A car washing controller, car washing machine and car washing system

Abstract

This application relates to the field of car wash technology, disclosing a car wash controller, a car wash machine, and a car wash system. The car wash controller includes: a power converter, a main control unit, and a switching unit. The power converter is used to connect to an external power source and transmit a first supply voltage from the external power source to the main control unit. The main control unit is connected to the switching unit and, upon receiving a car wash instruction, sends the instruction to the switching unit. The switching unit is connected to the power converter and also to multiple car wash components, and, upon receiving a car wash instruction from the main control unit, connects the car wash component corresponding to the instruction to the power converter. The power converter further transmits a second supply voltage from the external power source to the car wash component corresponding to the instruction, so that the power converter supplies power to the car wash component corresponding to the instruction. Through the above methods, this application reduces the equipment costs of car wash shops and increases the diversity of car wash services.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of car wash technology, specifically to a car wash controller, a car wash machine, and a car wash system. Background Technology

[0002] Existing car wash machines are typically all-in-one units, with one machine corresponding to one car wash bay. When a car owner needs a car wash, they drive their car to a designated bay and then select the wash service on the machine.

[0003] However, car wash shops need to purchase car wash machines as a whole unit, and when a car wash machine malfunctions, the repair is difficult, which may result in the only option being to replace the car wash machine. For car wash shops, the equipment cost for car wash services is relatively high. In addition, car owners can only choose a limited range of car wash services. For example, if a car owner only wants to remove dust from their vehicle, they can only do so by choosing a full car wash service (including dust removal, foaming, and washing).

[0004] Therefore, how to reduce the equipment costs of car wash shops and increase the diversity of car wash services has become an urgent technical problem to be solved. Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of the above problems, this application provides a car wash machine and a car wash system to solve the problems of high equipment costs and limited car wash services in existing car wash shops.

[0006] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a car wash controller is provided, the car wash controller comprising: a power converter, a main control unit, and a switching unit; the input terminal of the power converter is connected to an external power source, and the first output terminal is connected to the main control unit, for converting the voltage of the external power source into a first supply voltage and transmitting the first supply voltage to the main control unit; the main control unit is connected to the switching unit, for sending a car wash instruction to the switching unit after receiving a car wash instruction, the car wash instruction corresponding to a car wash component, the car wash component including at least one of a vacuuming component, a water spraying component, a foaming component, and a polishing component; the switching unit is connected to the second output terminal of the power converter, and is also used to connect to multiple car wash components, for connecting the car wash component corresponding to the car wash instruction to the power converter after receiving a car wash instruction sent by the main control unit; the power converter is also used to convert the voltage of the external power source into a second supply voltage and transmit the second supply voltage to the car wash component corresponding to the car wash instruction, so that the power converter supplies power to the car wash component corresponding to the car wash instruction.

[0007] In one optional embodiment, the switching unit includes a plurality of first switches; a main control unit is connected to the first terminals of the plurality of first switches and is used to send a car wash instruction to the first switch of the plurality of first switches corresponding to the car wash instruction after receiving a car wash instruction; the second terminals of the plurality of first switches are all connected to the second output terminal of the power converter, and the third terminals of the plurality of first switches are respectively used to connect to a plurality of car wash components; the first switch corresponding to the car wash instruction is used to connect the car wash component corresponding to the car wash instruction to the power converter after receiving the car wash instruction sent by the main control unit, wherein the car wash component corresponding to the car wash instruction is the car wash component among the plurality of car wash components connected to the third terminal of the first switch corresponding to the car wash instruction.

[0008] In one optional embodiment, the car wash controller further includes an RS485 transceiver; the main control unit is connected to a first terminal of the RS485 transceiver, and is used to generate a first control command based on the car wash command after receiving the car wash command, and send the first control command to the RS485 transceiver, the first control command being transmitted via a transistor-transistor logic bus protocol; the RS485 transceiver is used to generate a second control command based on the first control command after receiving the first control command, the second control command being transmitted via the RS485 protocol; the second terminal of the RS485 transceiver is connected to the RS485 ports of a plurality of first switches, and is used to send the second control command to the plurality of first switches, so that the main control unit controls the first switch corresponding to the car wash command to close after receiving the car wash command.

[0009] In one optional embodiment, the main control unit includes a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) chip and a wireless network (WIFI) chip; the first output terminal of the power converter is connected to the FPGA chip to transmit a first supply voltage to the FPGA chip; the WIFI chip is connected to the FPGA chip to receive car wash instructions via wireless communication and send the received car wash instructions to the FPGA chip; the general-purpose input / output pins of the FPGA chip are connected to the first receive / transmit pins of an RS485 transceiver to generate a first control instruction based on the car wash instruction received from the WIFI chip and send the first control instruction to the first receive / transmit pins of the RS485 transceiver; the second receive / transmit pins of the RS485 transceiver are connected to the RS485 ports of multiple first switches to send a second control instruction to the multiple first switches, so that the FPGA chip controls the first switch corresponding to the car wash instruction to close after receiving the car wash instruction.

