Air conditioner control method and air conditioner

Abstract

The present application relates to an air conditioner control method and an air conditioner. The air conditioner control method comprises: acquiring a trigger state of each water level switch; and when determining that the trigger state of each water level switch satisfies a preset trigger condition, controlling a drain pump to stop or intermittently operate, wherein the preset trigger condition indicates that an air conditioner is affected by an external factor, which causes the rise of the water level in an outdoor water receiving tray.

Description

Air conditioner control methods and air conditioners

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202410989667.2, filed on July 22, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This application relates to the field of air conditioner technology, and more particularly to air conditioner control methods and air conditioners. Background Technology

[0004] Existing air conditioners reuse condensate water through methods such as water pumping and spray heat exchangers. By collecting condensate water, the purpose of eliminating the need for drainage can be achieved. However, when the air conditioner is heating in a cold environment, condensate water is generated on the outdoor heat exchanger. When there is rain or similar weather that affects the water system, the pump that collects condensate water will run unnecessarily multiple times. Excessive unnecessary operation of the pump will reduce its service life.

[0005] The above content is only used to help understand the technical solution of this application and does not represent an admission that the above content is prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The main purpose of this application is to provide a control method and an air conditioner, which aims to solve the technical problem in the prior art that when an air conditioner collects condensate, it is affected by the external environment, resulting in the pump running repeatedly without benefit and reducing its lifespan.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides a control method for an air conditioner, the air conditioner including an indoor heat exchanger, an outdoor heat exchanger, a drain pump, an indoor water receiving pan located at the bottom of the indoor heat exchanger, and an outdoor water receiving pan located at the bottom of the outdoor heat exchanger. An indoor unit water level switch is provided in the indoor water receiving pan, and an outdoor unit water level switch is provided in the outdoor water receiving pan. The drain pump is used to drain water from the outdoor water receiving pan to the indoor water receiving pan.

[0008] The method includes the following steps:

[0009] Obtain the trigger status of each water level switch; and

[0010] If the triggering state of each water level switch meets the preset triggering conditions, the drainage pump is controlled to stop or run intermittently.

[0011] The preset trigger condition indicates that the water level in the outdoor water tray rises due to external factors affecting the air conditioner.

[0012] In some embodiments, before determining that the triggering state of each water level switch meets the preset triggering condition, the control method further includes:

[0013] Turn on the drainage pump;

[0014] Obtain the running time of the drainage pump and / or the number of times the drainage pump is operated; and

[0015] When the running time is greater than or equal to the preset duration and / or the number of runs is greater than or equal to the preset number of runs, the preset triggering conditions are determined based on the triggering status of each water level switch.

[0016] In some embodiments, controlling the drainage pump to stop or operate intermittently includes:

[0017] After the drainage pump has been stopped for a preset time, it is then turned on.

[0018] In some embodiments, the outdoor unit water level switch includes an outdoor unit high water level switch and an outdoor unit low water level switch, and the indoor unit water level switch includes an indoor unit low water level switch; the preset trigger condition includes any one of the following:

[0019] The outdoor unit high water level switch, outdoor unit low water level switch, and indoor unit low water level switch were all triggered.

[0020] Both the outdoor unit's high water level switch and the indoor unit's low water level switch were triggered.

[0021] Both the outdoor unit high water level switch and the indoor unit high water level switch were triggered.

[0022] The outdoor unit high water level switch, the outdoor unit low water level switch, and the indoor unit high water level switch were all triggered.

[0023] The outdoor unit high water level switch, outdoor unit low water level switch, indoor unit high water level switch, and indoor unit low water level switch were all triggered.

[0024] In some embodiments, after obtaining the trigger status of each water level switch, the method further includes:

[0025] When the high water level switch of the outdoor unit is not triggered, the drainage pump is controlled to operate according to the triggering state of the low water level switch of the outdoor unit.

