.

[0049] Step S2024: Control the electronic expansion valve of the air conditioner to close to the first target opening degree. The ratio between the first target opening degree and the second target opening degree is greater than the second threshold and less than the third threshold. The second target opening degree is the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve in the cooling mode.

[0050] Specifically, in the conventional refrigeration mode, the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve (second target opening degree) is dynamically adjusted according to the load to maintain a stable evaporation temperature. In order to further enhance the heat storage effect, in the pre-heat storage stage, the electronic expansion valve is closed to the first target opening degree (20% to 50% of the first target opening degree) to reduce the refrigerant flow.

[0051] Through the above embodiments, closing the outdoor fan blocks the heat dissipation channel, protecting the compressor from continuous heat generation, reducing the opening of the electronic expansion valve to reduce heat exchange, further enhancing the heat storage effect, while maintaining the indoor fan's operating status to protect the user experience. During the normal cooling operation of the air conditioner, the heat of the compressor is recovered and stored inside the system, forming an initial temperature difference source of 40-50°C for subsequent drying, thus achieving energy-saving effect.

[0052] In one embodiment, the physical changes of the air conditioner during the pre-heat storage operation are shown in Table 1.

[0053] Table 1

[0054]

[0055] To avoid damaging the air conditioner, in one alternative implementation, the method further includes the following before controlling the air conditioner's compressor to maintain its current operating state for a set duration:

[0056] Step S301: Obtain the first preset duration and the second preset duration. The first preset duration is the time limit for the air conditioner to perform the pre-heat storage operation. The first preset duration is less than the second preset duration.

[0057] Specifically, the first preset duration is the upper limit of the hard time for the air conditioner to perform the pre-heat storage operation (e.g., 15 seconds), which is used to ensure that the pre-heat storage operation will not affect the user or damage the air conditioner due to the excessive duration. The second preset duration is the theoretical maximum heat storage duration (e.g., 20 seconds). This parameter is calculated based on the thermal inertia of the air conditioner, the heat capacity of the refrigerant and the heat generation capacity of the compressor, that is, the theoretical limit of the maximum heat storage time.

[0058] Step S302: Determine the third preset duration based on the mold risk index and the second preset duration;

[0059] Specifically, the product of the mold risk index and the second preset duration is calculated to obtain the third preset duration. The risk level is then correlated with the preheating time. It can be understood that the higher the mold risk index, the more serious the residual condensate in the fins and the more humid the environment. Therefore, a longer preheating time is needed to store more heat so that the subsequent thermosiphon drying is more thorough.

[0060] Step S303: If the third preset duration is less than the first preset duration, the third preset duration is determined as the set duration.

[0061] Step S304: If the third preset duration is greater than or equal to the first preset duration, the first preset duration is determined as the set duration.

[0062] Specifically, when the calculated third preset duration is lower than the first preset duration, the calculated value is directly used as the actual execution duration to achieve precise supply on demand; when the third preset duration exceeds the first preset duration, it is forcibly truncated to the first preset duration to ensure user experience and stable operation of the air conditioner.

[0063] Through the above embodiments, the assessment results of mold risk are incorporated into the calculation of heat storage time, which enables precise control of heat storage time and avoids incomplete drying due to insufficient heat storage time. At the same time, a maximum allowable heat storage time is set to avoid interference with user experience and air conditioner operation stability during pre-heat storage operation.

[0064] To reduce the power consumption of the air conditioner's mold removal function, in one optional implementation, step S203 includes:

[0065] Step S2031: End the pre-heat storage operation and control the compressor to stop running;

[0066] Specifically, upon receiving a user's shutdown command, the power supply to the compressor is cut off, stopping the compressor from continuing to operate and avoiding unnecessary energy consumption.

[0067] Understandably, during the pre-heat storage operation described above, a large amount of heat is stored in the compressor casing and condenser lines. After shutdown, this stored heat is released through the thermosiphon effect, naturally drying the air ducts and fins of the air conditioner. Compared to existing technologies that involve keeping the compressor running continuously for drying or starting an electric heater for drying, this operation saves on energy consumption.

[0068] Step S2032: Control the indoor fan of the air conditioner to run at the first target speed for a continuous eighth preset time. The indoor fan is powered by the energy storage module. The ratio of the first target speed to the second target speed is greater than the fourth threshold and less than the fifth threshold. The second target speed is the speed of the indoor fan in the cooling mode.

[0069] Specifically, in order to further enhance the drying effect, this application sets the indoor fan to run at a low speed (10%–15% of the normal wind speed (second target speed), about 200–300 rpm) for 5 to 10 minutes, so as to distribute the heat evenly and accelerate the evaporation of water vapor, while avoiding high speed affecting the user experience.

[0070] Understandably, this application uses an energy storage module (such as a supercapacitor module) to power the air conditioner, ensuring operation even after power outages.

[0071] Through the above embodiments, by turning off the compressor, the heat stored in the pre-heat storage operation and the indoor fan with the energy storage module function are used to evenly dry the air duct and fins, so as to achieve the effect of removing mold. Compared with the prior art of using the compressor or electric heater to dry after the machine is stopped, it saves energy consumption.

[0072] In order to reduce unnecessary energy consumption of air conditioners, in one optional implementation, step S201 above includes:

[0073] Step S2011: Obtain the relative humidity of the indoor environment, obtain the continuous running time of the air conditioner in cooling mode, and obtain the cumulative time since the last drying and mold removal operation.

[0074] Specifically, this application uses indoor relative humidity, which reflects the moisture content in the air (a direct cause of mold growth), the continuous running time of the air conditioner in cooling mode (the longer it runs, the more condensate accumulates on the evaporator surface, the longer the water accumulation time, and the higher the risk of mold growth), and the cumulative time since the last drying was completed (reflecting the possible cumulative time of the humid state) to comprehensively determine the likelihood of mold growth, as the data basis for subsequent quantification of mold risk.

[0075] Step S2012: Calculate the mold risk index based on relative humidity, continuous operating time, cumulative duration, and operating frequency. The formula for calculating the mold risk index is as follows: In the formula, , and These are the weighting coefficients, and the sum of all weighting coefficients is 1. This is the mold risk index. For cumulative duration, To pre-set the risk period, Relative humidity, This is a humidity reference value. For continuous running time, This is a reference value for runtime.

[0076] Specifically, through unified modeling, the three physical quantities related to mold risk are normalized to dimensionless indices between 0 and 1, and corresponding weights are assigned for fusion to output the aforementioned mold risk index.

[0077] Through the above embodiments, the possibility of mold growth in air conditioners is comprehensively considered from the dimensions of time (cumulative duration), environment (relative humidity), and operating intensity (continuous operating time). This avoids the unnecessary energy consumption caused by repeatedly starting up the unit in high humidity scenarios when humidity is the only consideration, and also avoids the problem of mold not being removed in time due to insufficient air humidity but long-term water accumulation.