[0010] In one alternative approach, the main control unit is a system-on-a-chip (SoC).

[0011] In one alternative embodiment, the switching unit further includes a second switch; one end of the second switch is connected to the second end of a plurality of first switches, and the other end of the second switch is connected to the second output terminal of the power converter, for switching on the plurality of first switches and the power converter after switching from the first state to the second state.

[0012] In one alternative embodiment, the switching unit further includes a third switch; one end of the third switch is connected to the first end of a plurality of first switches, and the other end of the third switch is connected to the main control unit, for switching the plurality of first switches and the main control unit after switching from the first state to the second state.

[0013] In one alternative embodiment, the car wash controller further includes a display unit; the main control unit is connected to the display unit and is used to determine the car wash service information corresponding to the car wash instruction after receiving the car wash instruction, and send the car wash service information to the display unit; the display unit is used to receive the car wash service information from the main control unit and display the car wash service information.

[0014] According to another aspect of the embodiments of this application, a car wash machine is provided, which corresponds to a parking space and is set next to the parking space. The car wash machine includes a car wash controller as described in any of the above embodiments and four car wash components. The four car wash components are connected to the switching unit of the car wash controller. The four car wash components are a vacuuming component, a water spraying component, a foaming component, and a polishing component.

[0015] According to another aspect of the embodiments of this application, a car wash system is provided. The car wash system includes a car wash controller as described in any of the above embodiments and a plurality of car wash components. The plurality of car wash components correspond to a plurality of parking spaces and are connected to the switching unit of the car wash controller.

[0016] In this embodiment, the main control unit transmits the car wash command to the switching unit. The switching unit then configures the power flow of the second output terminal of the power converter according to the car wash command, ensuring that only the car wash component corresponding to the car wash command receives power. This allows users to select specific car wash services according to their needs without activating all car wash components, thereby improving the flexibility and diversity of car wash services. Simultaneously, since each car wash component is individually connected to the switching unit, the wiring layout of the car wash controller is simplified. This not only reduces initial purchase costs but also reduces subsequent maintenance and repair costs, thus lowering the equipment costs for car wash shops.

[0017] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of this application. In order to better understand the technical means of this application and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this application more obvious and understandable, the following are specific embodiments of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings: Figure 1 A circuit diagram of the car wash controller provided in an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 2 A circuit diagram of a car wash controller according to another embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 3 A circuit diagram of a car wash controller according to another embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 4 A circuit diagram of a car wash controller according to another embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 5 A circuit diagram of a car wash controller according to another embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 6 A circuit diagram of a car wash controller according to another embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 7 This application shows a schematic diagram illustrating the location of a car wash machine and a parking space according to another embodiment of the present application; Figure 8 A schematic diagram showing the location of a car wash system and a parking space according to another embodiment of this application is shown.

[0019] The reference numerals in the detailed embodiments are as follows: 1. Car wash system; 10. Car wash machine; 100. Car wash controller; 110. Power converter; 120. Main control unit; 130. Switching unit; 140. RS485 transceiver; 150. Display unit; 111. Input terminal; 112. First output terminal; 113. Second output terminal; 131~133. Multiple first switches; 135. Second switch; 137. Third switch; 200. External power supply; 310. First car wash component; 320. Second car wash component; 330. Third car wash component; 360. Vacuuming component; 370. Water spraying component; 380. Foaming component; 390. Polishing component; 20. Parking space; 21. First parking space; 22. Second parking space. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The embodiments of the technical solution of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of this application and are therefore merely examples, and should not be used to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0021] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains; the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the application; the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, in the specification, claims, and foregoing description of the drawings are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0022] In the description of the embodiments of this application, technical terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish different objects and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number, specific order, or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly defined.

[0023] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0024] In the description of the embodiments in this application, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent three cases: A exists, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists. In addition, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the related objects before and after it have an "or" relationship.

[0025] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "multiple" refers to two or more (including two), similarly, "multiple sets" refers to two or more (including two sets), and "multiple pieces" refers to two or more (including two pieces).

[0026] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the technical terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of this application and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of this application.

[0027] In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, technical terms such as "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0028] Existing car wash machines are typically integrated units, each containing a central controller and multiple washing components, such as a dust-absorbing component and a foaming component. After the car owner selects a car wash service via buttons or a touchscreen on the machine, the central controller controls the multiple washing components to work together according to a preset car wash control program.

[0029] Because car wash machines integrate multiple washing components and have a complex structure, car wash shops can only purchase them as a complete unit. During repairs, the complex structure makes maintenance difficult, forcing shops to buy a new machine to replace the faulty one, resulting in high equipment costs. Furthermore, the preset programs in the central controller are mostly programs that control the coordinated operation of the washing components, so car owners cannot select the car wash service corresponding to a specific component.

