Fans, methods for controlling them, computer storage media, and computer program products

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a fan, a method for controlling the fan, a computer storage medium, and a computer program product. [Solution] The fan comprises a metal bracket connecting the fan base and the fan head, and a protection circuit and control component provided inside the fan base. The metal bracket is electrically connected to the input terminal of the protection circuit, and the protection circuit is configured to transmit an electrical signal to the control component, the magnitude of which of the electrical signal changes based on whether the metal bracket is touched or not, and the control component is configured to determine whether the electrical signal transmitted by the protection circuit satisfies predetermined conditions. If it determines that the electrical signal satisfies the predetermined conditions, it outputs a first command to control the fan head to stop swinging.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of household electrical appliances, and more particularly to fans, methods for controlling them, computer storage media, and computer program products. [Background technology]

[0002] Currently, the smart home industry is becoming increasingly mature, and smart fans are becoming prominent and popular products among environmentally friendly items. Conventional smart fans often have the function of swinging the fan head up and down or left and right, and are also called circulating fans. To achieve the up and down swing function, a large opening is usually made in the rear mesh cover and the fan head of the circulating fan is supported by a bracket. However, because the opening is large, users may experience clamp marks or scratches during use, and this needs to be improved.

[0003] Traditional solutions involve improving the structure of the components inside the fan to avoid the above problem, but this requires wiring for the fan motor (e.g., main motor, swing motor), making it impossible to make the opening in the swing area extremely small. In other words, users still risk accidentally scratching the inside of the fan's mesh cover by coming into contact with it while using the fan. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] In view of the above, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a fan, a method for controlling the same, a computer storage medium, and a computer program product. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure are implemented as follows:

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a fan comprising a metal bracket connecting a fan base and a fan head, and a protection circuit and control component located inside the fan base, wherein the metal bracket is electrically connected to the input terminal of the protection circuit, the protection circuit is used to transmit an electrical signal to the control component, the magnitude of which the electrical signal changes based on whether the metal bracket is touched, the control component is used to determine whether the electrical signal transmitted by the protection circuit satisfies a predetermined condition, and if it is determined that the electrical signal satisfies the predetermined condition, outputs a first command to control the fan head to stop swinging.

[0007] In some embodiments, the capacitance increases when the metal bracket is touched while the protection circuit is operating.

[0008] In some embodiments, the protection circuit comprises a signal excitation module including an excitation power supply, a first switch, and a third switch, wherein the metal bracket is connected to the first end of the first switch and the first end of the third switch, respectively, and the second end of the first switch is connected to the excitation power supply so that the excitation power supply charges the metal bracket when the control component controls the first switch to turn on and the third switch to turn off, and outputs an electrical signal associated with the metal bracket when the control component controls the first switch to turn off and the third switch to turn on.

[0009] In some embodiments, the signal excitation module further comprises a second switch and a first capacitor and a first resistor connected in parallel, wherein the first end of the second switch is connected to the first end of the first switch, and the second end of the second switch is connected to the first capacitor and the first resistor connected in parallel, such that the first capacitor is charged when the control component controls the first switch and the second switch to be turned on, and the capacitance of the metal bracket increases when touched when the control component controls the first switch to be turned off and the second switch to be turned on.

[0010] In some embodiments, the protection circuit further comprises a protection module, one end of which is electrically connected to the metal bracket and the input terminal of the signal excitation module, respectively, and the other end of which is grounded.

[0011] In some embodiments, the protection circuit further comprises a signal amplification module for amplifying the electrical signal output by the signal excitation module and then outputting it to the control component.

[0012] In some embodiments, the signal amplification module comprises an operational amplifier circuit, a plurality of voltage divider resistors, and a fourth number of switches equal to the number of voltage divider resistors, wherein the plurality of voltage divider resistors are connected in series, the first end of the series-connected voltage divider resistors is connected to the input terminal of the signal amplification module, the second end of the series-connected voltage divider resistors is grounded, one end of each fourth switch is connected to the corresponding end of the voltage divider resistor, and the other end of each fourth switch is connected to the input terminal of the operational amplifier in the operational amplifier circuit.

[0013] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for controlling a fan, the method comprising: a control component of the fan receiving an electrical signal transmitted by a protection circuit, determining whether the electrical signal satisfies a predetermined condition, and, if it is determined that the electrical signal satisfies the predetermined condition, outputting a first command to control the fan head to stop swinging.

[0014] In some embodiments, the method further includes, before the fan control component receives an electrical signal transmitted by the protection circuit, controlling the fan control component to turn on the first and second switches of the signal excitation module in the protection circuit so that the metal bracket and the first capacitor are charged by the excitation power supply in the signal excitation module.

[0015] In some embodiments, the fan control component receiving an electrical signal transmitted by the protection circuit includes the fan control component controlling a first switch in the signal excitation module to be off, and the second and third switches in the signal excitation module to be on, and one fourth switch in the signal excitation module in the protection circuit to be on, and the remaining fourth switches to be off, so that the control component receives an electrical signal that is amplified via a signal amplification module and output by the signal excitation module.

[0016] In some embodiments, determining whether the electrical signal satisfies predetermined conditions includes obtaining the voltage value of the electrical signal, determining that the predetermined conditions are met if the voltage value is greater than a reference voltage value, and determining that the predetermined conditions are not met if the voltage value is less than or equal to the reference voltage value.

