Multi-split air conditioning system and control method therefor

Abstract

Provided are a multi-split air conditioning system and a control method therefor. The multi-split air conditioning system comprises an air conditioning device and a maintenance terminal. The air conditioning device is configured to: send a Bluetooth broadcast signal when a start positioning signal is received. The maintenance terminal is configured to: when the Bluetooth broadcast signal sent by the air conditioning device is received, parse the received Bluetooth broadcast signal to obtain Bluetooth signal strength information in the Bluetooth broadcast signal; calculate a distance between the maintenance terminal and the air conditioning device on the basis of the parsed Bluetooth signal strength information; and when the distance between the maintenance terminal and the air conditioning device is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold, perform positioning on the air conditioning device on the basis of the distance between the maintenance terminal and the air conditioning device.

Description

Multi-split air conditioning system and its control method

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202410486713.7, filed April 22, 2024; Chinese patent application No. 202410666765.2, filed May 27, 2024; Chinese patent application No. 202410627341.5, filed May 20, 2024; and Chinese patent application No. 202410666756.3, filed May 27, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to the field of air conditioning technology, and in particular to a multi-split air conditioning system. Background Technology

[0003] With the continuous advancement of technology and the improvement of people's living standards, air conditioners have become an indispensable appliance in daily life.

[0004] A multi-split air conditioning system is a system used to provide cooling and heating for buildings or rooms, consisting of multiple outdoor units and multiple indoor units. Each indoor unit can be independently controlled in temperature, thus meeting the needs of different rooms.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] This disclosure aims to at least address one of the technical problems existing in the related art. To this end, this disclosure proposes a multi-split air conditioning system that can solve the problem of increased cost of multi-split air conditioning systems due to the addition of components supporting UWB technology and associated circuitry and structures.

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, some embodiments of this disclosure provide a multi-split air conditioning system, including air conditioning equipment and maintenance terminal.

[0008] The air conditioning device is used to: send a Bluetooth broadcast signal when it receives a start positioning signal; and

[0009] The maintenance terminal is configured as follows:

[0010] When the Bluetooth broadcast signal sent by the air conditioning device is received, the received Bluetooth broadcast signal is parsed to obtain the Bluetooth signal strength information in the Bluetooth broadcast signal;

[0011] The distance between the maintenance terminal and the air conditioning equipment is calculated based on the parsed Bluetooth signal strength information; and

[0012] When the distance between the maintenance terminal and the air conditioning equipment is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold, the air conditioning equipment is located based on the distance between the maintenance terminal and the air conditioning equipment.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the multi-split air conditioning system disclosed herein, the received Bluetooth broadcast signal is parsed by the air conditioning maintenance terminal to obtain RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) information in the Bluetooth broadcast signal, and the distance to the air conditioning equipment is calculated based on the parsed RSSI information. The faulty air conditioning equipment can be located based on the distance. In this way, the faulty air conditioning equipment can be quickly located without adding hardware, and it is beneficial to reduce the manufacturing cost of the multi-split air conditioning system.

[0014] On the other hand, a multi-split air conditioning system is provided, including a gateway; the gateway has an operating system installed therein, the operating system including a user layer and a kernel layer; the gateway includes:

[0015] Communication components, including:

[0016] The first interface, deployed in the user layer of the operating system, provides a calling interface for user applications; and

[0017] The second interface, deployed in the kernel layer of the operating system, provides a calling interface for the operating system; the second interface is communicatively connected to the first interface; and

[0018] A driver component, deployed in the kernel layer of the operating system, is used to process data from the communication component or communication bus.

[0019] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the multi-split air conditioning system enables real-time processing of data transmitted via the communication bus in the operating system through a gateway, without the need for a separate MCU communication board, thereby reducing hardware costs, software development and maintenance costs, and software burning costs.

[0020] In another aspect, a control method for a multi-split air conditioning system is provided. The multi-split air conditioning system includes an air conditioning unit and a gateway. The air conditioning unit is configured to send data to a communication bus. The gateway is configured to send data to a cloud server. An operating system is installed in the gateway, the operating system including a user layer and a kernel layer. The gateway includes a communication component and a driver component. The communication component includes a first interface and a second interface. The first interface is deployed in the user layer of the operating system and is configured to provide a calling interface for user applications. The second interface is deployed in the kernel layer of the operating system and is configured to provide a calling interface for the operating system. The first interface and the second interface are communicatively connected. The driver component is deployed in the kernel layer of the operating system and is configured to process data from the communication component or the communication bus. The control method includes: the air conditioning unit sending data to the communication bus; when the driver component detects data transmission on the communication bus, receiving bus data from the communication bus through an interrupt handler; the driver component sending the received bus data to the communication component; and the communication component sending the received data to the cloud server, which then sends it to the user.

[0021] According to the control method of the multi-split air conditioning system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the data transmitted by the communication bus is processed in real time in the operating system through the gateway, without the need to set up an MCU communication board, thereby reducing hardware costs, software development and maintenance costs, and software burning costs. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a multi-split air conditioning system according to some embodiments;

[0023] Figure 2 is another block diagram of a multi-split air conditioning system according to some embodiments;

[0024] Figure 3 is a flowchart of the steps performed by a multi-split air conditioning system according to some embodiments;

[0025] Figure 4 is another flowchart of the steps performed by a multi-split air conditioning system according to some embodiments;

[0026] Figure 5 is a block diagram of an air conditioning device according to some embodiments;

[0027] Figure 6 is a block diagram of another air conditioning device according to some embodiments;

[0028] Figure 7 is a flowchart of the upgrade process of an air conditioning device according to some embodiments;

[0029] Figure 8 is a flowchart of the operation process of an air conditioning device according to some embodiments;

[0030] Figure 9 is a flowchart of the operation process of a maintenance terminal according to some embodiments;

[0031] Figure 10 is a block diagram of a maintenance terminal according to some embodiments;

[0032] Figure 11 is a block diagram of another maintenance terminal according to some embodiments;

[0033] Figure 12 is a flowchart of the upgrade process for a maintenance terminal according to some embodiments;

[0034] Figure 13 is a block diagram of a gateway according to some embodiments;

[0035] Figure 14 is a block diagram of another gateway according to some embodiments;

[0036] Figure 15 is a block diagram of a driving component according to some embodiments;

[0037] Figure 16 is a flowchart of the receiving and processing flow of the driving component according to some embodiments;

[0038] Figure 17 is a flowchart of the transmission processing flow of the driver component according to some embodiments;

[0039] Figure 18 is a flowchart of an execution step of a driver component according to some embodiments;

[0040] Figure 19 is a flowchart of another execution step of the driving component according to some embodiments;

[0041] Figure 20 is a flowchart of yet another execution step of the driving component according to some embodiments;

[0042] Figure 21 is a flowchart of another execution step of the driving component according to some embodiments;

[0043] Figure 22 is an architecture diagram of a driver component according to some embodiments;

[0044] Figure 23 is an architecture diagram of a communication component according to some embodiments;

[0045] Figure 24 is a flowchart of yet another execution step of the driving component according to some embodiments;

[0046] Figure 25 is a flowchart of yet another execution step of the driving component according to some embodiments;

[0047] Figure 26A is a block diagram of a gateway, a cloud server, and a communication bus according to some embodiments;

[0048] Figure 26B is a block diagram of a multi-split air conditioning system and a cloud server according to some embodiments;

[0049] Figure 27 is a flowchart of a control method for a multi-split air conditioning system according to some embodiments;

[0050] Figure 28 is a block diagram of a control system according to some embodiments;

[0051] Figure 29 is a flowchart of an execution step of a control system according to some embodiments;

[0052] Figure 30 is a block diagram of another control system according to some embodiments;

[0053] Figure 31 is a diagram showing the location distribution of various indoor units within a region according to some embodiments;

[0054] Figure 32 is a flowchart of the execution steps of a first acquisition device according to some embodiments;

[0055] Figure 33 is a flowchart of an execution step of a generation apparatus according to some embodiments;

[0056] Figure 34 is a flowchart of another execution step of the generation apparatus according to some embodiments;

[0057] Figure 35 is a flowchart of another execution step of the control system according to some embodiments;

[0058] Figure 36 is a flowchart of the algorithm data for a static model according to some embodiments;

[0059] Figure 37 is a flowchart of algorithmic data for a dynamic model according to some embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0060] The following description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, clearly and completely describes some embodiments of this disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely some, not all, of the embodiments of this disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments provided in this disclosure are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0061] Unless the context otherwise requires, throughout the specification and claims, the term "comprise" and its other forms, such as the third-person singular "comprises" and the present participle "comprising," are interpreted as open-ended and encompassing, meaning "including, but not limited to." In the description of the specification, terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "exemplary embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., are intended to indicate that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic associated with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this disclosure. The illustrative representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics mentioned may be included in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0062] Hereinafter, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of embodiments of this disclosure, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0063] In describing some embodiments, the term "connection" and its derivative expressions may be used. The term "connection" should be interpreted broadly; for example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium.

[0064] "At least one of A, B and C" has the same meaning as "at least one of A, B or C", both including the following combinations of A, B and C: only A, only B, only C, combinations of A and B, combinations of A and C, combinations of B and C, and combinations of A, B and C.

[0065] "A and / or B" includes the following three combinations: A only, B only, and a combination of A and B.

[0066] The use of “applies to” or “configured to” in this article implies an open and inclusive language that does not preclude applicability to or configuration to devices that perform additional tasks or steps.

[0067] As used herein, “about,” “approximately,” or “approximately” includes the stated value and the average value within an acceptable range of deviation from the given value, wherein the acceptable range of deviation is determined by a person skilled in the art taking into account the measurement under discussion and the error associated with the measurement of the given quantity (i.e., the limitations of the measurement system).

[0068] As used herein, “parallel,” “perpendicular,” and “equal” include the described situation and situations that are similar to the described situation, within an acceptable range of deviation, which is determined by those skilled in the art taking into account the measurement under discussion and the error associated with the measurement of a particular quantity (i.e., the limitations of the measurement system). For example, “parallel” includes absolute parallelism and approximate parallelism, where an acceptable range of deviation for approximate parallelism may be, for example, within 5°; “perpendicular” includes absolute perpendicularity and approximate perpendicularity, where an acceptable range of deviation for approximate perpendicularity may also be, for example, within 5°; “equal” includes absolute equality and approximate equality, where an acceptable range of deviation for approximate equality may be, for example, a difference between the two equals being less than or equal to 5% of either one.

[0069] Currently, multi-split air conditioning systems are widely used in large commercial shopping malls, office buildings, hospitals, and other commercial settings. In these scenarios, multi-split air conditioning systems typically include a large number of indoor and outdoor units; for example, the total number of indoor and outdoor units can range from one hundred to several hundred. In this situation, when any one of the numerous indoor or outdoor units malfunctions, it is difficult to pinpoint the specific unit, thus increasing the maintenance complexity of the multi-split air conditioning system and reducing service and maintenance efficiency.

[0070] Some multi-split air conditioning systems in related technologies use UWB (Ultra Wide Band) technology to locate faulty equipment. However, applying UWB technology to multi-split air conditioning systems requires adding components that support UWB technology to the system, and developing matching circuits and structures for these components, which increases the cost of the multi-split air conditioning system.

[0071] Furthermore, the components of UWB technology are not easily installed in existing air conditioning systems, thus hindering the widespread adoption of positioning technology.

[0072] To address the aforementioned technical problems, some embodiments of this disclosure provide a multi-split air conditioning system. This system uses an air conditioning maintenance terminal to parse received Bluetooth broadcast signals to obtain RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) information. Based on the parsed RSSI information, the distance to the air conditioning unit is calculated, allowing for the location of the faulty unit. This enables rapid location of faulty air conditioning units without additional hardware and helps reduce the manufacturing cost of the multi-split air conditioning system.