[0030] Based on this, the inventors of this application have discovered that a car wash controller can be provided. The car wash controller is used to connect to an external power source and multiple car wash components. By controlling the on / off connection between each of the multiple car wash components and the external power source, the external power source supplies power only to the car wash component corresponding to the car wash service. This allows car owners to select the car wash service corresponding to a specific car wash component, thereby increasing the diversity of car wash services. Since the car wash machine is divided into multiple car wash components and a car wash controller, car wash shops can purchase car wash components separately and then connect them to the car wash controller, without having to purchase an entire car wash machine. During maintenance, the split structure greatly reduces the difficulty of maintenance, and only the faulty car wash component can be replaced, without replacing the entire car wash machine, thereby greatly reducing the equipment costs for car wash shops.

[0031] Specifically, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 A circuit diagram of a car wash controller provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 1 As shown, the car wash controller 100 includes: a power converter 110, a main control unit 120, and a switching unit 130; the input terminal 111 of the power converter 110 is connected to an external power supply 200, and the first output terminal 112 is connected to the main control unit 120, for converting the voltage of the external power supply 200 into a first supply voltage and transmitting the first supply voltage to the main control unit 120; the main control unit 120 is connected to the switching unit 130, for sending a car wash command to the switching unit 130 after receiving a car wash command, the car wash command corresponding to a car wash component, and the car wash component including at least a vacuuming component. One of the following components: water spraying component, foaming component, and polishing component; the switching unit 130 is connected to the second output terminal 113 of the power converter 110, and is also used to connect to multiple car wash components 310~330, and is used to connect the car wash component corresponding to the car wash command to the power converter 110 after receiving the car wash command sent by the main control unit 120; the power converter 110 is also used to convert the voltage of the external power supply 200 into a second supply voltage, and transmit the second supply voltage to the car wash component corresponding to the car wash command, so that the power converter 110 supplies power to the car wash component corresponding to the car wash command.

[0032] The power converter 110 is an AC-to-DC converter. The specific model of the power converter 110 can be selected according to the operating voltage of the main control unit 120 and the multiple car wash components 310-330. When the operating voltage of the main control unit 120 is 5V and the operating voltage of the multiple car wash components 310-330 is 220V, the Mean Well DR15-5 can be selected as the power converter 110. The power converter 110 receives the input from the external power supply 200 through the input terminal 111, converts the 220V AC power input from the external power supply 200 into 5V DC power, and outputs 5V DC power through the first output terminal 112; the power converter 110 also converts the 220V AC power input from the external power supply 200 into 200V DC power, and outputs 200V DC power through the second output terminal 113. The Mean Well DR15-5 features an input voltage range of 85-264VAC, an output voltage of 5VDC, and a rated output current of 3A. It boasts high efficiency, low power consumption, compact size, and multiple protection functions, making it suitable for various electronic devices and applications.

[0033] The car wash equipment includes at least one of the following components: a vacuum cleaner (for efficiently removing dust and impurities from the vehicle's surface); a high-pressure water gun (for providing a powerful water jet to rinse the vehicle); a foaming sprayer (for generating rich foam to help the cleaning agent penetrate stains better); and a polishing machine (for polishing the vehicle to make it look brand new). A car wash kit must include at least one of these components. Shops can also purchase additional components based on their specific needs, such as a hairdryer (for quickly drying the vehicle and reducing moisture residue).

[0034] In one alternative embodiment, the car wash controller 100 also includes an interactive interface through which a user can select a car wash service via wired communication with the main control unit 120. This interactive interface can take various forms, such as physical buttons, a touchscreen, or gesture-based sensors. Once a user selects the desired car wash service at a car wash location via the interactive interface, the interface automatically generates the corresponding car wash instruction and transmits it to the main control unit 120.

[0035] In another alternative approach, the main control unit 120 communicates wirelessly with the terminal device, allowing users to select car wash services via application software or mini-programs on the terminal device. After the user selects the desired car wash service on the terminal device, the terminal device automatically generates a car wash instruction corresponding to the selected service and sends it to the main control unit 120 for processing via wireless communication. The terminal device can be a smartphone, tablet computer, laptop computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), mobile internet device (MID), or wearable device. Through the wireless connection between the main control unit 120 and the terminal device, users can directly select the desired car wash service, effectively reducing the amount of wiring required for the car wash controller 100. Simplified wiring not only reduces the structural complexity of the car wash controller 100 but also reduces the risk of equipment damage due to user operation by reducing physical contact points. By reducing reliance on wiring, car wash shops can upgrade their car wash equipment at a lower cost and also alleviate maintenance pressure caused by wiring failures.