[0017] In some embodiments, the reference voltage value is either preset or detected and acquired by the control component within the detection cycle.

[0018] In some embodiments, the method further includes outputting a second command to control the fan head to swing if it is determined that the electrical signal does not meet the predetermined conditions.

[0019] As a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a fan, the fan including a processor and a memory for storing a computer program executable by the processor, wherein the processor is used to execute the steps of the fan control method described in the second aspect when executing the computer program.

[0020] As a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a computer storage medium, in which a computer program is stored, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the fan control method described in the second aspect are realized.

[0021] As a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a computer program product including a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the fan control method described in the second aspect are realized.

Advantages of the Invention

[0022] According to the solution of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the fan includes a metal bracket connecting the fan base and the fan head part, and a protection circuit and control components provided inside the fan base, and the metal bracket is electrically connected to the input end of the protection circuit. Without changing the current fan structure, by utilizing the physical characteristics of the metal bracket, the electrical signal output by the protection circuit is changed according to whether the metal bracket is touched, and further, based on the electrical signal transmitted by the protection circuit by the control component, it is determined whether the metal bracket is touched (that is, whether a predetermined condition is satisfied). When it is determined that the metal bracket is touched (that is, a predetermined condition is satisfied), a first instruction is output to control the fan head part to stop swinging, and by detecting in real time whether the metal bracket of the fan is touched, the automatic stop of the swinging of the fan head part is realized, mechanical damage is avoided, the safety performance is enhanced, and the practicality and versatility of the smart fan are improved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023] [Figure 1] It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a smart fan. [Figure 2] It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a fan according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] It is a schematic diagram of the protection circuit of a fan according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] It is a schematic flowchart of a fan control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] It is a schematic flowchart of a fan control method of an application example according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] It is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of a fan according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0024] [[ID=ID=28]] Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings and embodiments.

[0025] The term "and / or" in this specification only describes the relationship of related objects and indicates that there are three types of relationships. For example, "A and / or B" can indicate three situations: only A exists, A and B exist simultaneously, and only B exists. Also, the symbol " / " in this specification generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0026] The terms “first,” “second,” and so on in the specification and claims of this disclosure are used to distinguish similar subjects and are not intended to describe a particular order or sequence. The data used in this manner should be understood to be interchangeable under appropriate circumstances, so that the embodiments described herein may be carried out in an order other than that illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms “includes” and “have,” and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusiveness, for example, that a process, method, system, product, or apparatus includes a set of steps or units, and is not limited to explicitly listing such steps or units, but may include other steps or units that are not explicitly listed or are specific to such process, method, product, or apparatus.

[0027] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art of the field of this disclosure. The terms used herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit this disclosure.

[0028] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of one smart fan structure, and as shown in Figure 1, the fan may include a fan base 11, a fan head 13, and a metal bracket 12 connecting the fan base 11 and the fan head 13.

[0029] For example, the fan head 13 can be connected to the fan base 11 via two metal brackets 12 on the left and right. Both metal brackets 12 are made of metal to support the fan head, and the front and rear mesh covers of the fan head 13 are generally made of plastic. A groove is provided in the rear mesh cover of the fan head 13 to enable the fan head to swing up and down. A motor in the fan base 11 drives a connecting rod to enable the swing function of the fan head 13. When the fan starts to swing up and down, there is a groove in the rear mesh cover, so there is a risk of the user's fingers getting pinched if they accidentally insert them into the groove.

[0030] Based at least on this, the following embodiments of the present disclosure are proposed.

[0031] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a fan according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and referring to Figures 1 and 2, the fan 10 comprises a metal bracket 12 connecting a fan base 11 and a fan head 13, and a protection circuit 14 and a control component 15 provided inside the fan base 11, wherein the metal bracket 12 is electrically connected to the input terminal of the protection circuit 14, the protection circuit 14 is configured to transmit an electrical signal to the control component 15, the magnitude of which the electrical signal changes based on whether the metal bracket 12 is touched, and the control component 15 is configured to determine whether the electrical signal transmitted by the protection circuit 14 satisfies predetermined conditions, and if it is determined that the electrical signal satisfies predetermined conditions, it outputs a first command used to control the fan head 13 to stop swinging.

[0032] In this embodiment, the fan body comprises a fan head (the fan head shown in Figure 1), a fan base (the fan base shown in Figure 1), and a metal bracket (the bracket shown in Figure 1) connecting the fan head and the fan base.

[0033] Specifically, the mesh cover portion of the fan head can be made of non-conductive plastic material, and grooves are provided in the rear mesh cover to enable the fan head to swing up and down. To ensure a more stable connection between the fan head and the fan base, the metal bracket can be divided into two brackets, one on the left and one on the right. The fan base is made of non-conductive plastic material, and a protection circuit, control components, and motor are housed inside the fan base. The motor drives the connecting rod to enable the fan to swing left and right.

[0034] In this embodiment, the input terminal of the protection circuit is electrically connected to the metal bracket, for example, via a metal wire. Inside the protection circuit is an electrical signal generator, which is electrically connected to a control component, and the protection circuit can transmit an electrical signal to the control component. The voltage value of the electrical signal transmitted by the protection circuit to the control component differs depending on whether the metal bracket is touched or not. Furthermore, the control component determines whether the metal bracket has been touched based on the received electrical signal, and if it determines that the metal bracket has been touched, it outputs a first command to control the fan head and stop its swing. This ensures that the swing of the fan head is stopped in a timely manner, reducing the risk of accidental damage by the user.