[0073] In some embodiments, the multi-split air conditioning system is a central air conditioning system.

[0074] Air conditioners execute refrigeration and heating cycles through a compressor, condenser, expansion valve, and evaporator, and are controlled by a controller to regulate refrigerant flow and the opening of the expansion valve. The refrigeration and heating cycles involve a series of processes including compression, condensation, expansion, and evaporation, supplying refrigerant to the air to be conditioned and heat-exchanged.

[0075] The compressor compresses refrigerant gas under high temperature and pressure and discharges the compressed refrigerant gas. The discharged refrigerant gas flows into the condenser. The condenser condenses the compressed refrigerant into a liquid phase, and during the condensation process, the heat in the refrigerant is released into the surrounding environment.

[0076] The expansion valve expands the high-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant condensed in the condenser into a low-pressure liquid refrigerant. The evaporator evaporates the expanded refrigerant in the expansion valve and returns the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant gas to the compressor. The evaporator utilizes the latent heat of refrigerant evaporation to exchange heat with the material being cooled (such as air or water), achieving a cooling effect. Throughout the cycle, the air conditioner regulates the temperature of the indoor space.

[0077] An air conditioner includes an outdoor unit, which refers to the part of the refrigeration cycle that includes the compressor and the outdoor heat exchanger. An air conditioner also includes an indoor unit, which includes the indoor heat exchanger. An expansion valve is located in either the outdoor or indoor unit.

[0078] The indoor and outdoor heat exchangers function as either condensers or evaporators. When the indoor heat exchanger is used as a condenser, the air conditioner functions as a heater in heating mode; when the indoor heat exchanger is used as an evaporator, the air conditioner functions as a cooler in cooling mode.

[0079] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG1, the multi-split air conditioning system 1 includes multiple air conditioning units 200. The air conditioning units 200 are configured to communicate with a cloud server 300. For example, the air conditioning units 200 are also configured to send a fault alarm signal to the cloud server 300 after a fault occurs. In this case, after receiving the fault alarm signal, the cloud server 300 can send a start-up positioning signal to the air conditioning units 200.

[0080] For example, referring to Figure 2, air conditioning unit 200 is an indoor unit 210. Alternatively, air conditioning unit 200 is an outdoor unit.

[0081] The multi-split air conditioning system 1 also includes a maintenance terminal 100. The air conditioning unit 200 is further configured to communicate with the maintenance terminal 100. For example, the air conditioning unit 200 is also configured to send a Bluetooth broadcast signal to the maintenance terminal 100 after receiving a start positioning signal.

[0082] The maintenance terminal 100 is configured to: after receiving a Bluetooth broadcast signal sent by the air conditioning device 200, parse the received Bluetooth broadcast signal to obtain RSSI information in the Bluetooth broadcast signal; calculate the distance to the air conditioning device 200 based on the parsed RSSI information; and, when the distance to the air conditioning device 200 is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold, locate the air conditioning device 200 based on the distance between the maintenance terminal 100 and the air conditioning device 200.

[0083] For example, after receiving a Bluetooth broadcast signal sent by the air conditioning device 200, the maintenance terminal 100 (e.g., an air conditioning maintenance terminal) calculates the distance to the air conditioning device 200 based on the RSSI information in the Bluetooth broadcast signal; when the distance to the air conditioning device 200 is less than a preset distance threshold, the air conditioning device 200 is located based on the distance to the air conditioning device 200.

[0084] For example, referring to Figure 2, the air conditioning device 200 includes a WIFI (Wireless Fidelity) component and a Bluetooth component for communication (which will be described in detail later).

[0085] In some embodiments, based on the above structure, as shown in FIG3, the multi-split air conditioning system 1 is configured to perform steps S11 to S15.

[0086] Step S11: After the air conditioning equipment 200 malfunctions, it sends a fault alarm signal to the cloud server 300.

[0087] Step S12: After receiving the fault alarm signal, the cloud server 300 sends a start positioning signal to the air conditioning equipment 200.

[0088] Step S13: After receiving the start positioning signal, the air conditioning device 200 periodically sends Bluetooth broadcast signals.

[0089] For example, Bluetooth broadcast signals include the air conditioner ID (Identity document, such as a unique identifier for air conditioner device 200) and RSSI information (Bluetooth signal strength information).

[0090] Step S14: After receiving the Bluetooth broadcast signal sent by the air conditioning equipment 200, the maintenance terminal 100 calculates the distance between the maintenance terminal 100 and the air conditioning equipment 200 based on the RSSI information in the Bluetooth broadcast signal.

[0091] Step S15: When the distance between the maintenance terminal 100 and the air conditioning equipment 200 is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold, the maintenance terminal 100 locates the air conditioning equipment 200 based on the distance to the air conditioning equipment 200.

[0092] Understandably, both the indoor and outdoor units of a multi-split air conditioning system are equipped with Wi-Fi components. These components can connect to a cloud server (300) to provide intelligent services to customers. Typically, the Wi-Fi components also support Bluetooth for network configuration, meaning that both the indoor and outdoor units are also equipped with Bluetooth components.

[0093] Therefore, the multi-split air conditioning system 1 of some embodiments of this disclosure can achieve rapid location of the air conditioning equipment 200 without adding hardware, by using the WIFI and Bluetooth components in the maintenance terminal 100 and the air conditioning equipment 200, and by performing relevant software upgrades on the maintenance terminal 100 and the air conditioning equipment 200. This helps reduce the cost of location tracking. Furthermore, it facilitates maintenance personnel in identifying the faulty indoor or outdoor unit, thereby improving the efficiency of maintenance and repair of the multi-split air conditioning system.

[0094] Understandably, the method described above for quickly locating indoor and outdoor units does not require adding new hardware to the air conditioning system, but only requires upgrading the relevant software. Therefore, this method can be applied to newly manufactured air conditioning systems as well as to upgrade existing air conditioning systems at low cost, thereby improving the efficiency of maintenance and repair of multi-split air conditioning systems.

[0095] A multi-split air conditioning system 1 according to some embodiments of this disclosure includes at least one outdoor unit, multiple indoor units, and a maintenance terminal 100. The indoor and outdoor units are configured to send a Bluetooth broadcast signal to the maintenance terminal 100 after receiving a start positioning signal.

[0096] After receiving a Bluetooth broadcast signal sent by the indoor unit or outdoor unit, the maintenance terminal 100 calculates the distance between itself and the indoor unit or outdoor unit based on the RSSI information in the Bluetooth broadcast signal. When the distance between the maintenance terminal 100 and the indoor unit or outdoor unit is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold, the maintenance terminal 100 locates the indoor unit or outdoor unit based on the distance to determine the target indoor unit or target outdoor unit.

[0097] In some embodiments, step S15 includes: when the maintenance terminal 100 calculates that the distance to the air conditioning device 200 is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold, the maintenance terminal 100 binds to the air conditioning device 200 via Bluetooth and sends an action command to the air conditioning device 200 via Bluetooth communication.

[0098] In this case, the air conditioning unit 200 that responds to the action command is the target air conditioning unit 200, and maintenance personnel can quickly determine the location of the target air conditioning unit 200.

[0099] Therefore, when the maintenance terminal 100 calculates that the distance to the air conditioning device 200 is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold, it binds to the air conditioning device 200 via Bluetooth and sends an action command to the air conditioning device 200 through Bluetooth communication. The air conditioning device 200 that responds correctly to the action command is the target air conditioning device 200, thereby improving the positioning accuracy and enabling fast and accurate positioning of the target air conditioning device 200.

[0100] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG4, the multi-split air conditioning system 1 is further configured to perform steps S21 to S25.

[0101] Step S21: After the air conditioning equipment 200 malfunctions, it sends a fault alarm signal to the cloud server 300.

[0102] Step S22: After receiving the fault alarm signal, the cloud server 300 sends a start positioning signal to the air conditioning equipment 200.

[0103] Step S23: After receiving the start positioning signal, the air conditioning device 200 periodically sends Bluetooth broadcast signals.

[0104] For example, Bluetooth broadcast signals include the air conditioner ID (the unique identifier of the air conditioner device 200) and RSSI information (Bluetooth signal strength information).

[0105] Step S24: After receiving the Bluetooth broadcast signal sent by the air conditioning device 200, the maintenance terminal 100 calculates the distance between itself and the air conditioning device 200 based on the RSSI information in the Bluetooth broadcast signal.

[0106] Step S25: When the distance between the maintenance terminal 100 and the air conditioning equipment 200 is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold, the maintenance terminal 100 binds to the air conditioning equipment 200 via Bluetooth to send action commands to the air conditioning equipment 200 through Bluetooth communication.

[0107] In this case, the air conditioning device 200 that responds to the action command is the target air conditioning device 200, thereby enabling the target air conditioning device 200 to be located quickly and accurately.

[0108] The target air conditioning unit 200 periodically sends Bluetooth broadcast signals, and the maintenance terminal 100 can continuously receive these signals. Based on the calculated distance to the target air conditioning unit 200, the maintenance terminal 100 determines whether the distance between itself and the target air conditioning unit 200 increases or decreases. Thus, when the distance between the maintenance terminal 100 and the target air conditioning unit 200 is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold (e.g., 10 meters), the target air conditioning unit 200 can be located.

[0109] For example, when there are multiple air conditioning devices 200 within the preset distance threshold (e.g., 10 meters) of the maintenance terminal 100, the maintenance terminal 100 can bind the target air conditioning device 200 according to the ID information in the Bluetooth broadcast signal to establish Bluetooth communication with the target air conditioning device 200. Then, the maintenance terminal 100 can send an action command to the target air conditioning device 200 through Bluetooth communication. At this time, the air conditioning device 200 that makes the correct response action is the target air conditioning device 200.

[0110] In some embodiments, the action commands issued by the maintenance terminal 100 include one or more of the following: power on / off command, airflow switching command, and swing switching command.

[0111] For example, after receiving a power on / off command, the air conditioning unit 200 performs a power-on or power-off action. The change in action is obvious, making it easy for maintenance personnel to locate the problem.

[0112] For example, after receiving a command to switch air volume, the air conditioning unit 200 executes an air volume switching action. This action is obvious and makes it easy for maintenance personnel to locate the problem.

[0113] For example, after receiving a switching command, the air conditioning unit 200 executes a switching action, which is obvious and easy for maintenance personnel to locate.

[0114] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG5, the air conditioning device 200 includes a WIFI component 212 (e.g., an air conditioning WIFI module) and a main control component 211 (e.g., an air conditioning main control module). The WIFI component 212 is configured to communicate with the cloud server 300, receive a start positioning signal sent by the cloud server 300, and send it to the main control component 211.

[0115] The air conditioning unit 200 also includes a first Bluetooth component 213 (e.g., an air conditioning Bluetooth module), which is configured to communicate with the maintenance terminal 100 via Bluetooth.

[0116] The main control component 211 is configured to receive a start-up positioning signal sent by the WIFI component 212, and, after receiving the start-up positioning signal, control the first Bluetooth component 213 to send a Bluetooth broadcast signal.

[0117] In some embodiments, the first Bluetooth component 213 is in a turned-off state after network pairing is completed. After receiving the start positioning signal, the main control component 211 controls the first Bluetooth component 213 to turn on and send a Bluetooth broadcast signal.

[0118] Understandably, the first Bluetooth component 213 is turned off after network configuration is completed, and only turns on after receiving the start positioning signal from the main control component 211 to send Bluetooth broadcast signals. This helps to reduce the energy consumption of the air conditioning unit 200.