[0078] To ensure the accuracy of the mold risk index, in one optional implementation, before calculating the mold risk index based on relative humidity, continuous operating time, cumulative duration, and operating frequency, the above method further includes:

[0079] Step S401: Obtain multiple calibration parameter groups, which include relative humidity, running time and cumulative duration. At least one parameter is different between different calibration parameter groups.

[0080] Specifically, by setting multiple calibration parameter groups, an experimental matrix for a real-world scenario is obtained. It can be understood that mold growth is not determined by a single factor, but is the result of the combined effect of multiple dimensions of factors in the above parameter groups. Therefore, this application uses control variables to set multiple different combinations of working conditions for subsequent fitting of weight parameters under different scenarios.

[0081] Step S402: Control the air conditioner to operate according to each calibration parameter group, and obtain the colony forming units corresponding to each calibration parameter group;

[0082] Specifically, the air conditioner is controlled according to the above-mentioned parameters to simulate the real usage environment. After the operation is completed, the indoor heat exchanger fins are disassembled for microbial culture. The actual number of molds grown under each set of parameters is then quantified and expressed in colony forming units (CFU).

[0083] Step S403: Perform multiple linear regression analysis on each calibration parameter group with each colony forming unit as the dependent variable to obtain standardized regression coefficients;

[0084] Specifically, using a multiple linear regression model, with colony formation units (CFUs) as the result and the aforementioned relative humidity, cumulative duration, and continuous running duration as input variables, the contribution intensity of each variable to mold growth was calculated, resulting in three regression coefficients. These coefficients characterize how much the CFU value changes when each input variable changes by one unit, assuming other variables remain constant.

[0085] Step S404: Normalize the standardized regression coefficients to obtain the weight coefficients.

[0086] Specifically, since the sum of the standardized regression coefficients may not be 1 due to other factors in the actual environment, they cannot be directly determined as the weight parameters mentioned above. Therefore, this application sets up a normalization process for the three standardized regression coefficients to obtain the weight coefficients mentioned above.

[0087] In one specific embodiment, the calibration process of the above-mentioned weight parameters includes:

[0088] Since the three indicators have different data dimensions, the original data of the three indicators are first normalized: X1=RH / 100; X2=trun / 240; X3=1-tlast / 72.

[0089] Then, the regression equation CFU=a0+a1X1+a2X2+a3X3 is established among the three indicators.

[0090] The regression coefficients a1, a2, and a3 are solved using the least squares method.

[0091] Normalize the regression coefficients to obtain the weight coefficients α=a1 / (a1+a1+a3), β=a2 / (a1+a1+a3), γ=a3 / (a1+a1+a3).

[0092] Through the above calibration process, air conditioners can be adapted to different climate characteristics in different regions, and corresponding weighting coefficients can be obtained.

[0093] To further reduce the energy consumption of air conditioner mold removal, in an optional implementation, step 203 above further includes:

[0094] Step 2033: Obtain the compressor's operating frequency and the time interval between the current moment and the last pre-heat storage operation.

[0095] Specifically, the operating frequency is used to reflect the current cooling capacity of the air conditioner, and the interval duration is used to prevent frequent operation of the pre-heat storage function.

[0096] Step 2034: Calculate the difference between the indoor ambient temperature and the set cooling temperature of the air conditioner to obtain the operating temperature difference;

[0097] Specifically, the operating temperature difference is used to reflect whether the air conditioner has entered steady-state operation. If the temperature difference is large, it means that the room is in a rapid cooling process, the air flow is intense, condensation is continuously produced, and the system has not reached thermal equilibrium.

[0098] Step 2035: When the ratio of the operating frequency to the rated frequency is less than the fifth threshold, the operating temperature difference is less than the sixth threshold, and the interval duration is greater than the seventh threshold, control the air conditioner to perform pre-heat storage operation.

[0099] Specifically, the operating frequency is limited to prevent the air conditioner from storing heat under strong cooling conditions, which would affect the efficiency of indoor cooling and thus the user experience. The operating temperature difference is limited to prevent the system from breaking the cooling process before reaching thermal equilibrium, which would lead to large temperature fluctuations and affect comfort. The interval duration is limited to avoid unnecessary frequent heat storage.

[0100] In one embodiment, the triggering conditions for the pre-heat storage operation are shown in Table 2.

[0101] Table 2

[0102]

[0103] Through the above embodiments, unnecessary frequent operations are avoided by limiting the operation in multiple dimensions, while not affecting the user's cooling experience during the pre-heat storage operation, thus achieving seamless operation.

[0104] To prevent mold accumulation due to the inability to perform the drying and mold removal operation during a power outage, in an optional embodiment, the above method further includes:

[0105] Step S501: If no shutdown command is received and the air conditioner is powered off, obtain the operating mode of the air conditioner and the cumulative running time of the air conditioner in the operating mode within the fourth preset time period before the power outage.

[0106] Specifically, this application uses an energy storage module to maintain low-power operation of the control system and sensors at the moment of power failure to obtain the operating status (operating mode and cumulative running time) recorded 3 seconds before the power failure, and decides whether to perform drying operation afterward to avoid the growth of mold.

[0107] Step S502: When the operating mode is cooling mode and the cumulative running time is greater than or equal to the fifth preset time, control the indoor fan of the air conditioner to run at the third target speed for a sixth preset time, wherein the indoor fan is powered by the energy storage module.

[0108] Specifically, if the system is running in cooling mode for more than 10 minutes before the power outage, the system will activate the emergency drying program. The energy storage module will provide power to drive the indoor fan to run at a low speed (e.g., 200 rpm) for 5 minutes. This speed is only 10%–15% of the normal cooling fan speed to avoid wind noise and remove moisture from inside the air conditioner through airflow.

[0109] Through the above embodiments, by setting up an energy storage module, it is ensured that even after a power outage, the air ducts and fins of the air conditioner can still be dried if necessary, thus preventing the growth of mold.

[0110] To ensure the accuracy of air conditioner control, in one optional implementation, the above method further includes:

[0111] Step S601: After a seventh preset time interval, obtain the air conditioner's operation log and determine the user's operation behavior record based on the operation log;

[0112] Specifically, in order to achieve automatic scheduling based on user habits, this application sets up a system to periodically obtain the air conditioner's operation log and extract all manual operations performed by the user, such as actively canceling the drying function, manually triggering the deodorization mode, setting a timer to shut down, and manually turning the air conditioner on and off.