[0036] In one optional embodiment, the switch unit 130 is connected to multiple car wash components 310-330 via multiple ports. After a car wash component is connected to a port of the switch unit 130, the correspondence between the car wash service corresponding to the car wash component and the port number is recorded and a lookup table is generated. This lookup table is stored in the car wash controller 100 belonging to the terminal device, cloud server, or interactive interface. After the user selects a car wash service, the terminal device or interactive interface reads the lookup table stored locally or obtains the lookup table from the cloud server, and searches for the port number corresponding to the car wash service. A car wash instruction containing the found port number is generated and sent to the main control unit 120. Upon receiving the car wash instruction, the main control unit 120 controls the switch unit 130 to read the port numbers of its multiple ports. The main control unit 120 sends the car wash instruction containing the port number to the switch unit 130. The switch unit 130 connects the port with the port number in the car wash instruction to the power converter 110, so that the power converter 110 supplies power to the car wash component corresponding to the car wash instruction. For example, the switch unit 130 connects to multiple car wash components 310-330 with port numbers #310, #320, and #330 respectively. Car wash component 310 includes a vacuuming component and a water spraying component, car wash component 320 includes a foaming component and a water spraying component, and car wash component 330 includes a lighting component. When the user selects the lighting service, the terminal device or interactive interface finds the port number #330 corresponding to the lighting service and then generates a car wash instruction containing #330. After receiving the car wash instruction containing #330, the switch unit 130 reads the port numbers of its multiple ports and sends the car wash instruction containing #330 to the switch unit 130. After receiving the car wash instruction, the switch unit 130 connects the port number #330 to the power converter 110, thereby connecting the car wash component 330 connected to #330 to the power converter 110.

[0037] In another alternative approach, a lookup table is stored in the main control unit 120. After the user selects a car wash service, the terminal device or interactive interface sends a car wash instruction containing car wash service information to the main control unit 120. Upon receiving the car wash instruction, the main control unit 120 looks up the port number corresponding to the car wash service through the lookup table, generates a car wash instruction containing the found port number, and sends the car wash instruction to the switch unit 130. The switch unit 130 connects the port with the port number in the car wash instruction to the power converter 110, so that the power converter 110 supplies power to the car wash component corresponding to the car wash instruction.

[0038] The switching unit 130 can be a relay switching unit. The main control unit 120 sends a car wash command through a serial communication interface. After receiving the car wash command, the relay switching unit determines the relay coil to be controlled according to the coil number of the car wash command. It controls the power supply of multiple car wash components 310-330 one by one by controlling the state of the control coil (closed or open). The main control unit 120 can be a system on chip (SoC). For example, an ESP32 chip can be selected as the main control unit 120. The ESP32 chip has low power consumption and a built-in wireless network communication module, so that the main control unit 120 can communicate wirelessly with the terminal device.

[0039] The function of the switching unit 130 is to intelligently manage the power flow after receiving the car wash command from the main control unit 120, ensuring that the car wash components matching the car wash command receive power. Specifically, the switching unit 130 connects the circuit between the car wash component corresponding to the required car wash service and the power converter 110, while ensuring that the circuit between other car wash components not participating in the current service and the power converter 110 is disconnected. The second output terminal 113 of the power converter 110 can then provide power to the selected car wash component, enabling it to operate.

[0040] The car wash controller 100 allows users to select specific car wash services according to their needs without activating all car wash components, thereby increasing the flexibility and variety of car wash services. At the same time, since each car wash component is individually connected to the switch unit 130, the wiring layout of the car wash controller 100 is simplified, which not only reduces the initial purchase cost but also reduces subsequent maintenance and repair costs.

[0041] In this embodiment, the main control unit 120 transmits the car wash command to the switching unit 130. The switching unit 130 then configures the power flow of the second output terminal 113 of the power converter 110 according to the car wash command, ensuring that only the car wash component corresponding to the car wash command receives power. This allows users to select specific car wash services according to their needs without activating all car wash components 310-330, thereby improving the flexibility and diversity of car wash services. Simultaneously, since each car wash component is individually connected to the switching unit, the wiring layout of the car wash controller 100 is simplified. This not only reduces initial purchase costs but also reduces subsequent maintenance and repair costs, thus lowering the equipment costs for car wash shops.

[0042] To further reduce the integration of the car wash controller 100, Figure 2 A circuit diagram of a car wash controller according to another embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 2As shown, the switch unit 130 includes a plurality of first switches 131-133; the main control unit 120 is connected to the first end of the plurality of first switches 131-133, and is used to send the car wash instruction to the first switch of the plurality of first switches 131-133 corresponding to the car wash instruction after receiving the car wash instruction; the second end of the plurality of first switches 131-133 is connected to the second output end 113 of the power converter 110, and the third end of the plurality of first switches 131-133 is used to connect to the plurality of car wash components 310-330 respectively; the first switch corresponding to the car wash instruction is used to connect the car wash component corresponding to the car wash instruction to the power converter 110 after receiving the car wash instruction sent by the main control unit 120, wherein the car wash component corresponding to the car wash instruction is the car wash component of the plurality of car wash components 310-330 connected to the third end of the first switch corresponding to the car wash instruction.