[0119] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG6, the air conditioning device 200 further includes a first upgrade component 214 (e.g., an air conditioning upgrade module). The first upgrade component 214 is configured to control the WIFI component 212 to download upgrade data from the cloud server 300 and upgrade the main control component 211 according to the upgrade data. This facilitates the upgrade of the air conditioning device 200.

[0120] Referring to Figure 7, the upgrade process of the air conditioning equipment 200 includes steps S31 to S33.

[0121] Step S31: After receiving the upgrade instruction, the first upgrade component 214 sends a download instruction to the WIFI component 212.

[0122] Step S32: After receiving the download instruction, the WIFI component 212 downloads upgrade data (such as SDK (Software Development Kit) package) from the cloud server 300.

[0123] Step S33: The first upgrade component 214 upgrades the main control component 211 according to the upgrade data.

[0124] It is understood that the multi-split air conditioning system 1 in some embodiments of this disclosure achieves rapid positioning of the indoor or outdoor unit based on Bluetooth technology, and the WIFI component software of the related multi-split air conditioning system 1 can be upgraded so that it can support Bluetooth network configuration function and Bluetooth communication technology at the same time, thereby transforming it into a Bluetooth beacon base station.

[0125] Based on this, an embedded SDK package can be provided for relevant maintenance terminals (such as mobile phones, which usually have Bluetooth communication functions), enabling them to upgrade relevant maintenance software using the SDK package and realize the use of Bluetooth technology to quickly locate the indoor and outdoor units of the multi-split air conditioning system 1.

[0126] It is understood that some embodiments of this disclosure utilize relevant mature hardware devices. Therefore, there is no need to develop new hardware devices, but only to upgrade the software of the existing hardware devices, so as to realize the use of Bluetooth technology to quickly locate target air conditioning devices, thereby reducing the cost of upgrading related multi-split air conditioning systems.

[0127] In some embodiments, the indoor and outdoor units are equipped with WIFI components that support Bluetooth networking. After receiving the start positioning signal, they enter the fast positioning mode. When the indoor or outdoor unit is in the fast positioning mode, the first Bluetooth component 213 is turned on to periodically broadcast signals and data to the outside, acting as a Bluetooth beacon base station.

[0128] In this situation, when the maintenance terminal 100 with Bluetooth function enters the Bluetooth signal coverage area, it will receive broadcast signals from different Bluetooth beacons. These signals carry information such as ID and RSSI. The maintenance terminal can obtain its distance from the target indoor / outdoor unit through the RSSI information, thereby quickly locating the target indoor or outdoor unit.

[0129] When multiple adjacent indoor or outdoor units exist in a certain area, maintenance personnel may not be able to determine the target indoor or outdoor unit. In this case, maintenance personnel can bind the first Bluetooth component 213 in the target indoor or outdoor unit via Bluetooth to communicate with it. This allows for accurate location of the target indoor or outdoor unit by issuing commands such as power on / off and fan speed adjustments.

[0130] The workflow for determining the target outdoor unit or target indoor unit is described in detail below with reference to Figure 8. The workflow for determining the target outdoor unit or target indoor unit includes steps S41 to S43.

[0131] Step S41: The cloud server 300 sends a start positioning command to the target indoor unit or the target outdoor unit.

[0132] For example, the first Bluetooth component 213 of the indoor or outdoor unit is in a turned-off state after network configuration is completed. Therefore, the cloud server 300 needs to issue a start positioning command to notify the indoor or outdoor unit to turn on the first Bluetooth component 213.

[0133] Step S42: After receiving the start positioning command, the indoor unit or outdoor unit sends an enable command to the first Bluetooth component 213.

[0134] Step S43: After receiving the power-on command, the first Bluetooth component 213 turns on and periodically broadcasts Bluetooth signals so that the maintenance terminal can receive the signals.

[0135] In some embodiments, an SDK package supporting Bluetooth positioning technology is used to upgrade the maintenance software of the relevant maintenance terminal to achieve rapid location of the target indoor unit or the target outdoor unit. The workflow of the maintenance terminal 100 is described in detail below with reference to Figure 9.

[0136] The workflow for maintaining terminal 100 includes steps S51 to S58.

[0137] Step S51: Maintenance terminal 100 turns on the second Bluetooth component.

[0138] Step S52: Continuously receive Bluetooth broadcast signals sent by the indoor or outdoor unit.

[0139] Step S53: Identify the Bluetooth ID and RSSI information of the target indoor unit or the target outdoor unit.

[0140] Step S54: Calculate the distance to the target indoor unit or the target outdoor unit based on the received RSSI information.

[0141] Step S55: When the distance to the target indoor unit or the target outdoor unit is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold, locate the approximate position of the target indoor unit or the target outdoor unit.

[0142] Step S56: When precise positioning is required, maintain the terminal to bind the first Bluetooth component 213 of the target indoor unit or the target outdoor unit and establish Bluetooth communication.

[0143] Step S57: Maintenance terminal 100 uses Bluetooth communication to send commands such as power on / off and airflow switching to the target indoor unit or target outdoor unit to accurately locate the target indoor unit or target outdoor unit.

[0144] Step S58: Based on the response, the target indoor unit or the target outdoor unit can be accurately located.

[0145] Some embodiments of this disclosure also provide a maintenance terminal 100, referring to FIG10. The maintenance terminal 100 includes a second Bluetooth component 120 (e.g., a terminal Bluetooth module) and a control component 110 (e.g., a terminal control module). The second Bluetooth component 120 is configured to communicate with the control component 110.

[0146] The second Bluetooth component 120 is also configured to communicate with the air conditioning device 200 via Bluetooth to receive Bluetooth broadcast signals sent by the air conditioning device 200 and to send the received Bluetooth broadcast signals to the control component 110.

[0147] The control component 110 is configured to: receive a Bluetooth broadcast signal sent by the second Bluetooth component 120; parse the received Bluetooth broadcast signal to obtain RSSI information in the Bluetooth broadcast signal; calculate the distance between the maintenance terminal 100 and the air conditioning device 200 based on the parsed RSSI information; and locate the air conditioning device 200 based on the distance between the maintenance terminal 100 and the air conditioning device 200 when the distance between the maintenance terminal 100 and the air conditioning device 200 is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold.

[0148] It is understandable that after receiving the Bluetooth broadcast signal sent by the air conditioning device 200, the control component 110 calculates the distance to the air conditioning device 200 based on the RSSI information in the Bluetooth broadcast signal; when the distance to the air conditioning device 200 is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold, the control component 110 locates the air conditioning device 200 based on the distance to the air conditioning device 200, thereby enabling rapid location of the target air conditioning device.

[0149] It should be noted that the maintenance terminal 100 provided in some embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to the multi-split air conditioning system 1 provided in any of the above embodiments, and has similar technical effects to the multi-split air conditioning system 1, which will not be described in detail here.

[0150] In some embodiments, when the distance to the air conditioning device 200 is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold, the air conditioning device 200 is located based on the distance between the maintenance terminal 100 and the air conditioning device 200, including:

[0151] When the control component 110 calculates that the distance to the air conditioning device 200 is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold, it controls the second Bluetooth component 120 to bind with the air conditioning device 200 via Bluetooth, so as to send action commands to the air conditioning device 200 through the second Bluetooth component 120.

[0152] In this case, the air conditioning unit 200 that responds to the action command is the target air conditioning unit 200, and maintenance personnel can quickly identify the target air conditioning unit 200.

[0153] Therefore, when the control component 110 calculates that the distance to the air conditioning device 200 is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold, it controls the second Bluetooth component 120 to bind with the air conditioning device 200 via Bluetooth. The second Bluetooth component 120 sends an action command to the air conditioning device 200. The air conditioning device 200 that responds correctly to the action command is the target air conditioning device 200, thereby improving the positioning accuracy and enabling fast and accurate positioning of the target air conditioning device 200.

[0154] In some embodiments, the action commands issued by the maintenance terminal 100 include one or more of the following: power on / off command, airflow switching command, and swing switching command.

[0155] For example, after receiving a power on / off command, the air conditioning unit 200 performs a power-on or power-off action. The change in action is obvious, making it easy for maintenance personnel to locate the problem.

[0156] For example, after receiving a command to switch air volume, the air conditioning unit 200 executes an air volume switching action. This action is obvious and makes it easy for maintenance personnel to locate the problem.

[0157] For example, after receiving a switching command, the air conditioning unit 200 executes a switching action, which is obvious and easy for maintenance personnel to locate.

[0158] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG11, the maintenance terminal 100 further includes a second upgrade component 130 (e.g., a terminal upgrade module). The second upgrade component 130 is configured to receive upgrade data and upgrade the control component 110 according to the received upgrade data.

[0159] Referring to Figure 12, the upgrade process of maintenance terminal 100 includes steps S61 to S62.

[0160] Step S61: The second upgrade component 130 downloads upgrade data (SDK package) from the host computer or other devices.

[0161] Step S62: The second upgrade component 130 upgrades the control component 110 according to the upgrade data.

[0162] During the process of maintenance personnel identifying the target air conditioning equipment through the maintenance terminal, there may be data being transmitted by the user on the communication bus, which will cause a delay in communication between the maintenance terminal and the air conditioning equipment.

[0163] Based on this, some embodiments of this disclosure also provide another multi-split air conditioning system 1, as shown in Figures 13 and 14. The multi-split air conditioning system 1 includes a gateway 400 (e.g., a smart gateway). The gateway 400 includes a system board 401, and an operating system is installed on the system board. For example, the system board 401 is a Linux system board 401. For example, the operating system includes a user layer 402 and a kernel layer 403.

[0164] Gateway 400 also includes a communication component 410 (e.g., real-time communication middleware). Communication component 410 includes a first interface 411 (e.g., a user application interface) and a second interface 412 (e.g., a system call interface). The first interface 411 is deployed in the user layer 402 of the operating system and is configured to provide a call interface for user applications.

[0165] The second interface 412 is deployed in the kernel layer 403 of the operating system and is configured to provide a calling interface for the operating system. The second interface 412 is communicatively connected to the first interface 411.

[0166] Gateway 400 also includes driver component 420 (e.g., real-time communication driver module). Driver component 420 is deployed in the kernel layer 403 of the operating system and is configured to process data from communication component 410 or communication bus 101.

[0167] The driver component 420 is deployed in the kernel layer 403 of the operating system. It can process bus data from the communication bus 101 in real time without sending it to the user layer 402 for processing, thereby improving communication efficiency and meeting the real-time requirements of the communication bus 101 protocol.

[0168] For example, the second interface 412 is a third interface 430 that conforms to the operating system's calling requirements. The user application can operate the third interface 430 in the manner specified in the operation, thereby transferring bus data from the kernel layer 403 to the user layer 402 for use by the user application.

[0169] For example, the first interface 411 is an interface with serial communication function. The user application uses this interface to call functions through the operating system to perform serial communication actions, obtain status, and exchange data for sending and receiving.

[0170] In summary, the multi-split air conditioning system 1 in some embodiments of this disclosure, through the gateway 400, realizes real-time processing of data transmitted by the communication bus 101 in the operating system without the need for a separate MCU (Micro Controller Unit) communication board, thereby reducing hardware costs, software development and maintenance costs, and software burning costs.

[0171] Furthermore, the gateway 400, through its real-time bus communication protocol within the operating system, can support real-time bus communication protocols within a single operating system. This allows the gateway 400 for controlling air conditioning equipment to be built using a single operating system, eliminating the need for a combination of an operating system board 401 and a communication board. This reduces hardware costs and simplifies the technical architecture.