[0113] Step S602: If the operation behavior record includes a first preset instruction and the cumulative number of the first preset instruction is greater than the eighth threshold, the first threshold is increased. The first preset instruction is used to instruct the air conditioner to end the drying and mold removal operation.

[0114] Specifically, if a user repeatedly turns off the drying and mold removal operation while it is being performed automatically, it is determined that the user believes the frequency of the drying and mold removal operation is too high and affects the user's perception. In this case, the threshold for judging the mold risk index is raised, that is, the drying and mold removal operation is performed when there is a higher risk of mold growth, in order to reduce unnecessary operations.

[0115] Step S603: If the operation behavior record includes a second preset instruction, lower the first threshold. The second preset instruction is used to instruct the air conditioner to perform a deodorization operation.

[0116] Specifically, if the active deodorization program is manually activated in addition to the automatic drying and mold removal operation, it is determined that the user is more sensitive to odors or that the indoor environment is prone to mold growth (such as during the rainy season or when windows are closed for a long time). In this case, the threshold for judging the mold risk index is actively lowered, and the drying and mold removal operation is performed more frequently.

[0117] Step S604: Determine multiple shutdown times of the user based on the operation behavior record, calculate the mean and standard deviation of the shutdown times, and if the standard deviation is less than the ninth threshold, determine multiple target times based on the shutdown times. The air conditioner automatically performs pre-heat storage operation at the target times.

[0118] Specifically, if the user shuts down the device at a fixed time every day, it indicates that the shutdown time is relatively regular. Furthermore, this application sets up an automatic pre-heat storage operation to be performed 30 to 15 minutes before shutdown to ensure that the drying and mold removal operation is switched after shutdown.

[0119] Step S605: Determine the cooling frequency based on the operation behavior record. If the cooling frequency is less than the tenth threshold, increase the seventh threshold. If the cooling frequency is greater than the eleventh threshold, decrease the seventh threshold. The tenth threshold is less than the eleventh threshold.

[0120] Specifically, if the user uses the cooling mode less frequently, it means that there is no need to perform drying and anti-mold operations frequently. Therefore, this application sets an increase in the minimum interval between the last heat storage. If the user uses the cooling mode more frequently (high-intensity use), it is considered that the risk of mold growth continues to accumulate, and the above-mentioned seventh threshold is lowered to strengthen protection.

[0121] Through the above embodiments, the air conditioner control strategy is made adaptive to the user's usage habits, thus ensuring the user experience.

[0122] To ensure the stable operation of the air conditioner, in one optional embodiment, after controlling the air conditioner to perform the drying and mold removal operation, the above method further includes:

[0123] Step S701: Interrupt the drying and mold removal operation if any of the following conditions are met:

[0124] The drying and mold removal process continued for more than the eighth preset time.

[0125] The air conditioner received a power-on command;

[0126] The difference between the coil temperature of the indoor heat exchanger of the air conditioner and the indoor ambient temperature is less than the twelfth threshold.

[0127] Specifically, regarding condition one, this application sets a maximum drying duration. The fan stops operating after this duration is reached. This duration is understood to be based on physical laws and engineering experience, representing the maximum duration of the thermosiphon cycle or the drying time required to dry the fins and air ducts (heat naturally transfers from the high-temperature end to the low-temperature end and stops when the temperature difference approaches zero). Continuing to operate the indoor fan would only increase energy consumption. Regarding condition two, when the user presses the power button, the system needs to switch to cooling mode to ensure cooling performance. Regarding condition three, when the temperature difference is less than the set value, it indicates that the thermosiphon cycle has ended and all the heat stored in the refrigerant has been released.

[0128] By introducing time constraints, command constraints, and temperature difference constraints through the above embodiments, the timely shutdown of indoor fans is ensured, reducing unnecessary energy consumption.

[0129] It should be noted that the steps shown in the flowchart in the accompanying drawings can be executed in a computer system such as a set of computer-executable instructions, and although a logical order is shown in the flowchart, in some cases the steps shown or described may be executed in a different order than that shown here.

[0130] This application also provides a control device for an air conditioner. It should be noted that the control device for the air conditioner in this application can be used to execute the control method for an air conditioner provided in this application. This device is used to implement the above embodiments and preferred embodiments; details already described will not be repeated. As used below, the term "module" can refer to a combination of software and / or hardware that implements a predetermined function. Although the device described in the following embodiments is preferably implemented in software, hardware implementation, or a combination of software and hardware, is also possible and contemplated.

[0131] The control device for the air conditioner provided in the embodiments of this application will be described below.

[0132] Figure 3 This is a structural block diagram of the control device for an air conditioner according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 As shown, the device includes:

[0133] The first acquisition unit 10 is used to acquire the mold risk index, which is used to quantitatively represent the possibility of mold growth in the air duct of the air conditioner.

[0134] Specifically, environmental and operational data during air conditioner operation are collected, including indoor relative humidity, continuous cooling operation time, cumulative interval since the last drying and mold removal operation, and compressor operating frequency. Based on the biological laws of mold, a multi-factor weighted mathematical model is established to quantitatively assess the risk of mold growth and obtain the aforementioned mold risk index. This allows for continuous calculation of the mold risk index as the air conditioner operates, enabling early prediction of mold trends.

[0135] The first execution unit 20 is used to control the air conditioner to perform a pre-heat storage operation when the mold risk index is greater than or equal to a first threshold. The pre-heat storage operation is used to store the heat generated by the air conditioner's compressor in the cooling mode.

[0136] Specifically, when the aforementioned mold risk index accumulates to a set critical value (the aforementioned first threshold), a short-term heat storage action is actively triggered to store the heat generated by the compressor (such as turning off the outdoor fan to reduce heat exchange with the outside, so that the heat originally lost by the outdoor heat exchanger is temporarily retained inside the refrigerant system of the air conditioner).

[0137] Through the above operations, the waste heat accumulated in the outdoor heat exchanger during the conventional cooling process is converted into heat energy that can be used. Compared with the methods in the prior art, the method of obtaining heat energy in this application does not require additional power consumption, reduces the overall power consumption of the air conditioner, and achieves the technical effect of energy saving.

[0138] It is understandable that the above-mentioned pre-heat storage operation is an action performed in a short period of time, and its impact on indoor temperature is small (fluctuation <1.5℃). Compared with active heating using an electric heater, the method of this application will not affect the user experience.

[0139] The second execution unit is used to control the air conditioner to perform a drying and mold removal operation when a shutdown command is received. The drying and mold removal operation uses the heat stored in the pre-heat storage operation to dry the air duct.