[0026] In some embodiments, controlling the operation of the drainage pump based on the trigger state of the outdoor unit's low water level switch includes:

[0027] When the low water level switch of the outdoor unit is triggered, the drain pump is started; and / or,

[0028] If the low water level switch of the outdoor unit is not triggered, the drain pump is shut down.

[0029] In some embodiments, after the drainage pump is turned on, the method further includes:

[0030] After a first time interval, if the indoor unit low water level switch is not triggered, the outdoor unit low water level switch is triggered, and / or the outdoor unit high water level switch is triggered, an alarm message is output.

[0031] In some embodiments, after the drainage pump is stopped, the method further includes:

[0032] After a second time interval, return to the step of obtaining the trigger status of each water level switch.

[0033] In some embodiments, the air conditioner further includes a water pump for discharging water from the indoor drip tray to the outdoor side;

[0034] After obtaining the trigger status of each water level switch, the method further includes:

[0035] The operation of the water pump is controlled according to the trigger state of the low water level switch of the indoor unit.

[0036] In some embodiments, controlling the operation of the water pump based on the trigger state of the indoor unit's low water level switch includes:

[0037] When the low water level switch of the indoor unit is triggered, the water pump is turned on. And / or,

[0038] When the low water level switch of the indoor unit is not triggered, the water pump is shut off.

[0039] In some embodiments, after the water pump is turned on, the method further includes:

[0040] After a second time interval, if the low water level switch of the indoor unit is triggered, an alarm message will be output.

[0041] In some embodiments, the indoor unit water level switch further includes an indoor unit high water level switch;

[0042] After obtaining the trigger status of each water level switch, the method further includes:

[0043] When the high water level switch of the indoor unit is triggered, an alarm message is output.

[0044] Furthermore, to achieve the above objectives, this application also proposes a control device for an air conditioner, the control device comprising:

[0045] The acquisition module is used to acquire the trigger status of each water level switch; and

[0046] The control module is used to control the drainage pump to stop or operate intermittently when the triggering state of each water level switch meets the preset triggering conditions.

[0047] In addition, to achieve the above objectives, this application also proposes an air conditioner, the air conditioner comprising: a memory, a processor, and a control program for the air conditioner stored in the memory and executable on the processor, the control program being configured to implement the steps of the control method for the air conditioner as described above.

[0048] In addition, to achieve the above objectives, this application also proposes a storage medium storing a control program for an air conditioner, wherein the control program for the air conditioner, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the control method for the air conditioner as described above.

[0049] In addition, to achieve the above objectives, this application also provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the air conditioner control method described above. Attached Figure Description

[0050] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application.

[0051] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0052] Figure 1 is a flowchart illustrating the first embodiment of the control method for the air conditioner of this application;

[0053] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of the air conditioner in this application;

[0054] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating the second embodiment of the control method for the air conditioner of this application;

[0055] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating the third embodiment of the control method for the air conditioner of this application.

[0056] Figure 5 is a structural block diagram of the first embodiment of the control device for the air conditioner of this application;

[0057] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an air conditioner in the hardware operating environment involved in the embodiment of this application.

[0058] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0059] No. Name 1 Outdoor Heat Exchanger 2 Indoor Heat Exchanger 3 Outdoor Drain Pan 4 Indoor Drain Pan 5 Drain Pump 6 Water Pump 7 Outdoor Fan 8 Indoor Fan 9 Outdoor Unit High Water Level Switch 10 Outdoor Unit Low Water Level Switch 11 Indoor Unit High Water Level Switch 12 Indoor Unit Low Water Level Switch 13 Sprayer Head

[0060] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of this application will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Embodiments of the present invention

[0061] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the technical solutions of this application and are not intended to limit this application.

[0062] Based on this, the present application provides a control method for an air conditioner. Referring to Figure 1, Figure 1 is a flowchart illustrating the first embodiment of the control method for an air conditioner according to the present application.

[0063] In this embodiment, the control method for the air conditioner includes the following steps:

[0064] Step S10: Obtain the trigger status of each water level switch.