[0172] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG14, the gateway 400 further includes a third interface 430, which is disposed on the system board 401. A first end of the third interface 430 communicates with the driver component 420, and a second end of the third interface 430 is configured to connect to the communication bus 101. For example, the third interface 430 is a serial communication interface.

[0173] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG15, the driver component 420 is equipped with an interrupt handler, for example, the interrupt handler includes a hardware interrupt handler and a software interrupt handler.

[0174] In some embodiments, the driver component 420 is further configured to receive bus data from the communication bus 101 via an interrupt handler and send the received bus data to the communication component 410.

[0175] In some embodiments, the driver component 420 is further configured to send the user data to the communication bus 101 via an interrupt handler after receiving user data sent by the communication component 410.

[0176] Understandably, using an interrupt handler to enable data interaction between the driver component 420 and the communication bus 101 improves the working efficiency of the gateway 400 and helps ensure the real-time performance of data interaction.

[0177] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG16, the receiving and processing flow of the drive component 420 includes the following steps S111 to S113.

[0178] Step S111: The air conditioning equipment (such as an indoor unit or an outdoor unit) sends data to the communication bus 101.

[0179] Step S112: When the drive component 420 detects data transmission on the communication bus 101, it receives bus data from the communication bus 101 through the interrupt handler.

[0180] Step S113: The driver component 420 sends the received bus data to the communication component 410.

[0181] In this way, the communication component 410 can send the received data to the cloud server 300 (see Figure 26A), and then send it to the user via the cloud server 300.

[0182] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG17, the transmission processing flow of the driving component 420 includes the following steps S121 and S122.

[0183] Step S121: The driver component 420 receives user data sent by the communication component 410.

[0184] Step S122: The driver component 420 sends user data to the communication bus 101 through the interrupt handler.

[0185] In some embodiments, gateway 400 further includes a receive register configured to store bus data from communication bus 101. The hardware interrupt handler includes a data receive hardware interrupt handler, and the software interrupt handler includes a data receive software interrupt handler.

[0186] The driver component 420 is also configured to: upon receiving an interrupt request signal, start a data receive hardware interrupt routine and a data receive software interrupt routine; after the data receive software interrupt routine is started, read the received bus data from the receive register and send the received bus data to the communication component 410.

[0187] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG18, the drive component 420 is further configured to perform the following steps S131 and S132.

[0188] Step S131: After receiving the interrupt request signal, the driver component 420 starts the data reception hardware interrupt program.

[0189] Step S132: After starting the data reception hardware interrupt routine, start the data reception software interrupt routine.

[0190] For example, after the data reception hardware interrupt routine is started, the data reception hardware interrupt bit is first masked, and then the data reception software interrupt routine is started to prevent the data reception hardware interrupt from being repeatedly triggered during data reception, thus affecting the response of other interrupts.

[0191] Step S133: After the data receiving software interrupt program starts, it reads the received bus data from the receive register.

[0192] Step S134: Send the received bus data to the communication component 410.

[0193] It is understandable that by executing the above steps S131 to S134, the drive component 420 reads bus data using hardware interrupt programs and software interrupt programs, which helps to improve the efficiency of signal transmission and reading, and helps to ensure the real-time performance of received data.

[0194] In some embodiments, the gateway 400 further includes a transmit register configured to store an acknowledgment character. The hardware interrupt handler also includes a data transmit hardware interrupt routine, and the software interrupt handler also includes a data transmit software interrupt routine.

[0195] The driver component 420 is also configured to: upon receiving an interrupt request signal, start a data receive hardware interrupt routine and a data receive software interrupt routine; after the data receive software interrupt routine is started, read the received bus data from the receive register; when the data receive software interrupt routine recognizes that the bus data requires a real-time acknowledgment character (ACK), start a data transmit hardware interrupt routine and a data transmit software interrupt routine; the data transmit software interrupt routine sends the acknowledgment character to be replied to to the communication bus 101 through the transmit register.

[0196] It should be noted that the acknowledgment character is a transmission control character sent by the receiver to the sender in data communication, indicating that the received data has been confirmed to have been received correctly.

[0197] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG19, the drive component 420 is further configured to perform the following steps S141 to S146.

[0198] Step S141: After receiving the interrupt request signal, the driver component 420 starts the data reception hardware interrupt program.

[0199] Step S142: After starting the data reception hardware interrupt routine, start the data reception software interrupt routine.

[0200] For example, after the data reception hardware interrupt routine is started, the data reception hardware interrupt bit is first masked, and then the data reception software interrupt routine is started to prevent the data reception hardware interrupt from being repeatedly triggered during data reception, thus affecting the response of other interrupts.

[0201] Step S143: After the data receiving software interrupt program starts, it reads the received bus data from the receive register.

[0202] Step S144: When the data receiving software interrupt program recognizes that the bus data needs to be replied with an acknowledgment character in real time, it starts the data sending hardware interrupt program.

[0203] Step S145: After starting the data transmission hardware interrupt routine, start the data transmission software interrupt routine.

[0204] For example, after the data transmission software interrupt program starts, the data transmission hardware interrupt bit is first masked, and then the user data to be transmitted is sent to the communication bus 101 through the transmit register to prevent the data transmission hardware interrupt from being repeatedly triggered during data transmission, thus affecting the response of other interrupts.

[0205] Step S146: The data transmission software interrupt program sends the confirmation character to be replied to to the communication bus 101 through the transmission register.

[0206] It is understandable that by executing steps S141 to S146, the driver component 420 reads bus data using hardware and software interrupt routines, thereby improving the efficiency of data transmission and reading, and ensuring the real-time performance of received data. Furthermore, when real-time acknowledgment characters are required for bus data, hardware and software interrupt routines are used to send acknowledgment characters, thus ensuring the real-time performance of the acknowledgment response.

[0207] In some embodiments, the transmit register is also configured to store user data.

[0208] The driver component 420 is also configured to: after receiving user data sent by the communication component 410, start a data transmission hardware interrupt routine and start a data transmission software interrupt routine. The data transmission software interrupt routine sends the user data to be transmitted to the communication bus 101 through the transmission register.

[0209] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG20, the drive component 420 is further configured to perform the following steps S151 to S153.

[0210] Step S151: After receiving user data sent by communication component 410, start the data transmission hardware interrupt routine.

[0211] Step S152: After starting the data transmission hardware interrupt routine, start the data transmission software interrupt routine.

[0212] For example, after the data transmission software interrupt program starts, the data transmission hardware interrupt bit is first masked, and then the user data to be transmitted is sent to the communication bus 101 through the transmit register to prevent the data transmission hardware interrupt from being repeatedly triggered during data transmission, thus affecting the response of other interrupts.

[0213] Step S153: The data transmission software interrupt program sends the user data to be transmitted to the communication bus 101 through the transmit register.

[0214] It is understandable that by executing the above steps S151 to S153, the driver component 420 sends user data to the communication bus 101 using hardware interrupt routines and software interrupt routines, which helps to improve the efficiency of data transmission and reading, and helps to ensure the real-time performance of received data.

[0215] In some embodiments, the driver component 420 is further configured to: after receiving user data sent by the communication component 410, determine whether there is an acknowledgment character being sent in the current gateway 400; if so, buffer the user data; if not, start a data transmission hardware interrupt routine and start a data transmission software interrupt routine, so that the data transmission software interrupt routine sends the user data to be sent to the communication bus 101 through the transmission register.

[0216] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG21, the drive component 420 is further configured to perform the following steps S161 to S165.

[0217] Step S161: After receiving user data sent by communication component 410, determine whether an acknowledgment character is currently being sent. If yes, proceed to step S162; otherwise, proceed to step S163.

[0218] Step S162: Cache the user data and return to execute step S161.

[0219] Step S163: Start the data transmission hardware interrupt routine.

[0220] Step S164: After starting the data transmission hardware interrupt routine, start the data transmission software interrupt routine.

[0221] For example, after the data transmission software interrupt program starts, the data transmission hardware interrupt bit is first masked, and then the user data to be transmitted is sent to the communication bus 101 through the transmit register to prevent the data transmission hardware interrupt from being repeatedly triggered during data transmission, thus affecting the response of other interrupts.

[0222] Step S165: The data transmission software interrupt program sends the user data to be transmitted to the communication bus 101 through the transmit register.

[0223] Understandably, when an acknowledgment character is being sent, the driver component 420 can first buffer the user data to ensure the real-time response of the acknowledgment character. Furthermore, after the acknowledgment character is sent, the user data is sent to the communication bus 101 using both hardware and software interrupt routines. This helps improve the efficiency of data transmission and reading, and also helps ensure the real-time performance of received data.

[0224] In some embodiments, the operating system is the Linux operating system. The Linux operating system is a multi-user, multi-tasking operating system that supports multi-threading and multiple central processing units (CPUs) to meet various user needs.

[0225] In some embodiments, the communication bus 101 is a home bus, the driver component 420 is a home bus (HOMEBUS) driver component 420, and the communication component 410 is a HOMEBUS communication component 410.

[0226] It is understandable that the driver component 420 and the communication bus 101 exchange data via the HOMEBUS communication protocol, which can ensure the stability, security and real-time performance of the communication.

[0227] Furthermore, the driver component 420 and the communication component 410 exchange data via the HOMEBUS communication protocol, which ensures the stability, security, and real-time performance of the communication.

[0228] In some embodiments of the multi-split air conditioning system 1 disclosed herein, the gateway 400 utilizes a HOMEBUS communication framework designed with the Linux operating system, thereby enabling support for the HOMEBUS communication protocol through the Linux operating system. The internal architecture of the driver component 420 is shown in Figure 22.

[0229] Gateway 400 includes HOMEBUS driver component 420 and HOMEBUS communication component 410.

[0230] The HOMEBUS driver component 420 contains HOMEBUS real-time communication driver software.

[0231] In the software architecture of the HOMEBUS driver component 420, the home bus real-time communication driver software is located in the Linux kernel layer 403 and is configured to receive HOMEBUS protocol data from the third interface 430 and execute actions that the HOMEBUS protocol needs to process in real time, thereby improving communication efficiency and meeting the real-time requirements of the protocol.

[0232] The architecture of the HOMEBUS driver component 420 differs from that of the Linux serial communication driver. For tasks requiring real-time processing in the real-time serial communication protocol, the architecture of the HOMEBUS driver component 420 uses the real-time communication serial port transmit / receive interrupt routine.

[0233] For example, interrupt handlers can be used to perform serial port protocol transmission and reception (including acknowledgment character transmission and reception, retransmission, and collision control) and carrier detection. Linux operating system commands such as Open, Close, Read, Write, or Ioctl can be invoked, and data transmission and reception can be shared with middleware.

[0234] The HOMEBUS communication component 410 includes a second interface 412 and a first interface 411, and the second interface 412 and the first interface 411 are located in the kernel layer 403 and the user layer 402, respectively.

[0235] Kernel layer 403 primarily provides a second interface 412 (e.g., a real-time serial communication interface) that conforms to Linux system call requirements. In this way, user applications can operate the second interface 412 in the same way they operate the ordinary serial communication interface, thereby transmitting HOMEBUS protocol data from kernel layer 403 to user layer 402 for use by the user application.

[0236] User layer 402 primarily provides an operation interface (e.g., first interface 411) for user applications, allowing them to operate the first interface 411 in the same way as a normal serial communication interface. For example, user applications can achieve the aforementioned functions and effects without special modification or customization, using standard Linux programming methods.

[0237] The first interface 411 in the user layer 402 provides an application programming interface (API) for serial communication functionality. User applications use this interface to perform real-time serial communication actions, acquire status, and exchange data by calling Linux system commands such as Open, Close, Read, Write, or Ioctl.