[0140] Specifically, after the air conditioner is turned off, the operation switches from pre-heat storage to drying and mold removal (i.e., humidity no longer accumulates in the air ducts and fins inside the air conditioner). At this time, the temperature difference accumulated in the system during the pre-heat storage operation drives the refrigerant to circulate naturally in the pipes. The refrigerant from the high-temperature side (compressor and condenser) expands due to heat, its density decreases, and it migrates to the low-temperature side (indoor evaporator). It condenses and releases heat on the surface of the evaporator, and the liquid refrigerant flows back by gravity, forming a thermosiphon cycle that does not require external power. The heat released by condensation dries the air ducts and fins.

[0141] Understandably, the above operation requires no compressor, electric heater or external power supply. The drying process lasts for 5-10 minutes, which allows the condensate on the fin surface and inside the air duct to evaporate completely. The above solution achieves zero additional energy consumption, converting the originally wasted system waste heat into heat for drying. The drying is achieved by using energy recovery, saving the electricity consumed in drying and mold removal.

[0142] In this embodiment, the first acquisition unit acquires a mold risk index, which quantifies the likelihood of mold growth in the air duct of the air conditioner. When the mold risk index is greater than or equal to a first threshold, the first execution unit controls the air conditioner to perform a pre-heat storage operation, which stores the heat generated by the air conditioner's compressor in cooling mode. Upon receiving a shutdown command, the second execution unit controls the air conditioner to perform a drying and mold removal operation, which uses the heat stored in the pre-heat storage operation to dry the air duct. This application introduces a mold risk index, pre-storing the heat generated during the air conditioner's cooling operation when conditions are met, and releasing it upon shutdown. The pre-stored heat is used to dry the air duct, thereby destroying the mold growth environment. Compared to existing technologies that use electric heaters or compressors for active drying and humidity-impact mold removal, this reduces the power consumption of the mold removal operation, achieving energy saving and emission reduction. It also solves the problem of existing air conditioner mold prevention technologies requiring additional power consumption and resulting in high power consumption.

[0143] In an optional implementation, to store the heat generated by the compressor, the first execution unit includes:

[0144] The first control module is used to control the air conditioner to shut down the outdoor fan.

[0145] Specifically, when the air conditioner is cooling or dehumidifying, the outdoor fan runs continuously to dissipate heat efficiently. Therefore, this application sets up a tree hole to shut off the outdoor fan, so that the outdoor heat exchanger, which was originally used for heat dissipation, loses its forced convection cooling capacity and only retains natural convection heat dissipation (efficiency reduced to 5%–10%), which greatly reduces the rate of heat loss to the outdoor environment and achieves heat accumulation.

[0146] The second control module is used to control the air conditioner's compressor to maintain the current operating state for a set duration.

[0147] Specifically, the compressor continues to operate at its current frequency and load, allowing the refrigerant to circulate continuously and complete condensation and heat release. However, since the outdoor fan is shut off, outdoor heat dissipation is suppressed, and the heat released by the refrigerant in the condenser cannot be effectively dissipated. This leads to an increase in condensing pressure and refrigerant temperature within the system, thereby storing heat in the compressor casing, condenser piping, and the refrigerant itself for subsequent drying and mold removal.

[0148] The third control module is used to control the indoor fan of the air conditioner to maintain the current running state for a set duration.

[0149] Specifically, during the preheating stage, the indoor fan maintains its original operating state, preventing users from perceiving changes in airflow or temperature fluctuations, and ensuring that the user experience remains unchanged.

[0150] The fourth control module is used to control the electronic expansion valve of the air conditioner to close to the first target opening degree. The ratio between the first target opening degree and the second target opening degree is greater than the second threshold and less than the third threshold. The second target opening degree is the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve in the cooling mode.

[0151] Specifically, in the conventional refrigeration mode, the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve (second target opening degree) is dynamically adjusted according to the load to maintain a stable evaporation temperature. In order to further enhance the heat storage effect, in the pre-heat storage stage, the electronic expansion valve is closed to the first target opening degree (20% to 50% of the first target opening degree) to reduce the refrigerant flow.

[0152] Through the above embodiments, closing the outdoor fan blocks the heat dissipation channel, protecting the compressor from continuous heat generation, reducing the opening of the electronic expansion valve to reduce heat exchange, further enhancing the heat storage effect, while maintaining the indoor fan's operating status to protect the user experience. During the normal cooling operation of the air conditioner, the heat of the compressor is recovered and stored inside the system, forming an initial temperature difference source of 40-50°C for subsequent drying, thus achieving energy-saving effect.

[0153] In one embodiment, the physical changes of the air conditioner during the pre-heat storage operation are shown in Table 1.

[0154] To avoid damaging the air conditioner, in one optional embodiment, the above-mentioned device further includes:

[0155] The second acquisition unit is used to acquire a first preset duration and a second preset duration before controlling the compressor of the air conditioner to maintain the current operating state for a set duration. The first preset duration is the limited duration for the air conditioner to perform pre-heat storage operation, and the first preset duration is less than the second preset duration.

[0156] Specifically, the first preset duration is the upper limit of the hard time for the air conditioner to perform the pre-heat storage operation (e.g., 15 seconds), which is used to ensure that the pre-heat storage operation will not affect the user or damage the air conditioner due to the excessive duration. The second preset duration is the theoretical maximum heat storage duration (e.g., 20 seconds). This parameter is calculated based on the thermal inertia of the air conditioner, the heat capacity of the refrigerant and the heat generation capacity of the compressor, that is, the theoretical limit of the maximum heat storage time.

[0157] The first determining unit is used to determine the third preset duration based on the mold risk index and the second preset duration;

[0158] Specifically, the product of the mold risk index and the second preset duration is calculated to obtain the third preset duration. The risk level is then correlated with the preheating time. It can be understood that the higher the mold risk index, the more serious the residual condensate in the fins and the more humid the environment. Therefore, a longer preheating time is needed to store more heat so that the subsequent thermosiphon drying is more thorough.

[0159] The second determining unit is used to determine the third preset duration as the set duration when the third preset duration is less than the first preset duration.

[0160] The third determining unit is used to determine the first preset duration as the set duration when the third preset duration is greater than or equal to the first preset duration.

[0161] Specifically, when the calculated third preset duration is lower than the first preset duration, the calculated value is directly used as the actual execution duration to achieve precise supply on demand; when the third preset duration exceeds the first preset duration, it is forcibly truncated to the first preset duration to ensure user experience and stable operation of the air conditioner.

[0162] Through the above embodiments, the assessment results of mold risk are incorporated into the calculation of heat storage time, which enables precise control of heat storage time and avoids incomplete drying due to insufficient heat storage time. At the same time, a maximum allowable heat storage time is set to avoid interference with user experience and air conditioner operation stability during pre-heat storage operation.