[0043] If an integrated switch, such as a solid-state relay, is used for the switch unit 130, the high integration of the car wash controller 100 will still make maintenance difficult. Therefore, to further reduce maintenance difficulty, multiple first switches 131-133 can be used to connect multiple car wash components 310-330 respectively, thereby reducing the integration of the switch unit 130 and thus reducing maintenance difficulty. For example, multiple smart air switches can be used as multiple first switches 131-133.

[0044] After the car wash component is connected to the switch unit 130, the correspondence between the car wash service corresponding to the car wash component and the connected first switch is recorded and a lookup table is generated. After the user selects a car wash service, the terminal device or interactive interface looks up the serial number of the first switch corresponding to the car wash service through the lookup table, generates a car wash instruction containing the found serial number, and sends the car wash instruction to the main control unit 120. After receiving the car wash instruction, the main control unit 120 controls multiple first switches 131-133 to read their own serial numbers. The main control unit 120 sends the car wash instruction containing the serial number to multiple first switches 131-133. The first switch among the multiple first switches 131-133 whose serial number matches the serial number in the car wash instruction closes, so that the power converter 110 supplies power to the car wash component corresponding to the car wash instruction. For example, multiple first switches 131-133 are respectively connected to multiple car wash components 310-330. The serial numbers of the multiple first switches 131-133 are #310, #320, and #330, respectively. Car wash component 310 includes a vacuuming component and a water spraying component, car wash component 320 includes a foaming component and a water spraying component, and car wash component 330 includes a lighting component. When the user selects the lighting service, the terminal device or interactive interface finds the serial number corresponding to the lighting service as #330, and then generates a car wash containing #330. Upon receiving a car wash instruction containing #330, the switch unit 130 controls multiple first switches 131-133 to read their own serial numbers and send the car wash instruction containing #330 to the multiple first switches 131-133 respectively. After receiving the car wash instruction, the first switch 133 with serial number #330 among the multiple first switches 131-133 closes to conduct the connection between the car wash component 330 connected to the first switch 133 and the power converter 110.

[0045] In another alternative approach, a lookup table is stored in the main control unit 120. After the user selects a car wash service, the terminal device or interactive interface sends a car wash instruction containing car wash service information to the main control unit 120. Upon receiving the car wash instruction, the main control unit 120 looks up the sequence number of the first switch corresponding to the car wash service through the lookup table, generates a car wash instruction containing the found sequence number, and sends the car wash instruction to multiple first switches 131-133. The first switch among the multiple first switches 131-133 whose sequence number matches the sequence number in the car wash instruction is closed, so that the power converter 110 supplies power to the car wash component corresponding to the car wash instruction.

[0046] In this embodiment, multiple first switches 131-133 are selected to connect multiple car wash components 310-330 respectively, thereby reducing the integration of the switch unit 130 and reducing the difficulty of maintenance. Furthermore, by setting the switch unit 130 as multiple individual first switches, more car wash components can be connected by increasing the number of first switches, thereby increasing the expandability of the switch unit 130.

[0047] When multiple car wash components 310-330 are connected to multiple first switches 131-133, the multiple wirings used to connect the multiple first switches 131-133 to the main control unit 120 may be too long. Excessive wiring may damage signal integrity, causing signal attenuation when the car wash command is transmitted through the wiring, thus preventing the multiple first switches 131-133 from correctly recognizing the car wash command.

[0048] To reduce the impact of long-distance wiring on the signal quality of car wash commands Figure 3 A circuit diagram of a car wash controller according to another embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 3 As shown, the car wash controller 100 also includes an RS485 transceiver 140; the main control unit 120 is connected to the first end of the RS485 transceiver 140, and is used to generate a first control command according to the car wash command after receiving the car wash command, and send the first control command to the RS485 transceiver 140. The first control command is transmitted through the transistor-transistor logic bus protocol; the RS485 transceiver 140 is used to generate a second control command according to the first control command after receiving the first control command, and the second control command is transmitted through the RS485 protocol; the second end of the RS485 transceiver 140 is connected to the RS485 ports of a plurality of first switches 131~133, and is used to send the second control command to the plurality of first switches 131~133, so that the main control unit 120 controls the first switch corresponding to the car wash command to close after receiving the car wash command.

[0049] RS485 is a serial communication protocol that uses differential signal transmission. Differential signal transmission transmits signals by calculating the difference between two signals, which helps reduce the impact of external interference on the signal. This allows the signal to adapt to interference from long lines. In other words, signals transmitted via RS485 have strong anti-interference capabilities.