[0238] In some embodiments, the architecture of the communication component 410 is shown in FIG23. The user application can send various instructions to the communication component 410 to control the gateway 400 to perform various operations.

[0239] For example, a user application can send an "HLSen" command to the communication component 410 to control the gateway 400 to perform "send a data packet".

[0240] For example, a user application can send the “HLChkSndSta” command to the communication component 410 to control the gateway 400 to perform “get message delivery status”.

[0241] For example, a user application can send the “HLChkRcvDa” command to the communication component 410 to control the gateway 400 to perform the “get whether there is data” command.

[0242] For example, a user application can send an "HLIni" command to the communication component 410 to control the gateway 400 to perform "initialize serial interface".

[0243] For example, a user application can send an "HLSetOp" command to the communication component 410 to control the gateway 400 to perform "set whether to reply with ACK when receiving a sent message".

[0244] For example, a user application can send an “HLSetAckTb” command to the communication component 410 to control the gateway 400 to execute the “Set ACK Sending Decision Table”.

[0245] For example, a user application can send the “HLSetChkTb” command to the communication component 410 to control the gateway 400 to perform the “Setting and Saving Judgment and Identification Representative Code”.

[0246] For example, a user application can send an “HLCIos” command to the communication component 410 to control the gateway 400 to perform “End H-Link Communication”.

[0247] For example, a user application can send an “HLRea” command to the communication component 410 to control the gateway 400 to perform “acquire received data”.

[0248] For example, a user application can send an "HLOpe" command to the communication component 410 to control the gateway 400 to perform "Start H-Link Communication".

[0249] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG14, gateway 400 further includes a fourth interface 440. The fourth interface 440 is connected to the first interface 411 of communication component 410. For example, the fourth interface 440 is an Application Programming Interface (API). The fourth interface 440 is configured to provide various standard Linux API programming interfaces for user applications.

[0250] In this case, the user application can communicate with the first interface 411 of the communication component 410 through the fourth interface 440, and perform serial communication through Linux system calls.

[0251] The multi-split air conditioning system 1 of some embodiments of this disclosure implements the technology of supporting real-time HOMEBUS communication protocol in Linux system through gateway 400, and realizes support for home bus communication protocol in Linux system by designing HOMEBUS communication software architecture.

[0252] The HOMEBUS communication software architecture is mainly divided into two layers. The first layer, the HOMEBUS real-time communication driver software, is designed in the Linux kernel layer 403. The interrupt handlers in kernel layer 403 handle real-time HOMEBUS communication protocol transmission and reception (including acknowledgment character transmission and reception, retransmission, collision control), and carrier detection. The second layer, the HOMEBUS communication component, is designed in the Linux user layer 402. This component is independent of any specific OS system and provides an application programming interface (API) for real-time serial communication functionality.

[0253] In some embodiments, the driving component 420 includes a data receiving device and a data transmitting device, wherein the data receiving device is configured to receive data from the third interface 430 and the data transmitting device is configured to transmit data to the third interface 430.

[0254] The data receiving process of the driver component 420 will be described in detail below with reference to Figure 24.

[0255] The data receiving process of the drive component 420 includes steps S171 to S175.

[0256] Step S171: When the third interface 430 receives data transmission from HOMEBUS, the data reception hardware interrupt routine is triggered.

[0257] Step S172: After the data reception hardware interrupt program is triggered, the data reception hardware interrupt bit is masked to prevent the third interface 430 from affecting the response of other interrupts due to repeated triggering of the data reception hardware interrupt program during data reception; then, the data reception software interrupt program is started.

[0258] Step S173: After the data receiving software interrupt program starts, it continuously reads the data transmitted by HOMEBUS from the receive register until all the data has been read.

[0259] Step S174: When the data receiving software interrupt program finishes receiving a frame of HOMEBUS data and determines that the data frame needs to be immediately acknowledged, the data receiving device notifies the data transmitting device to stop the current transmission task, enables the data transmission hardware interrupt, and triggers the data transmission hardware interrupt program.

[0260] Step S175: After the data transmission hard interrupt program starts, the data transmission soft interrupt program is started to mask the data transmission hard interrupt bit. Then, the data transmission soft interrupt program sends the acknowledgment character to be replied to to HOMEBUS through the transmit register, thereby achieving the real-time requirements of the HOMEBUS protocol.

[0261] The data transmission process of the driver component 420 will be described in detail below with reference to Figure 25.

[0262] The data transmission process of the drive component 420 includes steps S181 to S184.

[0263] Step S181: HOMEBUS communication component 410 transmits data from user layer 402 to HOMEBUS driver component 420.

[0264] Step S182: The data transmission device of the HOMEBUS driver component 420 determines whether there is any real-time confirmation character data to be sent; if so, the user data frame to be sent is buffered, and after a delay of a period of time (e.g., 5ms), step S182 is executed again; if not, step S183 is executed.

[0265] Step S183: The data transmitting device initiates a data transmission hard interrupt, thus starting the data transmission hard interrupt program.

[0266] Step S184: After the data transmission hardware interrupt routine starts, the data transmission software interrupt routine will be started. After the data transmission software interrupt routine starts, the data transmission hardware interrupt bit will be masked. Then the data transmission software interrupt will send the data to be sent to HOMEBUS through the transmit register.

[0267] Referring to Figure 26A, in some embodiments of the multi-split air conditioning system 1 of this disclosure, the gateway 400 is configured to control the air conditioning equipment 200. The gateway 400 is based on the Linux operating system and can support the real-time HOMEBUS protocol. Compared with the combination of Linux operating system and MCU system, it can reduce the user's hardware cost and simplify the gateway's technical architecture.

[0268] In this scenario, the gateway 400 only requires a built-in Linux system board to meet certain real-time communication needs, such as communication with the cloud server 300, host computer, and APP (Application). Furthermore, the gateway 400 can also fulfill the real-time communication requirements with the air conditioning unit 200, which helps reduce hardware costs, as well as software development and maintenance costs.

[0269] In some embodiments, referring to FIG26B, the multi-split air conditioning system 1 includes a plurality of air conditioning units 200. The plurality of air conditioning units 200 includes at least one indoor unit 210 and at least one outdoor unit 220.

[0270] Gateway 400 communicates with outdoor unit 220 and indoor unit 210 respectively via the home bus.

[0271] Some embodiments of this disclosure also provide a control method for a multi-split air conditioning system. Referring to FIG26B, the multi-split air conditioning system 1 includes an air conditioning unit 210 and a gateway 400. The air conditioning unit 210 is configured to send data to a communication bus 101. The gateway 400 is configured to send data to a cloud server 300.

[0272] Referring to Figures 13 and 14, the gateway 400 has an operating system installed, which includes a user layer 402 and a kernel layer 403. The gateway 400 includes a communication component 410 and a driver component 420.

[0273] Communication component 410 includes a first interface 411 and a second interface 412. The first interface 411 is deployed in the user layer 402 of the operating system and is configured to provide a calling interface for user applications. The second interface 412 is deployed in the kernel layer 403 of the operating system and is configured to provide a calling interface for the operating system. The first interface 411 and the second interface 412 are communicatively connected.

[0274] The driver component 420 is deployed in the kernel layer 403 of the operating system and is configured to process data from the communication component 410 or the communication bus 101.

[0275] As shown in Figure 27, the control method for a multi-split air conditioning system includes steps S311 to S314.

[0276] Step S311: The air conditioning equipment sends data to the communication bus.

[0277] Step S312: When the driver component detects data transmission on the communication bus, it receives bus data from the communication bus through the interrupt handler.

[0278] Step S313: The driver component sends the received bus data to the communication component.

[0279] Step S314: The communication component sends the received data to the cloud server, and then the cloud server sends it to the user.

[0280] The steps performed by this control method and its beneficial effects are similar to those of the controller described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0281] Some embodiments of this disclosure provide yet another multi-split air conditioning system 1, see FIG28, the multi-split air conditioning system 1 including a control system 500 (e.g., an air conditioning control system).

[0282] The control system 500 includes a determining device 510 (e.g., a determining module), which is configured to: determine indoor units adjacent to the target indoor unit within a region, designate the adjacent indoor units as linked indoor units; and determine the regional location of the linked indoor units.

[0283] The control system 500 also includes a generating device 520 (e.g., a parameter generating module), which is configured to generate corresponding linkage operating parameters based on the regional location of the linked indoor unit and the target operating parameters sent to the target indoor unit.

[0284] It is understandable that the linkage operating parameters will differ depending on the location of the linked indoor unit. Therefore, specific linkage operating parameters need to be generated for each linked indoor unit.

[0285] The control system 500 also includes a control device 530 (e.g., a control module), which is configured to control the linked indoor unit to operate with corresponding linked operating parameters and to control the target indoor unit to operate with target operating parameters.

[0286] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG29, the control system 500 is configured to perform the following steps S211 to S214.

[0287] Step S211: Receive the target operating parameters for the target indoor unit.

[0288] Step S212: Determine the indoor units adjacent to the target indoor unit within the area, designate the adjacent indoor units as linked indoor units, and determine the area location of the linked indoor units.

[0289] Step S213: Generate corresponding linkage operation parameters based on the regional location of the linkage indoor unit and the target operation parameters sent to the target indoor unit.

[0290] Step S214: Control the linkage indoor unit to operate with the corresponding linkage operating parameters, and control the target indoor unit to operate with the target operating parameters.

[0291] Understandably, the control steps described above in the control system 500 enable simultaneous linkage control of adjacent indoor units when controlling a single target indoor unit, in order to achieve the expected cooling or heating effect.

[0292] In this way, when multiple indoor units are set up in an area, the user sends the target operating parameters to the target indoor unit to adjust the target indoor unit. In this case, the control system 500 will also control the indoor units adjacent to the target indoor unit to achieve linkage adjustment in order to achieve the expected cooling or heating effect.

[0293] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG30, the control system 500 further includes a first acquisition device 540 (e.g., a position relationship acquisition module). The first acquisition device 540 is configured to acquire the position relationship of a plurality of indoor units within the area.

[0294] It should be noted that the positional relationship refers to the distribution of indoor units within the area. See Figure 31. In the square area shown in Figure 31, there are a total of 9 indoor units (such as indoor units 210A to 210I). Based on the positional relationship, the indoor units adjacent to the target indoor unit and the non-adjacent indoor units can be identified.

[0295] The control system 500 also includes a second acquisition device 550 (e.g., a region location acquisition module). The second acquisition device 550 is configured to acquire the region location of a plurality of indoor units.

[0296] It should be noted that the area location includes ventilated areas, semi-ventilated areas, and non-ventilated areas.

[0297] In this case, the determining device 510 is further configured to: determine the indoor unit adjacent to the target indoor unit as the linkage indoor unit based on the positional relationship of multiple indoor units in the area; and determine the area location of the linkage indoor unit based on the area location of the multiple indoor units.

[0298] Understandably, the first acquisition device 540 facilitates the acquisition of the positional relationships of multiple indoor units within the area. Then, the determining device 510 can determine the indoor unit adjacent to the target indoor unit based on the positional relationships of the multiple indoor units within the area. By setting up the second acquisition device 550, it is convenient to acquire the location of the area where multiple indoor units are located. Then, the determining device 510 can find the location of the linked indoor unit.

[0299] In some embodiments, the first acquisition device 540 is further configured to: calculate the size of the area, the distance between any two indoor units in the area, and the positional relationship between any two indoor units in the area based on the distance measurement data collected by multiple indoor units in the area.