[0035] In some embodiments, the capacitance increases when the metal bracket is touched during the operation of the protection circuit.

[0036] In this embodiment, the entire or partial metal bracket can be used as the electrode under test, either directly connected to a protective circuit or electrically connected to the protective circuit via a conductor, and touching the metal bracket is equivalent to touching the electrode under test. When the protective circuit is on, the self-capacitance of the metal bracket (i.e., the electrode under test) differs depending on whether it is touched or not, and when the metal bracket is touched, the self-capacitance of the electrode under test to ground increases, and it stores more power.

[0037] In other selectable embodiments, the electrode to be measured can be set based on the structure of an existing fan, for example, it may be the metal bracket of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the metal mesh cover of a smart fan, or the mesh cover of a plastic fan having a conductive oil film layer, that is, the electrode to be measured can be installed on a component of the fan that employs a conductive metal or other conductive material.

[0038] In some selectable embodiments, the protection circuit comprises a signal excitation module, the signal excitation module comprises an excitation power supply, a first switch, and a third switch, the metal bracket being connected to the first end of the first switch and the first end of the third switch, respectively, the second end of the first switch being connected to the excitation power supply such that the excitation power supply charges the metal bracket when the control component controls the first switch to turn on and the third switch to turn off, and outputs an electrical signal associated with the metal bracket when the control component controls the first switch to turn off and the third switch to turn on.

[0039] In this embodiment, the protection circuit comprises at least a signal excitation module, the signal excitation module may include an excitation power supply and a plurality of electronic switches, the plurality of electronic switches may include at least a first switch and a third switch, and different paths can be formed and different purposes achieved by turning on one or two of the plurality of switches.

[0040] However, the metal bracket, which is the electrode under test, is electrically connected to one end of the first switch and one end of the third switch, and the other end of the first switch is electrically connected to the excitation power supply. When the control component controls the first switch to ON and the third switch to OFF, the excitation power supply can charge the metal bracket (i.e., the electrode under test), so the metal bracket can store power. When the control component controls the first switch to OFF and the third switch to ON, the power stored in the metal bracket can be released, that is, an electrical signal related to the metal bracket can be output via the protection circuit.

[0041] However, the electrical signals associated with the metal bracket specifically mean that, when the control component controls the first switch to be off and the third switch to be on, when the metal bracket is not touched, a first electrical signal corresponding to the self-capacitance of the metal bracket can be output via the protection circuit, and when the metal bracket is touched, a second electrical signal corresponding to the increased self-capacitance in the metal bracket can be output via the protection circuit. The second electrical signal is clearly different from the first electrical signal.

[0042] In some embodiments, the signal excitation module further comprises a second switch and a first capacitor and a first resistor connected in parallel, wherein the first end of the second switch is connected to the first end of the first switch, and the second end of the second switch is connected to the first capacitor and the first resistor connected in parallel, such that the first capacitor is charged when the control component controls the first switch and the second switch to be turned on, and the capacitance of the metal bracket increases when touched when the control component controls the first switch to be turned off and the second switch to be turned on.

[0043] In some selectable embodiments, the signal excitation module further comprises a second switch and a first capacitor and a first resistor connected in parallel, wherein the first end of the second switch is connected to the first end of the first switch, and the second end of the second switch is connected to the first capacitor and the first resistor connected in parallel, such that the first capacitor is charged when the control component controls the first switch and the second switch to be turned on, and the capacitance of the metal bracket increases when the control component controls the first switch to be turned off and the second switch to be turned on.

[0044] In this embodiment, the signal excitation module in the protection circuit may further include a first capacitor and a first resistor, and the plurality of electronic switches in the signal excitation module may further include a second switch, the first capacitor and the first resistor are connected in parallel, and the first, second, and third switches of the plurality of electronic switches can form different paths and achieve different purposes by turning on one or two of the plurality of switches.

[0045] However, the excitation power supply can be connected to the first capacitor and first resistor after they have been connected in parallel via the first and second switches, and if the control component controls the first and second switches to be on and the third switch to be off, the excitation power supply can charge the metal bracket and the first capacitor simultaneously.

[0046] The first and second switches are connected to the input terminals of the signal excitation module, respectively. After the metal bracket and the first capacitor have been fully charged, if the control component controls the first switch to be off and the second switch to be on, the capacitance of the metal bracket (i.e., the electrode under test) increases when the metal bracket is touched. This allows the protection circuit to output a changed electrical signal corresponding to the increased self-capacitance of the metal bracket when the control component controls the second and third switches to be on.

[0047] As an example, Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a fan protection circuit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3, the signal excitation module includes an excitation power supply VCC, a first capacitor C1 and a first resistor R1 connected in parallel, and a plurality of electronic switches, the plurality of electronic switches including a first switch S1, a second switch S2, and a third switch S3, and the elements are electrically connected to each other via conductors. By controlling the on / off state of the switches with a control component, the electrode under test and the first capacitor C1 are charged, and the electrode under test is excited.