[0050] The first control command sent by the main control unit 120 is transmitted via the Transistor-Transistor Logic (TTL) bus protocol. To improve the integrity of the signals received by the multiple first switches 131-133, an RS485 transceiver 140 can be set between the main control unit 120 and the multiple first switches 131-133 to convert the first control command transmitted via the TTL bus protocol into a second control command transmitted via the RS485 protocol, thereby enabling the multiple first switches 131-133 to receive a more complete signal of the second control command.

[0051] In one optional embodiment, the main control unit 120 includes a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) chip and a wireless network (WIFI) chip; the first output terminal 112 of the power converter 110 is connected to the FPGA chip to transmit a first supply voltage to the FPGA chip; the WIFI chip is connected to the FPGA chip to receive a car wash command via wireless communication and send the received car wash command to the FPGA chip; the general purpose input / output pins of the FPGA chip are connected to the first receive / transmit pins of the RS485 transceiver 140 to generate a first control command based on the car wash command after receiving the car wash command from the WIFI chip, and send the first control command to the first receive / transmit pins of the RS485 transceiver 140; the second receive / transmit pins of the RS485 transceiver 140 are connected to the RS485 ports of a plurality of first switches 131-133 to send a second control command to the plurality of first switches 131-133 so that the FPGA chip controls the first switch corresponding to the car wash command to close after receiving the car wash command.

[0052] When the main control unit 120 includes an FPGA chip and a WIFI chip, the main control unit 120 receives car wash instructions via wireless communication with the terminal device through the WIFI chip, and processes the car wash instructions through the FPGA chip to generate a first control instruction. For example, a lookup table is stored in the FPGA chip. After the user selects a car wash service, the terminal device or interactive interface sends a car wash instruction containing car wash service information to the FPGA chip. After receiving the car wash instruction, the FPGA chip looks up the sequence number of the first switch corresponding to the car wash service through the lookup table, generates a first control instruction containing the found sequence number, and sends the first control instruction to the RS485 transceiver 140 to convert the first control instruction transmitted via the TTL bus protocol into a second control instruction transmitted via the RS485 protocol. The RS485 transceiver 140 sends the second control instruction to multiple first switches 131~133. The first switches among the multiple first switches 131~133 whose sequence numbers match the sequence numbers in the second control instruction are closed, so that the power converter 110 supplies power to the car wash component corresponding to the car wash instruction.

[0053] The FPGA chip's input / output (GPIO) pins are connected to the transmit / receive (TXRX) pins of the RS485 transceiver 140 to send the first control command to the RS485 transceiver 140; the RS485 transceiver 140's TXRX pins are connected to the TXRX pins of multiple first switches 131-133 to send the second control command to the multiple first switches 131-133.

[0054] In this embodiment of the application, an RS485 transceiver 140 is set between the main control unit 120 and the multiple first switches 131-133 so that the car wash command sent by the main control unit 120 can be transmitted through the RS485 protocol, thereby reducing the impact of long-distance wiring on the signal quality of the car wash command.

[0055] To prevent accidental user operations, in one optional method, Figure 4 A circuit diagram of a car wash controller according to another embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 4 As shown, the switching unit 130 also includes a second switch 135; one end of the second switch 135 is connected to the second end of a plurality of first switches 131-133, and the other end of the second switch 135 is connected to the second output terminal 113 of the power converter 110, for switching the plurality of first switches 131-133 to the power converter 110 after switching from the first state to the second state.

[0056] When the power converter 110 is connected to the external power supply 200, and the user selects a car wash service, the car wash controller 100 will connect the corresponding car wash component and the power converter 110 according to the selected service. The external power supply 200 will then supply power to the car wash component to enable its operation, thus achieving intelligent car washing. However, users may accidentally select the wrong car wash service. Therefore, a second switch 135 is provided. After the power converter 110 and the external power supply 200 are connected, and the car wash controller 100 connects the corresponding car wash component and the second switch 135 according to the user's selected service, if the second switch 135 remains in the first state, the car wash component and the external power supply 200 will remain disconnected. Only when the user manually adjusts the second switch 135 to the second state will a circuit be formed between the car wash component and the external power supply 200, allowing the external power supply 200 to supply power to the car wash component and enable its operation. This effectively prevents user misoperation.

[0057] In a preferred embodiment, the second switch 135 is a physical button, such as a pop-up cap, a knob, or a lever. After selecting a car wash service, the user activates the car wash component corresponding to the service by changing the state of the second switch 135, for example, by pressing the pop-up cap, rotating the knob to a preset range, or pulling down the lever, thereby establishing a connection between the multiple first switches 131-133 and the power converter 110.

[0058] To prevent accidental user operations, another alternative method is... Figure 5 A circuit diagram of a car wash controller according to another embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 5 As shown, the switch unit 130 also includes a third switch 137; one end of the third switch 137 is connected to the first end of a plurality of first switches 131 to 133, and the other end of the third switch 137 is connected to the main control unit 120, for switching the plurality of first switches 131 to 133 to the main control unit 120 after switching from the first state to the second state.