[0163] To reduce the power consumption of the air conditioner's mold removal function, in one optional implementation, the second execution unit includes:

[0164] The fifth control module is used to end the pre-heat storage operation and control the compressor to stop running;

[0165] Specifically, upon receiving a user's shutdown command, the power supply to the compressor is cut off, stopping the compressor from continuing to operate and avoiding unnecessary energy consumption.

[0166] Understandably, during the pre-heat storage operation described above, a large amount of heat is stored in the compressor casing and condenser lines. After shutdown, this stored heat is released through the thermosiphon effect, naturally drying the air ducts and fins of the air conditioner. Compared to existing technologies that involve keeping the compressor running continuously for drying or starting an electric heater for drying, this operation saves on energy consumption.

[0167] The sixth control module is used to control the indoor fan of the air conditioner to run at a first target speed for a continuous eighth preset time. The indoor fan is powered by an energy storage module. The ratio of the first target speed to the second target speed is greater than a fourth threshold and less than a fifth threshold. The second target speed is the speed of the indoor fan in cooling mode.

[0168] Specifically, in order to further enhance the drying effect, this application sets the indoor fan to run at a low speed (10%–15% of the normal wind speed (second target speed), about 200–300 rpm) for 5 to 10 minutes, so as to distribute the heat evenly and accelerate the evaporation of water vapor, while avoiding high speed affecting the user experience.

[0169] Understandably, this application uses an energy storage module (such as a supercapacitor module) to power the air conditioner, ensuring operation even after power outages.

[0170] Through the above embodiments, by turning off the compressor, the heat stored in the pre-heat storage operation and the indoor fan with the energy storage module function are used to evenly dry the air duct and fins, so as to achieve the effect of removing mold. Compared with the prior art of using the compressor or electric heater to dry after the machine is stopped, it saves energy consumption.

[0171] To reduce unnecessary energy consumption of air conditioners, in one optional implementation, the first acquisition unit includes:

[0172] The first acquisition module is used to acquire the relative humidity of the indoor environment, acquire the continuous running time of the air conditioner in cooling mode, and acquire the cumulative time since the last drying and mold removal operation.

[0173] Specifically, this application uses indoor relative humidity, which reflects the moisture content in the air (a direct cause of mold growth), the continuous running time of the air conditioner in cooling mode (the longer it runs, the more condensate accumulates on the evaporator surface, the longer the water accumulation time, and the higher the risk of mold growth), and the cumulative time since the last drying was completed (reflecting the possible cumulative time of the humid state) to comprehensively determine the likelihood of mold growth, as the data basis for subsequent quantification of mold risk.

[0174] The first calculation module is used to calculate the mold risk index based on relative humidity, continuous running time, cumulative duration, and operating frequency. The formula for calculating the mold risk index is as follows: In the formula, , and These are the weighting coefficients, and the sum of all weighting coefficients is 1. This is the mold risk index. For cumulative duration, To pre-set the risk period, Relative humidity, This is a humidity reference value. For continuous running time, This is a reference value for runtime.

[0175] Specifically, through unified modeling, the three physical quantities related to mold risk are normalized to dimensionless indices between 0 and 1, and corresponding weights are assigned for fusion to output the aforementioned mold risk index.

[0176] Through the above embodiments, the possibility of mold growth in air conditioners is comprehensively considered from the dimensions of time (cumulative duration), environment (relative humidity), and operating intensity (continuous operating time). This avoids the unnecessary energy consumption caused by repeatedly starting up the unit in high humidity scenarios when humidity is the only consideration, and also avoids the problem of mold not being removed in time due to insufficient air humidity but long-term water accumulation.

[0177] To ensure the accuracy of the mold risk index, in one optional embodiment, the above-mentioned device further includes:

[0178] The third acquisition unit is used to acquire multiple calibration parameter sets before calculating the mold risk index based on relative humidity, continuous running time, cumulative duration and running frequency. The calibration parameter sets include relative humidity, running time and cumulative duration, and at least one parameter is different between different calibration parameter sets.

[0179] Specifically, by setting multiple calibration parameter groups, an experimental matrix for a real-world scenario is obtained. It can be understood that mold growth is not determined by a single factor, but is the result of the combined effect of multiple dimensions of factors in the above parameter groups. Therefore, this application uses control variables to set multiple different combinations of working conditions for subsequent fitting of weight parameters under different scenarios.

[0180] The first control unit is used to control the operation of the air conditioner according to each calibration parameter group and to obtain the colony forming units corresponding to each calibration parameter group.

[0181] Specifically, the air conditioner is controlled according to the above-mentioned parameters to simulate the real usage environment. After the operation is completed, the indoor heat exchanger fins are disassembled for microbial culture. The actual number of molds grown under each set of parameters is then quantified and expressed in colony forming units (CFU).

[0182] The first calculation unit is used to perform multiple linear regression analysis on each calibration parameter group with each colony forming unit as the dependent variable, and obtain the standardized regression coefficients.

[0183] Specifically, using a multiple linear regression model, with colony formation units (CFUs) as the result and the aforementioned relative humidity, cumulative duration, and continuous running duration as input variables, the contribution intensity of each variable to mold growth was calculated, resulting in three regression coefficients. These coefficients characterize how much the CFU value changes when each input variable changes by one unit, assuming other variables remain constant.

[0184] The second calculation unit is used to normalize the standardized regression coefficients to obtain the weight coefficients.

[0185] Specifically, since the sum of the standardized regression coefficients may not be 1 due to other factors in the actual environment, they cannot be directly determined as the weight parameters mentioned above. Therefore, this application sets up a normalization process for the three standardized regression coefficients to obtain the weight coefficients mentioned above.

[0186] In one specific embodiment, the calibration process of the above-mentioned weight parameters includes:

[0187] Since the three indicators have different data dimensions, the original data of the three indicators are first normalized: X1=RH / 100; X2=trun / 240; X3=1-tlast / 72, where RH is humidity, trun is continuous running time, and tlast is cumulative duration.

[0188] Then, the regression equation CFU=a0+a1X1+a2X2+a3X3 is established among the three indicators.

[0189] The regression coefficients a1, a2, and a3 are solved using the least squares method.

[0190] Normalize the regression coefficients to obtain the weight coefficients α=a1 / (a1+a1+a3), β=a2 / (a1+a1+a3), γ=a3 / (a1+a1+a3).

[0191] Through the above calibration process, air conditioners can be adapted to different climate characteristics in different regions, and corresponding weighting coefficients can be obtained.

[0192] To further reduce the energy consumption of air conditioner mold removal, in one optional embodiment, the second execution unit further includes:

[0193] The second acquisition module is used to acquire the compressor's operating frequency and the time interval between the current moment and the last time the pre-heat storage operation was performed.

[0194] Specifically, the operating frequency is used to reflect the current cooling capacity of the air conditioner, and the interval duration is used to prevent frequent operation of the pre-heat storage function.