[0065] The executing entity of this embodiment can be a computing service device with data processing, network communication and program running functions, such as a tablet computer, personal computer, mobile phone, etc., or an electronic device that can realize the above functions, such as an air conditioner controller, etc. The following uses an air conditioner controller as an example to describe this embodiment and the following embodiments.

[0066] During operation, depending on the operating mode, the indoor heat exchanger 2 on the indoor side or the outdoor heat exchanger 1 on the outdoor side of the air conditioner may generate condensate. In this embodiment, the condensate can be collected and subjected to water pumping or spraying operations to improve the utilization efficiency of the condensate.

[0067] In cold environments, when an air conditioner is used for heating, insufficient water spraying on the outdoor fan blades can cause water to splash and freeze, potentially damaging the blades. The outdoor unit's pump may also become clogged due to freezing. To ensure the effectiveness of the water pump in a cooling and heating air conditioner during low-temperature heating, the pump is placed in the indoor unit. If the air conditioner is affected by external factors causing the water level in the outdoor drip tray 3 to rise, it may trigger the condensate drainage mechanism, leading to continuous pump operation and impacting the pump's lifespan.

[0068] To address the aforementioned issues, a common approach is to add a rain sensor or other device to the air conditioner to detect whether it is raining in the outside environment, enabling real-time monitoring of rainy days or similar conditions. However, this increases the cost of the air conditioner, and the sensor is easily damaged due to prolonged exposure to the external environment. Therefore, this embodiment obtains the trigger status of each water level switch; when the trigger status of each water level switch meets the preset trigger conditions, the drain pump 5 is controlled to stop or operate intermittently, reducing the number of ineffective runs of the drain pump 5 and improving the efficiency of condensate water utilization.

[0069] Referring to Figure 2, which is a schematic diagram of the air conditioner in this embodiment, the air conditioner in this embodiment can be a window air conditioner or other air conditioners that can achieve low-temperature drainage function, or other air conditioning systems or fresh air systems that need to drain. Taking a window air conditioner as an example, specifically, the air conditioner in this embodiment includes a heat pump system and a drainage device. The refrigerant circulation loop in the heat pump system includes an outdoor unit component located on the outdoor side and an indoor unit component located on the indoor side. The outdoor unit component and the indoor unit component are connected by a saddle bridge.

[0070] The heat pump system includes at least an indoor heat exchanger 2 and an outdoor heat exchanger 1. An outdoor water receiving pan 3 is installed below the outdoor heat exchanger 1, and an indoor water receiving pan 4 is installed below the indoor heat exchanger 2. A drainage device is used to drain water from the outdoor water receiving pan 3 and / or the indoor water receiving pan 4. Specifically, the drainage device includes a drain pump 5 and a water pump 6. The drain pump 5 is located inside the outdoor unit and is used to discharge condensate from the first water storage tank to the second water storage tank. The water pump 6 is located inside the indoor unit and is used to discharge condensate from the second water storage tank to the outdoor side.

[0071] In this embodiment and subsequent embodiments, the spray pump is described as a water pump 6. Specifically, a spray head 13 is provided on the outer surface of the housing of the outdoor unit of the air conditioner. A spray pipe is also provided between the spray head 13 and the water pump 6. The water pump 6 discharges the condensate in the indoor water tray 4 to the outdoor side through the spray pipe and the spray head 13. The water pump 6 is suitable for drawing water stored in the indoor water tray 4 and discharging it to the outdoor environment through the spray head 13 when it is started.

[0072] Meanwhile, one end of the drain pump 5 is provided with a drain pipe that extends into the indoor water receiving pan 4, and the other end of the drain pump 5 is connected to the outdoor water receiving pan 3. The drain pump 5 is suitable for drawing water from the outdoor water receiving pan 3 and discharging it into the indoor water receiving pan 4 when it is started. In addition, the outdoor water receiving pan 3 can also be provided with a drain hole, so that the water in the outdoor water receiving pan 3 can be directly discharged outdoors when the air conditioner is not powered on, avoiding the accumulation of a large amount of rainwater or debris due to the influence of the external environment, which could cause blockage of the drain pipe of the drain pump 5 and affect the normal use of the air conditioner.