[0059] Similarly, a third switch 137 can be set between the main control unit 120 and the communication lines of the multiple first switches 131-133. Only after the user changes the state of the third switch 137 will a path be formed between the main control unit 120 and the multiple first switches 131-133, thereby effectively preventing user misoperation.

[0060] The selection of the third switch 137 can be referenced with the selection of the second switch 135, and will not be elaborated here.

[0061] This application embodiment effectively prevents user misoperation by additionally setting confirmation switches, such as a second switch 135 and / or a third switch 137.

[0062] To improve the user's car wash experience Figure 6 A circuit diagram of a car wash controller according to another embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 6 As shown, the car wash controller 100 also includes a display unit 150; the main control unit 120 is connected to the display unit 150 and is used to determine the car wash service information corresponding to the car wash instruction after receiving the car wash instruction, and send the car wash service information to the display unit 150; the display unit 150 is used to receive the car wash service information from the main control unit 120 and display the car wash service information.

[0063] In one alternative approach, the car wash service information includes the duration of the car wash service. For example, vacuuming takes 2 minutes, water spraying takes 3 minutes, foaming takes 1 minute, and polishing takes 2 minutes. After the user selects the water spraying service, the main control unit 120 sends the duration information corresponding to the water spraying service to the display unit 150, and the display unit 150 displays a 2-minute countdown.

[0064] The display unit 150 can be an LED display screen or an LCD screen.

[0065] This application embodiment, by setting up a display unit 150, can display car wash service information to users, thereby improving the user's car wash experience.

[0066] To further enhance the user's car wash experience, the car wash controller 100 may also include a broadcast unit. The main control unit 120 is connected to the broadcast unit and is used to determine the car wash service information corresponding to the car wash instruction after receiving the car wash instruction, and send the car wash service information to the broadcast unit. The broadcast unit is used to receive the car wash service information from the main control unit 120 and broadcast the car wash service information via voice.

[0067] In one alternative approach, the car wash service information includes the duration of the service. For example, vacuuming takes 2 minutes, water spraying takes 3 minutes, foaming takes 1 minute, and polishing takes 2 minutes. After the user selects the water spraying service, the main control unit 120 sends the duration information corresponding to the water spraying service to the broadcasting unit. The broadcasting unit can announce "The water spraying service will end in 15 seconds" when there are 15 seconds left in the 2-minute countdown. The broadcasting unit can be a speaker.

[0068] Furthermore, the car wash controller 100 may also include a lighting unit, and the main control unit 120 is connected to the lighting unit and is used to control the lighting unit to turn on after receiving a car wash instruction; the main control unit 120 is also used to control the lighting unit to turn off after the car wash service is completed.

[0069] According to another aspect of the embodiments of this application, a car wash machine is provided. Figure 7 A schematic diagram showing the location of a car wash machine and a parking space according to another embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 7 As shown, the car wash machine 10 corresponds to the parking space 20. The car wash machine 10 is set next to the parking space 20. The car wash machine 10 includes the car wash controller 100 as described in any of the above embodiments and four car wash components 360-390. The four car wash components 360-390 are connected to the switch unit 130 of the car wash controller 100. The four car wash components 360-390 are a vacuuming component 360, a water spraying component 370, a foaming component 380, and a polishing component 390, respectively.

[0070] For car wash shops, the vacuuming component 360, water spraying component 370, foaming component 380, and polishing component 390, along with the car wash controller 100, can be used as a single car wash machine and placed next to parking space 20.

[0071] According to another aspect of the embodiments of this application, a car wash system is provided. Figure 8A schematic diagram showing the location of a car wash system and a parking space according to another embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 8 As shown, the car wash system 1 includes a car wash controller 100 as described in any of the above embodiments and a plurality of car wash components 310-330. The plurality of car wash components 310-330 correspond to a plurality of parking spaces 21-22, and the plurality of car wash components 310-330 are connected to the switching unit 130 of the car wash controller 100.

[0072] The correspondence between the car wash components and the parking spaces can be set according to actual needs. For example, car wash component 310 includes a vacuuming component and a water spraying component, car wash component 320 includes a foaming component and a polishing component, and car wash component 330 includes a vacuuming component, a water spraying component, a foaming component, and a polishing component. Then, car wash components 310 and 320 can be associated with the first parking space 21, and car wash component 330 can be associated with the second parking space 22.

[0073] For car wash shops, the car wash controller 100 can be used as a common controller for multiple car wash components 310-330 corresponding to multiple parking spaces 21-22, so as to further save the shop's equipment costs.