[0195] The second calculation module is used to calculate the difference between the indoor ambient temperature and the set cooling temperature of the air conditioner to obtain the operating temperature difference;

[0196] Specifically, the operating temperature difference is used to reflect whether the air conditioner has entered steady-state operation. If the temperature difference is large, it means that the room is in a rapid cooling process, the air flow is intense, condensation is continuously produced, and the system has not reached thermal equilibrium.

[0197] The seventh control module is used to control the air conditioner to perform pre-heat storage operation when the ratio of the operating frequency to the rated frequency is less than the fifth threshold, the operating temperature difference is less than the sixth threshold, and the interval duration is greater than the seventh threshold.

[0198] Specifically, the operating frequency is limited to prevent the air conditioner from storing heat under strong cooling conditions, which would affect the efficiency of indoor cooling and thus the user experience. The operating temperature difference is limited to prevent the system from breaking the cooling process before reaching thermal equilibrium, which would lead to large temperature fluctuations and affect comfort. The interval duration is limited to avoid unnecessary frequent heat storage.

[0199] In one embodiment, the triggering conditions for the pre-heat storage operation are shown in Table 2.

[0200] Through the above embodiments, unnecessary frequent operations are avoided by limiting the operation in multiple dimensions, while not affecting the user's cooling experience during the pre-heat storage operation, thus achieving seamless operation.

[0201] To prevent mold accumulation due to the inability to perform the drying and mold removal operation during power outages, in an optional embodiment, the above-mentioned device further includes:

[0202] The fourth acquisition unit is used to acquire the operating mode of the air conditioner and the cumulative running time of the air conditioner in the operating mode within a fourth preset time period before the power outage, when no shutdown command is received and the air conditioner is powered off.

[0203] Specifically, this application uses an energy storage module to maintain low-power operation of the control system and sensors at the moment of power failure to obtain the operating status (operating mode and cumulative running time) recorded 3 seconds before the power failure, and decides whether to perform drying operation afterward to avoid the growth of mold.

[0204] The second control unit is used to control the indoor fan of the air conditioner to run at a third target speed for a sixth preset time when the operating mode is cooling mode and the cumulative running time is greater than or equal to the fifth preset time. The indoor fan is powered by the energy storage module.

[0205] Specifically, if the system is running in cooling mode for more than 10 minutes before the power outage, the system will activate the emergency drying program. The energy storage module will provide power to drive the indoor fan to run at a low speed (e.g., 200 rpm) for 5 minutes. This speed is only 10%–15% of the normal cooling fan speed to avoid wind noise and remove moisture from inside the air conditioner through airflow.

[0206] Through the above embodiments, by setting up an energy storage module, it is ensured that even after a power outage, the air ducts and fins of the air conditioner can still be dried if necessary, thus preventing the growth of mold.

[0207] To ensure the accuracy of air conditioner control, in one optional embodiment, the above-mentioned device further includes:

[0208] The fifth acquisition unit is used to acquire the air conditioner's operation log at a seventh preset time interval, and determine the user's operation behavior record based on the operation log;

[0209] Specifically, in order to achieve automatic scheduling based on user habits, this application sets up a system to periodically obtain the air conditioner's operation log and extract all manual operations performed by the user, such as actively canceling the drying function, manually triggering the deodorization mode, setting a timer to shut down, and manually turning the air conditioner on and off.

[0210] The third control unit is used to raise the first threshold when the operation behavior record includes the first preset instruction and the cumulative number of the first preset instruction is greater than the eighth threshold. The first preset instruction is used to instruct the air conditioner to end the drying and mold removal operation.

[0211] Specifically, if a user repeatedly turns off the drying and mold removal operation while it is being performed automatically, it is determined that the user believes the frequency of the drying and mold removal operation is too high and affects the user's perception. In this case, the threshold for judging the mold risk index is raised, that is, the drying and mold removal operation is performed when there is a higher risk of mold growth, in order to reduce unnecessary operations.

[0212] The fourth control unit is used to lower the first threshold when the operation behavior record includes a second preset instruction, the second preset instruction being used to instruct the air conditioner to perform a deodorization operation;

[0213] Specifically, if the active deodorization program is manually activated in addition to the automatic drying and mold removal operation, it is determined that the user is more sensitive to odors or that the indoor environment is prone to mold growth (such as during the rainy season or when windows are closed for a long time). In this case, the threshold for judging the mold risk index is actively lowered, and the drying and mold removal operation is performed more frequently.

[0214] The fifth control unit is used to determine multiple shutdown times of the user based on the operation behavior record, calculate the mean and standard deviation of the shutdown times, and determine multiple target times based on the shutdown times when the standard deviation is less than the ninth threshold. The air conditioner automatically performs pre-heat storage operation at the target times.

[0215] Specifically, if the user shuts down the device at a fixed time every day, it indicates that the shutdown time is relatively regular. Furthermore, this application sets up an automatic pre-heat storage operation to be performed 30 to 15 minutes before shutdown to ensure that the drying and mold removal operation is switched after shutdown.

[0216] The sixth control unit is used to determine the cooling frequency based on the operation behavior record. If the cooling frequency is less than the tenth threshold, the seventh threshold is increased. If the cooling frequency is greater than the eleventh threshold, the seventh threshold is decreased. The tenth threshold is less than the eleventh threshold.

[0217] Specifically, if the user uses the cooling mode less frequently, it means that there is no need to perform drying and anti-mold operations frequently. Therefore, this application sets an increase in the minimum interval between the last heat storage. If the user uses the cooling mode more frequently (high-intensity use), it is considered that the risk of mold growth continues to accumulate, and the above-mentioned seventh threshold is lowered to strengthen protection.

[0218] Through the above embodiments, the air conditioner control strategy is made adaptive to the user's usage habits, thus ensuring the user experience.

[0219] To ensure the stable operation of the air conditioner, in one optional embodiment, the above-mentioned device further includes:

[0220] The seventh control unit is used to interrupt the drying and mold removal operation after the air conditioner has performed the operation, provided that any of the following conditions are met:

[0221] The drying and mold removal process continued for more than the eighth preset time.

[0222] The air conditioner received a power-on command;

[0223] The difference between the coil temperature of the indoor heat exchanger of the air conditioner and the indoor ambient temperature is less than the twelfth threshold.

[0224] Specifically, regarding condition one, this application sets a maximum drying duration. The fan stops operating after this duration is reached. This duration is understood to be based on physical laws and engineering experience, representing the maximum duration of the thermosiphon cycle or the drying time required to dry the fins and air ducts (heat naturally transfers from the high-temperature end to the low-temperature end and stops when the temperature difference approaches zero). Continuing to operate the indoor fan would only increase energy consumption. Regarding condition two, when the user presses the power button, the system needs to switch to cooling mode to ensure cooling performance. Regarding condition three, when the temperature difference is less than the set value, it indicates that the thermosiphon cycle has ended and all the heat stored in the refrigerant has been released.