[0048] However, the excitation power supply can be the power supply voltage (VCC, Volt Current Condenser), and the first capacitor C1 is a calibration capacitor. To avoid affecting the output and detection of electrical signals, the capacitance is adjusted according to the characteristics of its variable capacitance to change the operating state of the circuit, thereby achieving link calibration or correction (the implementation of link calibration is described in detail below). The first resistor R1 is a discharge resistor, which is used to dissipate the power stored in the capacitor or other energy storage element. This prevents power from continuing to accumulate in the capacitor or other energy storage element after the power supply is turned off, thereby avoiding damage to the circuit or other elements.

[0049] For example, the control component can be a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microcontroller unit (MCU), or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), and Figure 3 illustrates an example where the control component is an MCU.

[0050] Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, when the control component controls switches S1 and S2 to turn on, the excitation power supply is used to convert the input voltage into the output voltage required for the appropriate electronic components, that is, to provide the power required for the electrode under test and the first capacitor C1, while simultaneously ensuring their stability and safety. When the control component controls switch S1 to turn off and switch S2 to turn on, the electrode under test and the first capacitor C1 discharge, and when the electrode under test is touched, the self-capacitance of the electrode under test increases. When the control component controls switch S1 to turn off and switches S2 and S3 to turn on, the signal excitation module outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the capacitance of the electrode under test after it has increased at the output terminal.

[0051] In some selectable examples, the protection circuit further comprises a protection module, one end of which is electrically connected to the metal bracket and the input terminal of the signal excitation module, respectively, and the other end of which is grounded.

[0052] In this embodiment, the protection circuit further comprises a protection module, one end of which is electrically connected to a metal bracket serving as an electrode under test and the input terminal of a signal excitation module, while the other end is grounded to protect the circuit and improve the circuit's antistatic capability.

[0053] As an example, as shown in Figure 3, a protection module is provided between the input terminal of the protection circuit and the electrode under test, with one end electrically connected to the electrode under test and also electrically connected to the signal excitation module, and the other end grounded. It is used to maintain the conductivity of the circuit, protect each element in the circuit from instantaneous surge pulse voltages, and improve the antistatic capability of the circuit. The embodiments of this disclosure do not limit the elements used in the protection module. For example, a transient voltage suppressor (TVS) diode can be used, which is an overvoltage protection device having bidirectional stabilization characteristics and bidirectional negative resistance characteristics, and is used to suppress instantaneous overvoltages.

[0054] In some selectable embodiments, the protection circuit further comprises a signal amplification module configured to amplify the electrical signal output by the signal excitation module and then output it to the control component.

[0055] In this embodiment, the protection circuit may further include a signal amplification module, the input terminal of which is electrically connected to the output terminal of a signal excitation module, and the output terminal of which is electrically connected to the input terminal of a control component, and is used to amplify the electrical signal output by the signal excitation module and transmit it to the control component.

[0056] In some selectable embodiments, the signal amplification module comprises an operational amplifier circuit, a plurality of voltage divider resistors, and a fourth number of switches equal to the number of voltage divider resistors, wherein the plurality of voltage divider resistors are connected in series, the first end of each series-connected voltage divider resistor is connected to the input terminal of the signal amplification module, the second end of each series-connected voltage divider resistor is grounded, one end of each fourth switch is connected to one end of the corresponding voltage divider resistor, and the other end of each fourth switch is connected to the input terminal of the operational amplifier in the operational amplifier circuit.

[0057] In this embodiment, the signal amplification module may include an operational amplifier circuit, a plurality of series-connected voltage divider resistors, and a plurality of electronic switches (i.e., a fourth switch) of the same number corresponding to the voltage divider resistors.

[0058] Here, multiple voltage divider resistors are connected in series, one end of the series-connected resistors is connected to the input terminal of the signal amplification module, and the other end of the resistors in the series-connected circuit is grounded. One end of each fourth switch is electrically connected to one end of the corresponding voltage divider resistor, and the other end is electrically connected to the forward input terminal of the operational amplifier in the operational amplifier circuit. The operational amplifier circuit comprises at least an operational amplifier and other devices (e.g., resistors, capacitors, etc.) as needed, and the operational amplifier and other devices constitute the operational amplifier circuit. In some selectable embodiments, the operational amplifier circuit may consist of an operational amplifier, a second capacitor, a second resistor, and a third resistor, the second capacitor being connected in parallel with the second resistor, and the operational amplifier having a forward input terminal, a reverse input terminal, and an output terminal, the forward input terminal being electrically connected to the fourth switch, the reverse input terminal being electrically connected to the second capacitor and second resistor and the third resistor connected in parallel, and the output terminal being electrically connected to the input terminal of the control component, with the other end of the third resistor grounded.

[0059] As an example, as shown in Figure 3, the input terminal of the signal amplification module is electrically connected to the signal excitation unit, the output terminal of the signal amplification module is electrically connected to the control component, and the signal amplification module has multiple voltage divider resistors (R shown in Figure 3). d1 , R d2 , and R d3 ), can be configured with a fourth switch (S4, S5, and S6 shown in Figure 3) having the same number corresponding to multiple voltage divider resistors and an operational amplifier circuit, provided that multiple voltage divider resistors R d1 , R d2 , and R d3Each voltage-dividing resistor corresponds to one fourth switch, and by controlling the on / off of the corresponding fourth switch by the controller, it is possible to amplify an electrical signal at different amplification factors, improving the accuracy of the electrical signal input to the controller. The operational amplifier circuit can be composed of a second capacitor C f , a second resistor R f , a third resistor R2, and an operational amplifier (OPA, Operational Amplifier). The electrical signal when the metal bracket is not touched or the electrical signal when the metal bracket is touched, which is output by the signal excitation module, is amplified by the signal amplification module, and the amplified electrical signal is output to the control component.