[0300] An indoor unit among multiple indoor units is equipped with a distance measuring device configured for distance measurement. The indoor unit can use the distance measuring device to measure its own distance from the wall and its distance from other indoor units. In this case, the first acquisition device 540 can accurately calculate the area size, the distance between any two indoor units, and the positional relationship between any two indoor units based on the distance measurement data from the multiple indoor units.

[0301] In some embodiments, the first acquisition device 540 is further configured to: calculate the heating capacity required by the region when the temperature rises by 1°C, based on the region size; and calculate the cooling capacity required by the region when the temperature drops by 1°C, based on the region size.

[0302] In some embodiments, referring to FIG32, the first acquisition device 540 is further configured to perform the following steps S221 to S223.

[0303] Step S221: Receive distance measurement data collected by multiple indoor units within the area.

[0304] Step S222: Based on the distance measurement data collected by multiple indoor units in the area, calculate the area size, the distance between any two indoor units in the area, and the positional relationship between any two indoor units in the area.

[0305] Step S223: Based on the size of the area, calculate the heating capacity required for the area when the temperature rises by 1°C, and calculate the cooling capacity required for the area when the temperature drops by 1°C.

[0306] In some embodiments, the first acquisition device 540 is a pre-built static model. The static model calculates the size of the area, the distance between any two indoor units in the area, and the positional relationship between any two indoor units in the area based on the distance measurement data collected by multiple indoor units in the area. It further calculates the cooling or heating capacity required for each indoor unit to operate, as well as the total cooling or heating capacity required for the area.

[0307] In some embodiments, the second acquisition device 550 is a pre-trained dynamic model, the input parameters of which are the historical operating parameters of the indoor unit, and the output parameters of which are the location of the indoor unit.

[0308] The area is divided into ventilated areas, semi-ventilated areas, and non-ventilated areas.

[0309] A ventilated area refers to the area around windows or doorways; a non-ventilated area refers to corners or other areas where air does not circulate; a semi-ventilated area refers to the remaining areas excluding ventilated and non-ventilated areas.

[0310] The operating parameters of an indoor unit vary depending on its location. Therefore, a dynamic model can be trained based on historical operating parameters and the unit's location, and this trained model can then be used to predict the unit's location within the area.

[0311] When using a dynamic model to determine the location of any indoor unit, input the historical operating parameters of the indoor unit (such as the most recent historical operating parameters) into the dynamic model, and the dynamic model can output the predicted location of the indoor unit.

[0312] In this way, the location of the indoor unit can be accurately obtained through a pre-trained dynamic model.

[0313] In some embodiments, historical operating parameters include mode setting data, temperature setting data, airflow setting data, workload, ambient temperature, and ambient airflow.

[0314] For example, the mode setting data is the target mode (heating or cooling mode), the temperature setting data is the target temperature, and the air volume setting data is the target air volume.

[0315] For example, the ambient temperature is the actual ambient temperature, and the ambient air volume is the actual ambient air volume.

[0316] For example, the workload is the workload of the indoor unit to ensure that the actual ambient temperature reaches the target temperature and the actual air volume reaches the target air volume.

[0317] It is understandable that the above operating parameters can accurately characterize the operating status of the air conditioner, so as to accurately train the dynamic model and achieve accurate prediction by the dynamic model.

[0318] In some embodiments, based on the regional location of the linked indoor unit and the target operating parameters sent to the target indoor unit, corresponding linked operating parameters are generated, including: in heating mode, the temperature in the linked operating parameters of the linked indoor unit located in the ventilated area is equal to the temperature in the target operating parameters; the temperature in the linked operating parameters of the linked indoor unit located in the semi-ventilated area is equal to the difference between the temperature in the target operating parameters and a first temperature value; the temperature in the linked operating parameters of the linked indoor unit located in the non-ventilated area is equal to the difference between the temperature in the target operating parameters and a second temperature value.

[0319] For example, 0℃ < first temperature value < second temperature value.

[0320] It is understandable that the indoor unit located in the ventilation zone is easily affected by the external environment. Therefore, the target temperature of the indoor unit in the ventilation zone should be the same as that of the target indoor unit.

[0321] The indoor unit located in the semi-ventilated area is less affected by the external environment. Therefore, the indoor unit in the semi-ventilated area should have a temperature that is one temperature lower than the target temperature of the target indoor unit.

[0322] The indoor unit located in a poorly ventilated area is relatively enclosed and will not be affected by the external environment. Therefore, the indoor unit in the poorly ventilated area should have a temperature that is two degrees lower than the target temperature of the target indoor unit.

[0323] Therefore, in heating mode, the target temperature of the indoor unit in the non-ventilated area is lower than that of the indoor unit in the semi-ventilated area. The target temperature of the indoor unit in the semi-ventilated area is lower than that of the indoor unit in the ventilated area. The target temperature of the indoor unit in the ventilated area is equal to that of the target indoor unit.

[0324] In some embodiments, if there are multiple linkage indoor units located in the semi-ventilated area, the linkage indoor unit farther away from the target indoor unit has a lower temperature in its linkage operation parameters, that is, a larger corresponding first temperature value.

[0325] If there are multiple linked indoor units located in a poorly ventilated area, the indoor unit farther away from the target indoor unit will have a lower temperature in its linkage operation parameters, that is, a higher corresponding second temperature value.

[0326] Understandably, in the above heating mode, by setting the target temperature of the linked indoor units in the ventilated, semi-ventilated and non-ventilated areas, the ambient temperature in the area can be guaranteed to reach the target temperature, which is conducive to energy conservation and emission reduction.

[0327] In some embodiments, generating corresponding linkage operation parameters based on the regional location of the linkage indoor unit and the target operation parameters sent to the target indoor unit further includes: in cooling mode, the temperature in the linkage operation parameters of the linkage indoor unit located in the ventilated area is equal to the temperature in the target operation parameters; the temperature in the linkage operation parameters of the linkage indoor unit located in the semi-ventilated area is equal to the sum of the temperature in the target operation parameters and a third temperature value; and the temperature in the linkage operation parameters of the linkage indoor unit located in the non-ventilated area is equal to the sum of the temperature in the target operation parameters and a fourth temperature value.

[0328] For example, 0 < the third temperature value < the fourth temperature value.

[0329] It is understandable that the indoor unit located in the ventilation zone is easily affected by the external environment. Therefore, the target temperature of the indoor unit in the ventilation zone should be the same as that of the target indoor unit.

[0330] The indoor unit located in the semi-ventilated area is less affected by the external environment. Therefore, the indoor unit in the semi-ventilated area should be set at a temperature three degrees higher than the target temperature of the target indoor unit.

[0331] The indoor unit located in a poorly ventilated area is relatively enclosed and will not be affected by the external environment. Therefore, the indoor unit in the poorly ventilated area should be set at a temperature four degrees higher than the target indoor unit.

[0332] Therefore, in cooling mode, the target temperature of the indoor unit in the non-ventilated area is higher than that of the indoor unit in the semi-ventilated area; the target temperature of the indoor unit in the semi-ventilated area is higher than that of the indoor unit in the ventilated area; and the target temperature of the indoor unit in the ventilated area is equal to that of the target indoor unit.

[0333] In some embodiments, if there are multiple linkage indoor units located in the semi-ventilated area, the linkage indoor unit that is farther away from the target indoor unit has a higher temperature in its linkage operation parameters, that is, a larger corresponding third temperature value.

[0334] If there are multiple linked indoor units located in a poorly ventilated area, the indoor unit farther away from the target indoor unit will have a higher temperature in its linkage operation parameters, that is, a larger corresponding fourth temperature value.

[0335] Understandably, in the above cooling mode, by setting the target temperature of the linked indoor units in the ventilated, semi-ventilated, and non-ventilated areas, the ambient temperature in the area can be guaranteed to reach the target, which is also conducive to energy conservation and emission reduction.

[0336] In some embodiments, generating corresponding linkage operation parameters based on the regional location of the linkage indoor unit and the target operation parameters sent to the target indoor unit further includes: in heating mode, the air volume in the linkage operation parameters of the linkage indoor unit located in the ventilated area is equal to the air volume in the target operation parameters; the air volume in the linkage operation parameters of the linkage indoor unit located in the semi-ventilated area is equal to the difference between the air volume in the target operation parameters and the first air volume value; and the air volume in the linkage operation parameters of the linkage indoor unit located in the non-ventilated area is equal to the difference between the air volume in the target operation parameters and the second air volume value.

[0337] For example, 0 < first air volume value < second air volume value.

[0338] It is understandable that the indoor unit located in the ventilation zone is easily affected by the external environment. Therefore, the air volume of the indoor unit in the ventilation zone should be equal to that of the target indoor unit.

[0339] The indoor unit located in the semi-ventilated area is less affected by the external environment. Therefore, the air volume of the indoor unit in the semi-ventilated area should be one air volume value smaller than that of the target indoor unit.

[0340] The indoor unit located in a poorly ventilated area is relatively enclosed and will not be affected by the external environment. Therefore, the air volume of the indoor unit in the poorly ventilated area should be less than the air volume of the target indoor unit by a second value.

[0341] Therefore, in heating mode, the air volume of the indoor unit in the non-ventilated area is less than that of the indoor unit in the semi-ventilated area; the air volume of the indoor unit in the semi-ventilated area is less than that of the indoor unit in the ventilated area; and the air volume of the indoor unit in the ventilated area is equal to that of the target indoor unit.

[0342] In some embodiments, if there are multiple linkage indoor units located in the semi-ventilated area, the linkage indoor unit farther away from the target indoor unit has a smaller air volume in its linkage operation parameters, that is, a larger corresponding first air volume value.

[0343] If there are multiple linked indoor units located in a poorly ventilated area, the indoor unit farther away from the target indoor unit will have a smaller air volume in its linkage operation parameters, that is, a larger corresponding second air volume value.

[0344] Understandably, in the above heating mode, by setting the target air volume of the linked indoor units in the ventilated, semi-ventilated and non-ventilated areas, it can be ensured that the air volume in the area reaches the target, which is conducive to energy conservation and emission reduction.

[0345] In some embodiments, generating corresponding linkage operation parameters based on the regional location of the linkage indoor unit and the target operation parameters sent to the target indoor unit further includes: in cooling mode, the air volume in the linkage operation parameters of the linkage indoor unit located in the ventilated area is equal to the air volume in the target operation parameters; the air volume in the linkage operation parameters of the linkage indoor unit located in the semi-ventilated area is equal to the difference between the air volume in the target operation parameters and the third air volume value; and the air volume in the linkage operation parameters of the linkage indoor unit located in the non-ventilated area is equal to the difference between the air volume in the target operation parameters and the fourth air volume value.

[0346] For example, 0 < third air volume value < fourth air volume value.

[0347] It is understandable that the indoor unit located in the ventilation zone is easily affected by the external environment. Therefore, the air volume of the indoor unit in the ventilation zone should be equal to that of the target indoor unit.

[0348] The indoor unit located in the semi-ventilated area is less affected by the external environment. Therefore, the air volume of the indoor unit in the semi-ventilated area should be less than the third air volume value of the target indoor unit.

[0349] The indoor unit located in a poorly ventilated area is relatively enclosed and will not be affected by the external environment. Therefore, the air volume of the indoor unit in the poorly ventilated area should be four times smaller than that of the target indoor unit.

[0350] Therefore, in cooling mode, the air volume of the indoor unit in the non-ventilated area is less than that of the indoor unit in the semi-ventilated area; the air volume of the indoor unit in the semi-ventilated area is less than that of the indoor unit in the ventilated area; and the air volume of the indoor unit in the ventilated area is equal to that of the target indoor unit.

[0351] In some embodiments, if there are multiple linked indoor units located in the semi-ventilated area, the indoor unit farther away from the target indoor unit has a smaller air volume in its linkage operation parameters, that is, a larger corresponding third air volume value.