[0225] By introducing time constraints, command constraints, and temperature difference constraints through the above embodiments, the timely shutdown of indoor fans is ensured, reducing unnecessary energy consumption.

[0226] The control device of the aforementioned air conditioner includes a processor and a memory. The first acquisition unit, the first execution unit, and the second execution unit are all stored as program units in the memory. The processor executes the program units stored in the memory to achieve the corresponding functions. All of the above modules are located in the same processor; alternatively, the modules may be located in different processors in any combination.

[0227] The processor contains a kernel, which retrieves the corresponding program unit from memory. One or more kernels can be configured, and adjusting kernel parameters can reduce energy consumption during the air conditioner's drying and mold removal process.

[0228] The memory may include non-permanent memory in computer-readable media, such as random access memory (RAM) and / or non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM) or flash RAM, and the memory includes at least one memory chip.

[0229] This invention provides a computer-readable storage medium including a stored program, wherein, when the program is executed, it controls the device containing the computer-readable storage medium to perform the control method of the air conditioner.

[0230] Specifically, the control methods for air conditioners include:

[0231] Step S201: Obtain the mold risk index, which is used to quantify the possibility of mold growth in the air duct of the air conditioner.

[0232] Step S202: When the mold risk index is greater than or equal to the first threshold, control the air conditioner to perform a pre-heat storage operation. The pre-heat storage operation is used to store the heat generated by the air conditioner's compressor in the cooling mode.

[0233] In step S203, upon receiving a shutdown command, the air conditioner is controlled to perform a drying and mold removal operation, which utilizes the heat stored in the pre-heat storage operation to dry the air duct.

[0234] This invention provides a processor for running a program, wherein the program executes the control method of the air conditioner.

[0235] Specifically, the control methods for air conditioners include:

[0236] Step S201: Obtain the mold risk index, which is used to quantify the possibility of mold growth in the air duct of the air conditioner.

[0237] Step S202: When the mold risk index is greater than or equal to the first threshold, control the air conditioner to perform a pre-heat storage operation. The pre-heat storage operation is used to store the heat generated by the air conditioner's compressor in the cooling mode.

[0238] In step S203, upon receiving a shutdown command, the air conditioner is controlled to perform a drying and mold removal operation, which utilizes the heat stored in the pre-heat storage operation to dry the air duct.

[0239] This invention provides an air conditioner comprising an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. The indoor unit includes an indoor heat exchanger, an indoor fan, and a control board. The outdoor unit includes a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an outdoor fan, a four-way valve, and an electronic expansion valve. The air conditioner also includes an energy storage module disposed on the control board, a temperature and humidity sensor disposed at the indoor unit's return air vent, and a temperature sensor disposed on the indoor heat exchanger coil. Furthermore, the air conditioner includes a processor, a memory, and a program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the program, it performs at least the following steps:

[0240] Step S201: Obtain the mold risk index, which is used to quantify the possibility of mold growth in the air duct of the air conditioner.

[0241] Step S202: When the mold risk index is greater than or equal to the first threshold, control the air conditioner to perform a pre-heat storage operation. The pre-heat storage operation is used to store the heat generated by the air conditioner's compressor in the cooling mode.

[0242] In step S203, upon receiving a shutdown command, the air conditioner is controlled to perform a drying and mold removal operation, which utilizes the heat stored in the pre-heat storage operation to dry the air duct.

[0243] This application also provides a computer program product, which, when executed on a data processing device, is suitable for executing an initialization program having at least the following method steps:

[0244] Step S201: Obtain the mold risk index, which is used to quantify the possibility of mold growth in the air duct of the air conditioner.

[0245] Step S202: When the mold risk index is greater than or equal to the first threshold, control the air conditioner to perform a pre-heat storage operation. The pre-heat storage operation is used to store the heat generated by the air conditioner's compressor in the cooling mode.

[0246] In step S203, upon receiving a shutdown command, the air conditioner is controlled to perform a drying and mold removal operation, which utilizes the heat stored in the pre-heat storage operation to dry the air duct.

[0247] It is obvious to those skilled in the art that the modules or steps of the present invention described above can be implemented using general-purpose computing devices. They can be centralized on a single computing device or distributed across a network of multiple computing devices. They can be implemented using computer-executable program code, and thus can be stored in a storage device for execution by a computing device. In some cases, the steps shown or described can be performed in a different order than those described herein, or they can be fabricated as separate integrated circuit modules, or multiple modules or steps can be fabricated as a single integrated circuit module. Thus, the present invention is not limited to any particular combination of hardware and software.

[0248] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0249] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of this application. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, generate instructions for implementing the flowchart... Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0250] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in a process Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0251] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable equipment to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable equipment for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

[0252] In a typical configuration, a computing device includes one or more processors (CPU), input / output interfaces, network interfaces, and memory.

[0253] Memory may include non-persistent memory in computer-readable media, such as random access memory (RAM) and / or non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM) or flash RAM. Memory is an example of computer-readable media.

[0254] Computer-readable media includes both permanent and non-permanent, removable and non-removable media that can store information by any method or technology. Information can be computer-readable instructions, data structures, modules of programs, or other data. Examples of computer storage media include, but are not limited to, phase-change memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), other types of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile optical disc (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic tape, magnetic tape, disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transferable medium that can be used to store information accessible by a computing device. As defined herein, computer-readable media does not include transient computer-readable media, such as modulated data signals and carrier waves.

[0255] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0256] It should also be noted that the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.

[0257] As can be seen from the above description, the embodiments of this application achieve the following technical effects:

[0258] 1) The air conditioner control method of this application first obtains a mold risk index, which quantifies the possibility of mold growth in the air duct of the air conditioner; then, when the mold risk index is greater than or equal to a first threshold, the air conditioner is controlled to perform a pre-heat storage operation, which stores the heat generated by the air conditioner's compressor in cooling mode; subsequently, upon receiving a shutdown command, the air conditioner is controlled to perform a drying and mold removal operation, which uses the heat stored in the pre-heat storage operation to dry the air duct. This application introduces a mold risk index, pre-stores the heat generated during the air conditioner's cooling operation when conditions are met, and releases it upon shutdown, using the pre-stored heat to dry the air duct, thereby destroying the mold growth environment. Compared with the existing technology of active drying and mold removal using electric heaters or compressors and humidity shock mold removal, this method reduces the power consumption of the mold removal operation, achieves energy saving and emission reduction, and solves the problem that existing air conditioner anti-mold technologies require additional power consumption and have high power consumption.