[0060] Specifically, when the control component controls any one of the fourth switches S4, S5, and S6 to be on, the electrical signal output by the signal excitation unit is input to the non-inverting input terminal (marked as “+” in FIG. 3) of the operational amplifier through the voltage-dividing resistor corresponding to this on fourth switch, and the closed-loop circuit composed of the third resistor R2, the second resistor R f and the second capacitor C f combines with the electrical signal input to the OPA from the inverting input terminal (marked as “-” in FIG. 3) of the operational amplifier, providing a high voltage gain to the OPA, and the electrical signal V o output by the operational amplifier is input to the MCU.

[0061] In this embodiment, the control component selects an amplification factor according to the amplitude of the detected electrical signal and determines the on fourth switch based on the determined amplification factor, thereby realizing the amplification of the electrical signal with different accuracies.

[0062] In this embodiment, the control component is configured to control the stopping or restarting of the up-and-down swing of the fan head based on the magnitude of the electrical signal transmitted by the protection circuit. Specifically, the control component determines whether predetermined conditions for stopping the swing of the fan head are met based on the electrical signal transmitted by the protection circuit, and if it is determined that the electrical signal meets the predetermined conditions, it controls the stopping of the up-and-down swing of the fan head by sending a command to the motor.

[0063] As an example, as shown in Figure 3, the MCU is electrically connected to the signal amplification module, and the MCU enables charging of the electrode under test and the first capacitor, selection of the amplification factor of the electrical signal, and control of the motor based on the amplified electrical signal.

[0064] The embodiments of this disclosure can be understood as follows: a control component determines whether an electrical signal transmitted by a protection circuit satisfies predetermined conditions, and if it is determined that a metal bracket connecting the fan base and the fan head has been touched based on the predetermined conditions, the control component outputs a first command to control the fan head and stop its swing, thereby automatically stopping the swing of the fan head when a user touches the metal bracket, avoiding mechanical damage, enhancing safety performance, and improving the practicality and versatility of the smart fan.

[0065] Based on the fan described in the above embodiment, embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a method for controlling a fan, Figure 4 being a schematic flowchart of a fan control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in Figure 4, the method includes: step 201 the fan control component receiving an electrical signal transmitted by a protection circuit and determining whether the electrical signal satisfies predetermined conditions; and step 202 the control of the fan head to control the fan head to stop swinging if it is determined that the electrical signal satisfies predetermined conditions.

[0066] In this embodiment, after the fan has started operating and the fan's swing function has been activated based on the user's settings, the protection circuit located at the fan base starts operating, and the control component controls the protection circuit to generate and output an electrical signal, and the control component determines whether the received electrical signal satisfies predetermined conditions, and thus determines whether the metal bracket is currently being touched.

[0067] In some selectable embodiments, the method further includes controlling the fan control component to turn on the first and second switches of the signal excitation module in the protection circuit so that the excitation power supply in the signal excitation module charges the metal bracket and the first capacitor, before the fan control component receives an electrical signal transmitted by the protection circuit.

[0068] In this embodiment, before the control component receives the electrical signal transmitted by the protection circuit, the control component needs to control the first and second switches in the signal excitation module to turn on and the third switch to turn off so that the excitation power supply in the signal excitation module conducts to the metal bracket and the first capacitor, thereby allowing the excitation power supply to complete charging of the electrode under test provided on the metal module and the first capacitor in the signal excitation module.

[0069] Furthermore, before the control component controls the excitation power supply to charge the first capacitor and the electrode under test, it is necessary to control the first switch to be off and the second and third switches to be on so that the electrode under test and the first capacitor are sufficiently discharged, as well as the link parasitic capacitance, thereby avoiding any influence on the subsequent output electrical signal. Parasitic capacitance, also known as stray capacitance, is the capacitance formed between electronic components or circuit modules in a circuit due to their proximity to each other.

[0070] In some selectable embodiments, the fan control component receiving an electrical signal transmitted by the protection circuit includes the fan control component controlling a first switch in the signal excitation module to be off, a second and third switch in the signal amplification module to be on, and one fourth switch in the signal amplification module in the protection circuit to be on, and the remaining fourth switches to be off, so that the control component receives an electrical signal that has been amplified by the signal amplification module and is output by the signal excitation module.

[0071] In this embodiment, the control component controls the first switch and the second switch to turn on, thereby charging the first capacitor and the electrode under test with the excitation power supply in the signal excitation module. Then, the control component controls the first switch to turn off, the second and third switches to turn on, and one of the fourth switches to turn on, so as to discharge the electrode under test and the first capacitor in the signal excitation module and output an electrical signal to the signal amplification module. The voltage divider resistor corresponding to the turned-on fourth switch and the operational amplifier circuit in the signal amplification module amplify the electrical signal by the corresponding magnification factor, and the output terminal of the operational amplifier circuit transmits the amplified electrical signal to the control component.

[0072] The control module can control one of the fourth switches to turn on based on the amplitude of the electrical signal output by the signal excitation module. This allows for the automatic selection of the amplification factor for the electrical signal, resulting in the effect of receiving the amplified electrical signal with high accuracy.