[0074] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and not to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. These modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and they should all be covered within the scope of the claims and specification of this application. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various technical features mentioned in the embodiments can be combined in any way. This application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A car wash controller, characterized in that, The car wash controller includes: a power converter, a main control unit, and a switching unit; The input terminal of the power converter is used to connect to an external power source, and the first output terminal is connected to the main control unit. It is used to convert the voltage of the external power source into a first supply voltage and transmit the first supply voltage to the main control unit. The main control unit is connected to the switch unit and is used to send the car wash instruction to the switch unit after receiving the car wash instruction. The car wash instruction corresponds to a car wash component, and the car wash component includes at least one of a vacuuming component, a water spraying component, a foaming component, and a polishing component. The switching unit is connected to the second output terminal of the power converter and is also used to connect to multiple car wash components. After receiving the car wash command sent by the main control unit, the switching unit is connected to the power converter for the car wash component corresponding to the car wash command. The power converter is further configured to convert the voltage of the external power source into a second supply voltage and transmit the second supply voltage to the car wash component corresponding to the car wash command, so that the power converter supplies power to the car wash component corresponding to the car wash command.

2. The car wash controller according to claim 1, characterized in that, The switching unit includes a plurality of first switches; The main control unit is connected to the first end of the plurality of first switches and is used to send the car wash instruction to the first switch among the plurality of first switches corresponding to the car wash instruction after receiving the car wash instruction. The second terminals of the plurality of first switches are all connected to the second output terminal of the power converter, and the third terminals of the plurality of first switches are respectively used to connect to the plurality of car wash components; the first switch corresponding to the car wash command is used to connect the car wash component corresponding to the car wash command to the power converter after receiving the car wash command sent by the main control unit, wherein the car wash component corresponding to the car wash command is the car wash component among the plurality of car wash components connected to the third terminal of the first switch corresponding to the car wash command.

3. The car wash controller according to claim 2, characterized in that, The car wash controller also includes an RS485 transceiver; The main control unit is connected to the first end of the RS485 transceiver and is used to generate a first control command according to the car wash command after receiving the car wash command, and send the first control command to the RS485 transceiver. The first control command is transmitted through the transistor-transistor logic bus protocol. The RS485 transceiver is used to generate a second control command based on the first control command after receiving the first control command, and the second control command is transmitted through the RS485 protocol. The second end of the RS485 transceiver is connected to the RS485 port of the plurality of first switches, and is used to send the second control command to the plurality of first switches, so that the main control unit controls the first switch corresponding to the car wash command to close after receiving the car wash command.

4. The car wash controller according to claim 3, characterized in that, The main control unit includes a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) chip and a wireless network (WIFI) chip. The first output terminal of the power converter is connected to the FPGA chip, and the first power supply voltage is transmitted to the FPGA chip. The WIFI chip is connected to the FPGA chip and is used to receive the car wash command via wireless communication and send the received car wash command to the FPGA chip. The general-purpose input / output pins of the FPGA chip are connected to the first receive / transmit pins of the RS485 transceiver, and are used to generate the first control command according to the car wash command after receiving the car wash command from the WIFI chip, and send the first control command to the first receive / transmit pins of the RS485 transceiver. The second receive / transmit pin of the RS485 transceiver is connected to the RS485 port of the plurality of first switches, and is used to send the second control command to the plurality of first switches, so that the FPGA chip controls the first switch corresponding to the car wash command to close after receiving the car wash command.

5. The car wash controller according to claim 3, characterized in that, The main control unit is a system-on-a-chip.

6. The car wash controller according to claim 2, characterized in that, The switching unit further includes a second switch; one end of the second switch is connected to the second end of the plurality of first switches, and the other end of the second switch is connected to the second output end of the power converter, for switching the plurality of first switches and the power converter after switching from the first state to the second state.

7. The car wash controller according to claim 2, characterized in that, The switching unit further includes a third switch; one end of the third switch is connected to the first end of the plurality of first switches, and the other end of the third switch is connected to the main control unit, for switching the plurality of first switches and the main control unit after switching from the first state to the second state.

8. The car wash controller according to claim 1, characterized in that, The car wash controller also includes a display unit; The main control unit is connected to the display unit and is used to determine the car wash service information corresponding to the car wash instruction after receiving the car wash instruction, and send the car wash service information to the display unit. The display unit is used to receive the car wash service information from the main control unit and display the car wash service information.

9. A car wash machine, characterized in that, The car wash machine corresponds to the parking space and is located next to the parking space. The car wash machine includes a car wash controller as described in any one of claims 1 to 8 and four car wash components. The four car wash components are connected to the switching unit of the car wash controller. The four car wash components are the vacuuming component, the water spraying component, the foaming component, and the polishing component.

10. A car wash system, characterized in that, The car wash system includes a car wash controller as described in any one of claims 1 to 8 and a plurality of car wash components, wherein the plurality of car wash components correspond to a plurality of parking spaces and the plurality of car wash components are connected to the switching unit of the car wash controller.

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