[0259] 2) The control device for the air conditioner of this application includes a first acquisition unit that acquires a mold risk index, which quantifies the likelihood of mold growth in the air duct of the air conditioner. When the mold risk index is greater than or equal to a first threshold, a first execution unit controls the air conditioner to perform a pre-heat storage operation, which stores the heat generated by the air conditioner's compressor in cooling mode. Upon receiving a shutdown command, a second execution unit controls the air conditioner to perform a drying and mold removal operation, which uses the heat stored in the pre-heat storage operation to dry the air duct. This application introduces a mold risk index, pre-stores the heat generated during the air conditioner's cooling operation when conditions are met, and releases it upon shutdown. The pre-stored heat is used to dry the air duct, thereby destroying the mold growth environment. Compared to the existing technologies of active drying and mold removal using electric heaters or compressors, and humidity shock mold removal, this reduces the power consumption of the mold removal operation, achieving energy saving and emission reduction. It also solves the problem of existing air conditioner mold prevention technologies requiring additional power consumption and consuming large amounts of electricity.

[0260] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A control method of an air conditioner, characterized by, include: Obtain a mold risk index, which is used to quantify the likelihood of mold growth in the air duct of an air conditioner; When the mold risk index is greater than or equal to the first threshold, the air conditioner is controlled to perform a pre-heat storage operation, which is used to store the heat generated by the air conditioner's compressor in cooling mode. Upon receiving a shutdown command, the air conditioner is controlled to perform a drying and mold removal operation, which utilizes the heat stored in the pre-heat storage operation to dry the air duct.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, Controlling the air conditioner to perform a pre-heat storage operation includes: Control the air conditioner to shut down the outdoor fan; The compressor of the air conditioner is controlled to maintain its current operating state for a set duration. The indoor fan of the air conditioner is controlled to maintain its current operating state for the set duration. The electronic expansion valve of the air conditioner is controlled to close to a first target opening degree. The ratio between the first target opening degree and the second target opening degree is greater than a second threshold and less than a third threshold. The second target opening degree is the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve in the cooling mode.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Before controlling the compressor of the air conditioner to maintain its current operating state for a set duration, the method further includes: Obtain a first preset duration and a second preset duration, wherein the first preset duration is the limited duration for the air conditioner to perform the pre-heat storage operation, and the first preset duration is less than the second preset duration; Based on the mold risk index and the second preset duration, a third preset duration is determined; If the third preset duration is less than the first preset duration, the third preset duration is determined as the set duration; If the third preset duration is greater than or equal to the first preset duration, the first preset duration is determined as the set duration.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Controlling the air conditioner to perform a drying and mold removal operation includes: End the pre-heat storage operation and control the compressor to stop running; The indoor fan of the air conditioner is controlled to run at a first target speed for a continuous eighth preset time. The indoor fan is powered by an energy storage module. The ratio of the first target speed to the second target speed is greater than a fourth threshold and less than a fifth threshold. The second target speed is the speed of the indoor fan in the cooling mode.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, To obtain the mold risk index, including: The relative humidity of the indoor environment is obtained, the continuous running time of the air conditioner in cooling mode is obtained, and the cumulative time since the last drying and mold removal operation is obtained. The mold risk index is calculated based on the relative humidity, the continuous operating time, the cumulative duration, and the operating frequency, wherein the formula for calculating the mold risk index is as follows: In the formula, , and These are weighting coefficients, and the sum of all the aforementioned weighting coefficients is 1. This refers to the mold risk index. The cumulative duration, To pre-set the risk period, The relative humidity is... This is a humidity reference value. For continuous running time, This is a reference value for runtime.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, Before calculating the mold risk index based on the relative humidity, the continuous operating time, the cumulative duration, and the operating frequency, the method further includes: Multiple calibration parameter sets are obtained, including the relative humidity, the running time, and the cumulative duration, and at least one parameter is different between different calibration parameter sets; The air conditioner is controlled to operate according to each of the calibration parameter groups, and the colony-forming units corresponding to each calibration parameter group are obtained. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed on each of the calibration parameter groups with each colony forming unit as the dependent variable to obtain standardized regression coefficients; The standardized regression coefficients are normalized to obtain the weight coefficients.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the mold risk index is greater than or equal to a first threshold, controlling the air conditioner to perform a pre-heat storage operation further includes: Obtain the operating frequency of the compressor and the time interval between the current moment and the last execution of the pre-heat storage operation; Calculate the difference between the indoor ambient temperature and the set cooling temperature of the air conditioner to obtain the operating temperature difference; When the ratio of the operating frequency to the rated frequency is less than the fifth threshold, the operating temperature difference is less than the sixth threshold, and the interval duration is greater than the seventh threshold, the air conditioner is controlled to perform the pre-heat storage operation.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: In the event that the shutdown command is not received and the air conditioner is powered off, the operating mode of the air conditioner and the cumulative running time of the air conditioner in the operating mode are obtained within the fourth preset time period before the power outage. When the operating mode is the cooling mode and the cumulative operating time is greater than or equal to the fifth preset time, the indoor fan of the air conditioner is controlled to run at the third target speed for a sixth preset time, wherein the indoor fan is powered by the energy storage module.

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: At a seventh preset time interval, the operation log of the air conditioner is obtained, and the user's operation behavior record is determined based on the operation log; If the operation behavior record includes a first preset instruction and the cumulative number of the first preset instruction is greater than an eighth threshold, the first threshold is increased. The first preset instruction is used to instruct the air conditioner to end the drying and mold removal operation. If the operation behavior record includes a second preset instruction, the first threshold is reduced, and the second preset instruction is used to instruct the air conditioner to perform a deodorization operation. Based on the operation behavior records, multiple shutdown times of the user are determined, the mean and standard deviation of the shutdown times are calculated, and if the standard deviation is less than the ninth threshold, multiple target times are determined based on the shutdown times, and the air conditioner automatically performs the pre-heat storage operation at the target times. The cooling frequency is determined based on the operation behavior record. If the cooling frequency is less than the tenth threshold, the seventh threshold is increased. If the cooling frequency is greater than the eleventh threshold, the seventh threshold is decreased. The tenth threshold is less than the eleventh threshold.

10. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, After controlling the air conditioner to perform the drying and mold removal operation, the method further includes: The drying and mold removal operation shall be interrupted if any of the following conditions are met: The drying and mold removal operation lasted for more than the eighth preset time. The air conditioner received a power-on command; The difference between the coil temperature of the indoor heat exchanger of the air conditioner and the indoor ambient temperature is less than the twelfth threshold.

11. An air conditioner, characterized in that, include: One or more processors, a memory, and one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising methods for performing any one of claims 1 to 7.

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