[0073] In some selectable embodiments, determining whether the electrical signal satisfies a predetermined condition includes obtaining the voltage value of the electrical signal, determining that the predetermined condition is met if the voltage value is greater than a reference voltage value, and determining that the predetermined condition is not met if the voltage value is less than or equal to the reference voltage value.

[0074] In some selectable embodiments, determining whether the electrical signal satisfies a predetermined condition includes obtaining the voltage value of the electrical signal, determining that the predetermined condition is met if the difference between the voltage value and a reference voltage value is greater than a predetermined threshold, and determining that the predetermined condition is not met if the difference between the voltage value and the reference voltage value is less than or equal to the predetermined threshold.

[0075] In this embodiment, the control module receives the amplified electrical signal output by the protection circuit via the electrode under test, the signal excitation module, and the signal amplification module, then acquires the voltage value of the electrical signal, and determines whether a predetermined condition is met, that the metal bracket is being touched, based on the voltage value.

[0076] In one embodiment, the control module directly compares the real-time voltage value with a reference voltage value and determines that a predetermined condition is met (i.e., the current metal bracket is being touched) if the real-time voltage value is greater than the reference voltage value, and determines that the predetermined condition is not met (i.e., the current metal bracket is not being touched) if the real-time voltage value is less than or equal to the reference voltage value.

[0077] When the protection circuit is functioning correctly, the voltage value of the electrical signal output to the control component is relatively stable. However, when a human body comes into contact with the electrode under test, which is placed on a metal bracket, the self-capacitance of the electrode under test relative to ground increases, accumulating more power and causing the electrical signal output by the protection circuit to change. The changed electrical signal is transmitted to the control component via the signal amplification unit, and the control component compares the real-time voltage value of the electrical signal with a preset reference voltage value to determine whether or not the metal bracket is currently being touched.

[0078] In another embodiment, the control module calculates a voltage difference based on its voltage value and a preset reference voltage value, compares the calculated voltage difference with a predetermined threshold, and determines that a predetermined condition is met, i.e., the metal bracket is currently in contact, if the voltage difference is greater than the predetermined threshold, and determines that a predetermined condition is not met, i.e., the metal bracket is not currently in contact, if the voltage difference is less than or equal to the predetermined threshold.

[0079] Unlike the first embodiment described above, when the protection circuit is functioning normally, i.e., when the voltage value of the electrical signal output to the control component is relatively stable, it is considered that the voltage value may fluctuate to some extent due to environmental influences. Therefore, a predetermined threshold is set for comparison with the voltage difference, and it is determined that the predetermined condition is met only when the voltage difference exceeds the predetermined threshold.

[0080] In some selectable embodiments, the reference voltage value is either preset or detectable by the control component within a detection cycle.

[0081] In this embodiment, the control component needs to detect the electrical signal output by the protection circuit at a preset detection interval. Specifically, the control component obtains the voltage value based on the detected electrical signal, calculates the voltage difference by comparing it with a reference voltage value, and determines whether a predetermined condition is met based on a predetermined threshold.

[0082] However, the reference voltage value may be a preset value, or it may be one that can be detected by the control component within the detection cycle. In other words, the reference voltage value may be a stable voltage value (e.g., an average voltage value) detected by the control component when the protection circuit is operating normally.

[0083] Furthermore, the embodiments of this disclosure do not specifically limit the predetermined conditions. In addition to the above-mentioned predetermined conditions, the predetermined conditions can also be set by pre-setting a voltage threshold higher than the reference voltage value based on the reference voltage value. If the voltage value of the electrical signal acquired by the control component is higher than the pre-set voltage threshold, it is determined that the predetermined conditions are met, i.e., the current metal bracket is being touched. If the voltage value of the electrical signal acquired by the control component is less than or equal to the pre-set voltage threshold, it is determined that the predetermined conditions are not met, i.e., the current metal bracket is not being touched.

[0084] In this embodiment, the control component outputs a first command to the motor to control the fan head and stop its swing when it determines, based on the received amplified electrical signal, that a predetermined condition is met. In other words, when the metal bracket is touched, the control component outputs a modified electrical signal via the protection circuit, and after the control component determines that the predetermined condition is met, it controls the fan head and stops its swing.

[0085] In some selectable embodiments, the method further includes outputting a second command to control the swing of the fan head if it is determined that the electrical signal does not meet the predetermined conditions.

[0086] In this embodiment, based on the detected electrical signal, if the control component determines that the electrical signal does not meet a predetermined condition, i.e., that the metal bracket is not being touched, the control component outputs a second command to the motor to control the swing of the fan head. In other words, if the metal bracket is not being touched, an electrical signal is output to the control component via the protection circuit, and after the control component determines that the predetermined condition is not met, it controls the fan head to continue swinging.

[0087] Furthermore, regardless of whether the metal bracket is touched or not, the control component must repeatedly execute steps 201 and 202 within the detection cycle. In other words, the control component must repeatedly determine whether or not the metal bracket has been touched within the detection cycle.

[0088] For example, if the control component determines that a predetermined condition is met and controls the fan head to stop swinging, and then the human body ceases to contact the metal bracket within the detection cycle, the self-capacitance of the first capacitor with respect to ground in the electrode under test and the protection circuit decreases, causing the electrical signal output by the signal excitation module to change again. The changed electrical signal is transmitted to the control component via the signal amplification module, and after the control component detects this electrical signal, it determines that the predetermined condition is no longer met and controls the motor to restart and restore the fan head's swing.