[0352] If there are multiple linked indoor units located in a poorly ventilated area, the indoor unit farther away from the target indoor unit will have a smaller air volume in its linkage operation parameters, that is, a larger corresponding fourth air volume value.

[0353] Understandably, in the above cooling mode, by setting the target air volume of the linked indoor units in the ventilated, semi-ventilated and non-ventilated areas, it can be ensured that the air volume in the area reaches the target, which is conducive to energy conservation and emission reduction.

[0354] In some embodiments, the control system 500 is further configured to: after receiving the target operating parameters for the target indoor unit, determine the linked indoor unit and the area location of the linked indoor unit, and then generate corresponding linked operating parameters for any one of the linked indoor units.

[0355] The target operating parameters sent to the target indoor unit include: operating mode, target temperature T0, target air volume F0, etc. The generated linkage operating parameters include operating mode, temperature, air volume, etc. The linkage operating parameters have the same operating mode as the target operating parameters.

[0356] In some embodiments, referring to FIG33, the generating apparatus 520 is further configured to perform the following steps S231 to S233.

[0357] Step S231: Extract the operating mode, temperature, and airflow from the target operating parameters.

[0358] For example, the operating mode is either heating mode or cooling mode.

[0359] Step S232: When the operating mode is heating mode, determine the temperature and air volume of the linkage operating parameters.

[0360] For example, the temperature in the linkage operation parameters of the linkage indoor unit located in the ventilation area is equal to the temperature in the target operation parameters; the air volume in the linkage operation parameters of the linkage indoor unit located in the ventilation area is equal to the air volume in the target operation parameters.

[0361] For example, the temperature in the linkage operation parameters of the linkage indoor unit located in the semi-ventilated area is equal to the difference between the temperature in the target operation parameters and the first temperature value, and the air volume in the linkage operation parameters of the linkage indoor unit located in the semi-ventilated area is equal to the difference between the air volume in the target operation parameters and the first air volume value.

[0362] For example, the temperature in the linkage operation parameters of the indoor unit located in a poorly ventilated area is equal to the difference between the temperature in the target operation parameters and the second temperature value, and the air volume in the linkage operation parameters of the indoor unit located in a poorly ventilated area is equal to the difference between the air volume in the target operation parameters and the second air volume value.

[0363] Step S233: When the operating mode is cooling mode, determine the temperature and air volume of the linkage operating parameters.

[0364] For example, the temperature in the linkage operation parameters of the linkage indoor unit located in the ventilation area is equal to the temperature in the target operation parameters, and the air volume in the linkage operation parameters of the linkage indoor unit located in the ventilation area is equal to the air volume in the target operation parameters.

[0365] For example, the temperature in the linkage operation parameters of the linkage indoor unit located in the semi-ventilated area is equal to the sum of the temperature in the target operation parameters and the third temperature value, and the air volume in the linkage operation parameters of the linkage indoor unit located in the semi-ventilated area is equal to the difference between the air volume in the target operation parameters and the third air volume value.

[0366] For example, the temperature in the linkage operation parameters of the indoor unit located in a poorly ventilated area is equal to the sum of the temperature in the target operation parameters and the fourth temperature value, and the air volume in the linkage operation parameters of the indoor unit located in a poorly ventilated area is equal to the difference between the air volume in the target operation parameters and the fourth air volume value.

[0367] In some embodiments, the first temperature value, the second temperature value, the third temperature value, the fourth temperature value, the first air volume value, the second air volume value, the third air volume value, and the fourth air volume value are known set values.

[0368] In some embodiments, the generating device 520 can determine a first temperature value, a second temperature value, a third temperature value, a fourth temperature value, a first air volume value, a second air volume value, a third air volume value, and a fourth air volume value based on parameters such as the required heating or cooling capacity of the area, the target temperature, the target air volume, the location of the area, and the distance to the target indoor unit.

[0369] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG34, the generation process of the linkage operation parameters executed by the generating device 520 includes the following steps S41 to S243.

[0370] Step S241: Calculate the required heating or cooling capacity of the area based on the temperature in the target operating parameters, the actual ambient temperature in the area, and the size of the area.

[0371] Step S242: When the operating mode is heating mode, determine the first temperature value △T1, the second temperature value △T2, the first air volume value △F1, and the second air volume value △F2; when the operating mode is cooling mode, determine the third temperature value △T3, the fourth temperature value △T4, the third air volume value △F3, and the fourth air volume value △F4.

[0372] For example, when the operating mode is heating mode, the generating device 520 can determine the first temperature value △T1 or the second temperature value △T2 corresponding to the linked indoor unit based on the required heating capacity of the area, the target temperature in the target operating parameters, the location of the linked indoor unit in the area, and the distance between the linked indoor unit and the target indoor unit.

[0373] For example, when the operating mode is heating mode, the generating device 520 can also determine the first air volume value △F1 or the second air volume value △F2 corresponding to the linked indoor unit based on the required heating capacity of the area, the target air volume in the target operating parameters, the location of the linked indoor unit, and the distance between the linked indoor unit and the target indoor unit.

[0374] For example, when the operating mode is cooling mode, the generating device 520 can also determine the third temperature value △T3 or the fourth temperature value △T4 corresponding to the linked indoor unit based on the required cooling capacity of the area, the target temperature in the target operating parameters, the location of the linked indoor unit in the area, and the distance between the linked indoor unit and the target indoor unit.

[0375] For example, when the operating mode is cooling mode, the generating device 520 can also determine the third air volume value △F3 or the fourth air volume value △F4 corresponding to the linked indoor unit based on the required cooling capacity of the area, the target air volume in the target operating parameters, the area location of the linked indoor unit, and the distance between the linked indoor unit and the target indoor unit.

[0376] Step S243: Determine the temperature and airflow of the linkage operation parameters corresponding to any one of the linkage indoor units.

[0377] In some embodiments, when the operating mode is heating mode, the temperature in the linkage operating parameters of the linkage indoor unit located in the ventilation area is equal to the temperature T0 in the target operating parameters, and the air volume in the linkage operating parameters of the linkage indoor unit located in the ventilation area is equal to the air volume F0 in the target operating parameters.

[0378] The temperature in the linkage operation parameters of the indoor unit located in the semi-ventilated area is equal to the difference between the target operating parameter temperature T0 and the first temperature value △T1. The air volume in the linkage operation parameters of the indoor unit located in the semi-ventilated area is equal to the difference between the target operating parameter air volume F0 and the first air volume value △F1.

[0379] The temperature in the linkage operation parameters of the indoor unit located in a non-ventilated area is equal to the difference between the target operating parameter temperature T0 and the second temperature value △T2, and the air volume in the linkage operation parameters of the indoor unit located in a non-ventilated area is equal to the difference between the target operating parameter air volume F0 and the second air volume value △F2.

[0380] For example, the target operating parameters of the target indoor unit include: target temperature T0 and target air volume F0.

[0381] The linkage operation parameters of the indoor unit located in the ventilation area include: target temperature T0 and target air volume F0.

[0382] The linkage operation parameters of the indoor unit located in the semi-ventilated area include: target temperature (T0-△T1) and target air volume (F0-△F1).

[0383] The linkage operation parameters of the indoor unit located in a poorly ventilated area include: target temperature (T0-△T2) and target air volume (F0-△F2).

[0384] In some embodiments, when the operating mode is cooling mode, the temperature in the linkage operating parameters of the linkage indoor unit located in the ventilation area is equal to the temperature T0 in the target operating parameters, and the air volume in the linkage operating parameters of the linkage indoor unit located in the ventilation area is equal to the air volume F0 in the target operating parameters.

[0385] The temperature in the linkage operation parameters of the indoor unit located in the semi-ventilated area is equal to the sum of the temperature T0 in the target operation parameters and the third temperature value △T3, and the air volume in the linkage operation parameters of the indoor unit located in the semi-ventilated area is equal to the difference between the air volume F0 in the target operation parameters and the third air volume value △F3.

[0386] The temperature in the linkage operation parameters of the indoor unit located in a non-ventilated area is equal to the sum of the target operating parameters temperature T0 and the fourth temperature value △T4, and the air volume in the linkage operation parameters of the indoor unit located in a non-ventilated area is equal to the difference between the target operating parameters air volume F0 and the fourth air volume value △F4.

[0387] For example, the target operating parameters of the target indoor unit include: target temperature T0 and target air volume F0.

[0388] The linkage operation parameters of the indoor unit located in the ventilation area include: target temperature T0 and target air volume F0.

[0389] The linkage operation parameters of the indoor unit located in the semi-ventilated area include: target temperature (T0+△T3) and target air volume (F0-△F3).

[0390] The linkage operation parameters of the indoor unit located in a poorly ventilated area include: target temperature (T0+△T4) and target air volume (F0-△F4).

[0391] The operation process of the control system 500 will now be described in detail with reference to Figure 35. As shown in Figure 35, the operation process of the control system 500 includes steps S251 to S253.

[0392] Step S251: Construct a static model (first acquisition device 540).

[0393] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 36, the multi-split air conditioning system includes multiple indoor units 210. After the multi-split air conditioning system is initially installed and the multiple indoor units 210 are turned on, the control system 500 collects infrared ranging data from the multiple indoor units 210 and constructs a static model of the area's location using an algorithm. Based on this static model, the control system 500 can calculate information such as the area size, the location of the indoor units within the area, and the distance between the indoor units (preliminary analysis), and predict the cooling or heating capacity required by the multiple indoor units during daily operation, as well as the total cooling or heating capacity required for the area (in-depth analysis).

[0394] Step S252: Construct a dynamic model (second acquisition device 550).

[0395] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 37, the control system 500 is also configured to train a dynamic model. Training the dynamic model includes using multiple historical operating parameters of the indoor unit 210 over the most recent N days (e.g., within 30 days) as input parameters and its location in the area as output parameters.

[0396] After the dynamic model is trained, the previous historical operating parameters of the indoor unit can be input into the dynamic model, and the dynamic model can predict the location of the indoor unit.

[0397] For example, the control system 500 can collect the daily settings, temperature, air volume data, workload, ambient temperature and air volume of multiple indoor units, and infer the regional environment of multiple indoor units through dynamic models.

[0398] For example, the control system 500 can infer the location of a single indoor unit, such as a doorway area, a window area, or a closed area, based on the workload of a single indoor unit.

[0399] For example, the control system 500 can infer environmental information among the indoor units based on the workload of multiple indoor units, such as which indoor units are located in the window area.

[0400] Step S253: The control system 500 determines the indoor units adjacent to the target indoor unit in the area according to the static model, and uses them as the linkage indoor units; according to the dynamic model, it determines the area location of the linkage indoor units; the control system 500 generates corresponding linkage operating parameters according to the area location of the linkage indoor units and the target operating parameters sent to the target indoor unit, controls the linkage indoor units to operate with the corresponding linkage operating parameters, and controls the target indoor unit to operate with the target operating parameters.

[0401] When the system performs routine control of a single indoor unit, it will adjust or switch the surrounding air conditioning modes, temperature, humidity, and air volume based on the two models mentioned above.

[0402] For example, the positional relationship of multiple indoor units within the area is shown in Figure 31. The indoor units in front of, behind, to the left and right of the target indoor unit are considered as adjacent indoor units.

[0403] The square area shown in Figure 31 contains nine indoor units, such as indoor units 210A to 210I.

[0404] For example, when the indoor unit 210H is the target indoor unit, the adjacent indoor units of the indoor unit 210H are the indoor unit 210G, the indoor unit 210E, and the indoor unit 210I. That is to say, the indoor unit 210G, the indoor unit 210E, and the indoor unit 210I are linked indoor units.