[0089] The following describes a fan control method using one application example. Figure 5 is a schematic flowchart of the fan control method in an application example according to the embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 5, the specific process is as follows, combined with the schematic diagram of the physical structure including the electrode to be measured, the protection circuit, and the control component shown in Figure 3.

[0090] In step 301, after powering on the fan, the protection circuit is activated.

[0091] Specifically, after the fan is powered on, a control component controls the fan to start operating based on user settings (e.g., fan speed, swing mode, etc.), and if the user sets the swing function to be used, the protection circuit according to the embodiment of this disclosure starts operating.

[0092] In step 302, the links are corrected.

[0093] Specifically, the control component controls S1 to be off and S2 and S3 to be on in order to sufficiently discharge the first capacitor C1 and the link parasitic capacitance in the circuit.

[0094] In step 303, the excitation power supply in the signal excitation module charges the electrode under test and the first capacitor.

[0095] Specifically, the control component controls S1 and S2 to turn on so that the excitation power supply VCC charges the electrode under test and the first capacitor C1.

[0096] In step 304, the signal excitation module outputs an electrical signal, and the signal amplification module amplifies the electrical signal.

[0097] Specifically, after charging the electrode under test and the first capacitor C1, the control component controls S1 to be off, S2 and S3 to be on, and one of S4, S5, and S6 to be on, so as to discharge the electrode under test and the first capacitor C1, and the electrical signals output by the electrode under test and the signal excitation module are input to the forward input terminal (shown as "+" in Figure 3) of the operational amplifier via a voltage divider resistor corresponding to one of the selected switches S4, S5, and S6, and the third resistor R2, second resistor R f and the second capacitor C f The closed-loop circuit consisting of this combination combines with the electrical signal input to the OPA from the reverse input terminal of the operational amplifier (shown as "-" in Figure 3), providing the OPA with a high voltage gain, and the electrical signal V output by the operational amplifier o The signal is input to the MCU, and the control component automatically selects an amplification factor based on the amplitude of the detected electrical signal, thereby enabling amplification of the electrical signal with different levels of precision.

[0098] In step 305, the control component controls the fan head to stop or continue swinging based on a predetermined threshold.

[0099] Specifically, the control component controls the fan head by determining the amplified electrical signal detected within a preset detection period T1 based on a predetermined threshold V1. If the voltage value of the detected electrical signal V2 ≤ V1, it indicates that the metal bracket is not currently being touched, and controls the fan head to continue its up-and-down swing by sending a second command to the motor to continue operating, while continuously comparing V1 and V2 within the period T1. If the voltage value of the detected electrical signal V2 > V1, it indicates that the metal bracket is currently being touched, and controls the fan head to stop its up-and-down swing by sending a first command to the motor to stop operating, while continuously comparing V1 and V2 within the period T1 until V2 ≤ V1. The control component can restore motor operation and the up-and-down swing of the fan head by releasing the first command to stop motor operation. However, the predetermined threshold V1 is the reference voltage value in the above embodiment.

[0100] Furthermore, this disclosure proposes a fan control method in which a fan control component receives an electrical signal transmitted by a protection circuit and determines whether the electrical signal meets predetermined conditions. If it is determined that the electrical signal meets the predetermined conditions, a first command is output to control the fan head and stop its swing. When the user touches the metal bracket, the swing of the fan head will automatically stop, thus avoiding mechanical damage, enhancing safety performance, and improving the practicality and versatility of the smart fan.

[0101] Based on the hardware implementation of the program unit described above, the embodiments of the disclosure further provide a fan to realize the method of the embodiments of the disclosure. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of the fan according to the embodiments of the disclosure. Note that Figure 6 shows only an exemplary structure of this fan, not all structures, and some or all of the structures shown in Figure 6 can be implemented as needed.

[0102] As shown in Figure 6, the fan according to the embodiment of the present disclosure includes at least one processor 41 and memory 42.

[0103] In embodiments of the present disclosure, memory 42 is configured to store various types of data to support the operation of the fan. Examples of this data include any computer program to operate on the fan.

[0104] The combination of the processor 41 and memory 42 in this embodiment may correspond to the control component 15 in Figure 2.

[0105] In exemplary embodiments, embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a storage medium, i.e., a computer storage medium, which may specifically be a computer-readable storage medium and include, for example, a memory 42 for storing a computer program. The computer program can be executed by a fan processor 41 to complete the steps described in the method according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The computer-readable storage medium may be a memory such as a ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, Flash Memory, magnetic surface memory, optical disk, or CD-ROM.

[0106] In exemplary embodiments, embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a computer program product including a computer program, the computer program being executed by a fan processor 41 to complete the steps described in the method according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0107] The methods described in some embodiments of the methods relating to this disclosure can be arbitrarily combined without conflict to obtain new embodiments of the methods.

[0108] The features described in the examples of some of the products relating to this disclosure can be arbitrarily combined without conflict to obtain examples of new products.

[0109] In some embodiments relating to this disclosure, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and methods may be implemented in other ways. The embodiments of the apparatus described above are merely illustrative, and for example, the division of the units is merely a logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other methods of division, for example, multiple units or components may be combined, integrated into other systems, or some features may be omitted or not performed. Furthermore, the coupling, direct coupling, or communication connection between each component shown or described may be an indirect coupling or communication connection via several interfaces, devices, or units, and may be in an electrical, mechanical, or other form.

[0110] The units described above as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Depending on the actual needs, some or all of these units can be selected to achieve the objectives of the solution in this embodiment.

[0111] Furthermore, all of the functional units in each embodiment of this disclosure may be integrated into a single processing unit, each unit may be a standalone unit, or two or more units may be integrated into a single unit. The integrated unit may be implemented in hardware form, or in a combination of hardware and software functional units.

[0112] The foregoing describes only specific embodiments of the Disclosure, but does not limit the scope of protection of the Disclosure. All modifications or substitutions that a person skilled in the art would readily conceive of within the technical scope described in the Disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of the Disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of the Disclosure shall be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. It comprises a metal bracket connecting the fan base and the fan head, and a protection circuit and control components provided inside the fan base, The metal bracket is electrically connected to the input terminal of the protection circuit. The protection circuit is used to transmit an electrical signal to the control component, and the magnitude of the electrical signal changes based on whether or not the metal bracket is touched. The control component is used to determine whether the electrical signal transmitted by the protection circuit satisfies predetermined conditions, and if it is determined that the electrical signal satisfies the predetermined conditions, it outputs a first command to control the fan head to stop swinging.

2. The fan according to claim 1, characterized in that the capacitance increases when the metal bracket is touched while the protection circuit is operating.

3. The protection circuit includes a signal excitation module, The signal excitation module comprises an excitation power supply, a first switch, and a third switch. The metal bracket is connected to the first end of the first switch and the first end of the third switch, The fan according to claim 1, wherein the second end of the first switch is connected to the excitation power supply such that the excitation power supply charges the metal bracket when the control component controls the first switch to turn on and the third switch to turn off, and outputs an electrical signal related to the metal bracket when the control component controls the first switch to turn off and the third switch to turn on.

4. The signal excitation module further comprises a second switch, a first capacitor and a first resistor connected in parallel, The fan according to claim 3, wherein the first end of the second switch is connected to the first end of the first switch, and the second end of the second switch is connected to the parallel-connected first capacitor and first resistor, such that the first capacitor is charged when the control component controls the first switch and the second switch to be turned on, and the capacitance of the metal bracket increases when touched when the control component controls the first switch to be turned off and the second switch to be turned on.

5. The protection circuit further comprises a protection module, The fan according to claim 3, characterized in that one end of the protection module is electrically connected to the metal bracket and the input terminal of the signal excitation module, respectively, and the other end of the protection module is grounded.

6. The fan according to claim 3, wherein the protection circuit further comprises a signal amplification module for amplifying the electrical signal output by the signal excitation module and outputting it to the control component.

7. The signal amplification module comprises an operational amplifier circuit, a plurality of voltage divider resistors, and a fourth switch having the same number as the number of voltage divider resistors. The aforementioned plurality of voltage divider resistors are connected in series, the first end of the series-connected voltage divider resistors is connected to the input terminal of the signal amplification module, and the second end of the series-connected voltage divider resistors is grounded. The fan according to claim 6, characterized in that one end of each fourth switch is connected to one end of the corresponding voltage divider resistor, and the other end of each fourth switch is connected to the input terminal of the operational amplifier in the operational amplifier circuit.

8. A fan control method applicable to any one of claims 1 to 7, The control component of the fan receives an electrical signal transmitted by the protection circuit and determines whether the electrical signal satisfies predetermined conditions. A fan control method characterized by including, when it is determined that the electrical signal satisfies predetermined conditions, outputting a first command to control the fan head and stop its swing.

9. Before the fan's control component receives the electrical signal transmitted by the protection circuit, The fan control method according to claim 8, further comprising the control component of the fan controlling the first and second switches of the signal excitation module in the protection circuit to turn on so that the metal bracket and the first capacitor are charged by the excitation power supply in the signal excitation module.

10. The fan's control component receives the electrical signal transmitted by the protection circuit. The fan control method according to claim 9, characterized in that the fan control component controls a first switch in the signal excitation module to be off, and the second and third switches to be on, and controls one fourth switch in the signal amplification module in the protection circuit to be on, and the remaining fourth switches to be off, so that the control component receives an electrical signal amplified via a signal amplification module that is output by the signal excitation module.

11. Determining whether the aforementioned electrical signal satisfies predetermined conditions is: The voltage value of the aforementioned electrical signal is obtained, and if the voltage value is greater than the reference voltage value, it is determined that a predetermined condition is met. The fan control method according to claim 8, characterized in that it includes determining that a predetermined condition is not met if the voltage value is less than or equal to a reference voltage value.

12. The fan control method according to claim 11, characterized in that the reference voltage value is either set in advance or detected and acquired by the control component within the detection cycle.

13. The fan control method according to claim 8, further comprising outputting a second command to control the fan head and make it swing if it is determined that the electrical signal does not satisfy the predetermined conditions.

14. It comprises a processor and memory for storing computer programs that can be executed by the processor, The aforementioned processor is used to perform the steps of the fan control method described in claim 8 when executing a computer program, characterized in that it is used for a fan.

15. A computer storage medium in which a computer program is stored, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, realizes the steps of the fan control method described in claim 8.

16. A computer program product comprising a computer program, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the fan control method described in claim 8.

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