[0405] When the user adjusts the indoor unit 210H to the heating mode and the temperature rises by 3°C, the control system 500 will lock the linked indoor units 210G, 210E, and 210I according to the static model. Then, according to the dynamic model, it is known that the indoor unit 210G is located in the doorway / window area (ventilated area), the indoor unit 210E is located in the semi-ventilated area, and the indoor unit 210I is located in the无风 area (non-ventilated area) of the inner wall corner. In this case, the control system 500 controls the indoor unit 210G to increase by 3°C, the indoor unit 210E to increase by 2°C, and the indoor unit 210I to increase by 1°C according to the above information, so as to achieve the linkage of multiple indoor units.

[0406] For example, the target temperature of the target indoor unit 210H is T0; the target temperature of the indoor unit 210G is T0; the target temperature of the indoor unit 210E is T0 - △T1 = T0 - 1°C; the target temperature of the indoor unit 210I is T0 - △T2 = T0 - 2°C. <o

[0407] The multi-connected air conditioner system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure constructs two models through the control system 500 to link and control the operating parameters such as the mode, temperature, and air volume of the indoor units in the area. When a single indoor unit is controlled, the operating parameters of the surrounding indoor units are adjusted according to the location of the indoor unit in the area, so as to radiate the surrounding temperature condition information by the surrounding indoor units. And, according to the load condition of the indoor unit, the operating parameters are adjusted; for example, the indoor unit in the ventilated area increases the operating parameters according to the load to ensure that the environmental temperature reaches the expectation; the temperature condition change in the enclosed area (non-ventilated area) fluctuates little, so the air volume and other operating parameters are reduced, which is beneficial to energy conservation and emission reduction.

[0408] The multi-connected air conditioner system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure provides a zone-based linkage control system for air conditioners and ventilation equipment in large commercial buildings, so as to solve the problems that after the same mode, temperature, and air volume are set in the centralized control, the ventilation outlets cannot achieve the expected cooling or heating effect, and the number of devices in areas such as office halls is large and the positions are not symmetrical. This control system can link and control multiple indoor units by constructing two models, which is beneficial to energy conservation and emission reduction.

[0409] In some embodiments, the multi-connected air conditioner further includes a centralized controller, and the control system 500 is set on the centralized controller, so as to facilitate the user to control each indoor unit.

[0410] It should be noted that any one of the technical solutions disclosed in this disclosure can solve one or more of the above-mentioned technical problems and achieve a certain disclosure purpose to a certain extent; multiple technical disclosures can also be combined into an overall solution to solve one or more of the above-mentioned technical problems and achieve a certain disclosure purpose; some technical disclosures can also be selected and combined into an overall solution, while adopting related technologies and deteriorating solutions, but the deterioration trend can be compensated by the means of this technical disclosure, and the overall solution can solve one or more of the above-mentioned technical problems and achieve a certain disclosure purpose to a certain extent; each technical disclosure combined into a complete technical solution constitutes an organic and indivisible overall solution, which solves the technical problems and achieves a certain disclosure purpose as a whole.

[0411] Any technical disclosure in this disclosure, as well as the recombination of multiple technical disclosures, can form a complete technical solution and solve one or more of the aforementioned technical problems, thereby achieving the purpose of disclosure. All of these are part of the content of this disclosure and are directly and unambiguously determined based on the content of this disclosure.

[0412] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this disclosure, but the scope of protection of this disclosure is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of this disclosure should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A multi-split air conditioning system, comprising: Air conditioning equipment, used to: send a Bluetooth broadcast signal when a start positioning signal is received; as well as The maintenance terminal is configured as follows: When the Bluetooth broadcast signal sent by the air conditioning device is received, the received Bluetooth broadcast signal is parsed to obtain the Bluetooth signal strength information in the Bluetooth broadcast signal; The distance between the maintenance terminal and the air conditioning equipment is calculated based on the parsed Bluetooth signal strength information; and When the distance between the maintenance terminal and the air conditioning equipment is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold, the air conditioning equipment is located based on the distance between the maintenance terminal and the air conditioning equipment.

2. The multi-split air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein, When the distance between the maintenance terminal and the air conditioning equipment is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold, the air conditioning equipment is located based on the distance between the maintenance terminal and the air conditioning equipment, including: When the distance between the maintenance terminal and the air conditioning device is calculated to be less than or equal to a preset distance threshold, the terminal binds to the air conditioning device via Bluetooth to send action commands to the air conditioning device through Bluetooth communication.

3. The multi-split air conditioning system according to claim 2, wherein, The action command includes at least one of the following: power on / off command, air volume switching command, or swing switching command.

4. The multi-split air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The air conditioning equipment includes: The WIFI component is used to communicate with the cloud server, receive the start-up positioning signal sent by the cloud server, and send the start-up positioning signal to the main control component; A first Bluetooth component is used for Bluetooth communication with the maintenance terminal; and The main control component is configured to: receive the start-up positioning signal sent by the WIFI component, and control the first Bluetooth component to send the Bluetooth broadcast signal when the start-up positioning signal is received.

5. The multi-split air conditioning system according to claim 4, wherein, The first Bluetooth component is in a turned-off state after the network configuration is completed; The main control component is further configured to: upon receiving the start positioning signal, control the first Bluetooth component to turn on, and control the first Bluetooth component to send the Bluetooth broadcast signal.

6. The multi-split air conditioning system according to claim 4 or 5, wherein, The air conditioning equipment also includes: The first upgrade component is used to control the WIFI component to download upgrade data from the cloud server and upgrade the main control component according to the upgrade data.

7. The multi-split air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The maintenance terminal includes: A second Bluetooth component is configured to communicate with the air conditioning device via Bluetooth, to receive the Bluetooth broadcast signal sent by the air conditioning device, and to send the received Bluetooth broadcast signal to the control component; and The control component is configured as follows: The system receives the Bluetooth broadcast signal sent by the second Bluetooth component and parses the received Bluetooth broadcast signal to obtain the Bluetooth signal strength information in the Bluetooth broadcast signal. Based on the parsed Bluetooth signal strength information, the distance between the maintenance terminal and the air conditioning equipment is calculated; and When the distance between the maintenance terminal and the air conditioning equipment is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold, the air conditioning equipment is located based on the distance between the maintenance terminal and the air conditioning equipment.

8. The multi-split air conditioning system according to claim 7, wherein, The control component is also configured to: When the distance between the maintenance terminal and the air conditioning device is calculated to be less than or equal to a preset distance threshold, the second Bluetooth component is controlled to bind with the air conditioning device via Bluetooth, so as to send action commands to the air conditioning device through the second Bluetooth component.

9. The multi-split air conditioning system according to claim 8, wherein, The action command includes at least one of the following: power on / off command, air volume switching command, or swing switching command.

10. The multi-split air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, The maintenance terminal also includes: The second upgrade component is used to receive upgrade data and upgrade the control component according to the received upgrade data.

11. A multi-split air conditioning system, comprising a gateway; wherein an operating system is installed in the gateway, the operating system comprising a user layer and a kernel layer; The gateway includes: Communication components, including: The first interface, deployed in the user layer of the operating system, provides a calling interface for user applications; and The second interface, deployed in the kernel layer of the operating system, provides a calling interface for the operating system; the second interface is communicatively connected to the first interface; and A driver component, deployed in the kernel layer of the operating system, is used to process data from the communication component or communication bus.

12. The multi-split air conditioning system according to claim 11, wherein, The driver component includes an interrupt handler; the driver component is also used for: The interrupt handler receives bus data from the communication bus and sends the received bus data to the communication component. as well as When user data is received from the communication component, the user data is sent to the communication bus through the interrupt handler.

13. The multi-split air conditioning system according to claim 12, wherein, The interrupt handler includes: a data reception hard interrupt routine and a data reception soft interrupt routine; The gateway further includes a receive register configured to store bus data from the communication bus; The driving component is also used for: Upon receiving an interrupt request signal, the data reception hardware interrupt routine is initiated, and the data reception software interrupt routine is also initiated; and After the data reception soft interrupt is initiated, the received bus data is read from the receive register and sent to the communication component.

14. The multi-split air conditioning system according to claim 12, wherein, The interrupt handler includes: a data reception hard interrupt routine, a data reception soft interrupt routine, a data transmission hard interrupt routine, and a data transmission soft interrupt routine; The gateway also includes: A receive register, configured to store bus data from the communication bus; and A transmit register, configured to store an acknowledgment character; The driving component is also used for: When an interrupt request signal is received, the data reception hardware interrupt routine is started, and the data reception software interrupt routine is started. After the data receiving software interrupt routine is started, the received bus data is read from the receive register; When the data receiving software interrupt routine recognizes that the bus data requires a real-time response of the acknowledgment character, it initiates the data sending hardware interrupt routine and the data sending software interrupt routine; and The acknowledgment character is sent to the communication bus via the data transmission software interrupt program and the transmission register.

15. The multi-split air conditioning system according to claim 13 or 14, wherein, The driving component is also configured to: after the data reception hardware interrupt routine is started, mask the data reception hardware interrupt bit and start the data reception software interrupt routine.

16. The multi-split air conditioning system according to claim 12, wherein, The interrupt handler includes: a data transmission hard interrupt routine and a data transmission soft interrupt routine; The gateway further includes a transmit register configured to store the user data transmitted by the communication component; The driving component is also used for: When the user data sent by the communication component is received, the data transmission hardware interrupt routine is started, and the data transmission software interrupt routine is started; and The user data is sent to the communication bus via the data transmission software interrupt program and the transmission register.

17. The multi-split air conditioning system according to claim 12, wherein, The interrupt handler includes: a data transmission hard interrupt routine and a data transmission soft interrupt routine; The gateway further includes a transmit register configured to store the user data transmitted by the communication component; The driving component is also used for: When the user data sent by the communication component is received, it is determined whether there is an acknowledgment character being sent in the gateway; If it is confirmed that the gateway is sending the confirmation character, then the user data is cached. If it is confirmed that no acknowledgment character is being sent in the gateway, then the data transmission hardware interrupt routine is initiated, and the data transmission software interrupt routine is also initiated; and The user data is sent to the communication bus via the data transmission software interrupt program and the transmission register.

18. The multi-split air conditioning system according to claim 16 or 17, wherein, The driver component is also configured to: after the data transmission software interrupt routine is started, mask the data transmission hardware interrupt bit and send the user data to the communication bus through the transmission register.

19. The multi-split air conditioning system according to any one of claims 11 to 18, wherein, The operating system is Linux. The communication bus is a home bus. The driving component is a home bus driving component; The communication component is a home bus communication component.

20. A control method for a multi-split air conditioning system, wherein, The multi-split air conditioning system includes air conditioning equipment and a gateway; the air conditioning equipment is configured to send data to a communication bus; the gateway is configured to send data to a cloud server; an operating system is installed in the gateway, the operating system including a user layer and a kernel layer; the gateway includes a communication component and a driver component; the communication component includes a first interface and a second interface; the first interface is deployed in the user layer of the operating system and is used to: provide a calling interface for user applications; the second interface is deployed in the kernel layer of the operating system and is used to: provide a calling interface for the operating system; the first interface and the second interface are communicatively connected; the driver component is deployed in the kernel layer of the operating system and is used to: process data from the communication component or the communication bus; The control method includes: The air conditioning equipment sends data to the communication bus; When the drive component detects data transmission on the communication bus, it receives bus data from the communication bus through an interrupt handler. The driver component sends the received bus data to the communication component; and The communication component sends the received data to the cloud server, and then the cloud server sends it to the user.

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