[0073] In specific implementation, in order to improve the drainage efficiency of the drainage pump 5 and the water pump 6, water level switches are provided in both the outdoor water receiving pan 3 and the indoor water receiving pan 4 in this embodiment. This allows the operation of the drainage pump 5 and / or the water pump 6 to be controlled according to the triggering state of each water level switch, reducing unnecessary drainage operations and improving the service life of the pump body. Specifically, the indoor unit is also equipped with an indoor high water level switch 11 and an indoor low water level switch 12 for monitoring the water level in the indoor water receiving pan 4; the outdoor unit is also equipped with an outdoor high water level switch 9 and an outdoor low water level switch 10 for monitoring the water level in the outdoor water receiving pan 3.

[0074] The heat pump system is also equipped with a compressor and an outdoor fan 7 corresponding to the outdoor heat exchanger 1. The indoor unit is also equipped with an indoor fan 8 corresponding to the indoor heat exchanger 2. A throttling device for controlling the refrigerant flow is also provided between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit.

[0075] All water level switches are installed in the water receiving tray. When the water stored in the water receiving tray reaches a certain height, the water level switch will be triggered. The water level switch can be a water level float, pressure sensor, capacitive sensor, etc. This embodiment does not make specific restrictions on this.

[0076] Step S20: When the triggering state of each water level switch meets the preset triggering conditions, control the drainage pump to stop or run intermittently.

[0077] The preset trigger condition is used to indicate the judgment condition corresponding to the rise of the water level in the outdoor water receiving pan 3 caused by external factors. Specifically, the preset trigger condition includes at least one of the following: the outdoor unit high water level switch, the outdoor unit low water level switch, and the indoor unit low water level switch are all triggered; the outdoor unit high water level switch and the indoor unit low water level switch are all triggered; the outdoor unit high water level switch and the indoor unit high water level switch are all triggered; the outdoor unit high water level switch, the outdoor unit low water level switch, and the indoor unit high water level switch are all triggered; the outdoor unit high water level switch, the outdoor unit low water level switch, the indoor unit high water level switch, and the indoor unit low water level switch are all triggered.

[0078] This indicates that the external environment may be in a rainy state or other similar state. At this time, turning on the drain pump 5 will not lower the water level in the outdoor water receiving pan 3, which is an ineffective operation. Therefore, by controlling the drain pump 5 to stop or run intermittently, the operating energy consumption of the air conditioner can be reduced, the ineffective operation of the drain pump 5 can be avoided, and the service life of the pump can be improved.

[0079] In practice, whether it is raining suddenly or continuously during the operation of the air conditioner, as long as the air conditioner detects that each water level switch meets the judgment condition corresponding to the rise of the water level in the outdoor water receiving pan 3 caused by external factors, the air conditioner can control the drainage pump 5 to stop or run intermittently.

[0080] In some embodiments, before determining that the triggering state of each water level switch meets a preset triggering condition, the method further includes:

[0081] Turn on the drainage pump;

[0082] Obtain the running time of the drainage pump and / or the number of times the drainage pump is operated; and

[0083] When the running time is greater than or equal to the preset duration and / or the number of runs is greater than or equal to the preset number of runs, the preset triggering conditions are determined based on the triggering status of each water level switch.

[0084] Since this embodiment aims to address the issue that due to rain or similar conditions, the water level in the outdoor drip tray is high, causing the drain pump in the outdoor drip tray to run continuously or intermittently, resulting in excessive and unnecessary pump operation and ultimately reducing the pump's lifespan, it is necessary to determine whether the drain pump meets the conditions for multiple or continuous operation before controlling the drain pump. This improves the reliability of air conditioner control and avoids affecting the efficiency of the air conditioner in collecting condensate.

[0085] The drain pump runs continuously due to the high water level in the drip tray until the water level drops to a certain height. During this process, two situations may occur: First, the water level in the drip tray continues to rise and remains above the low water level switch. In this case, the drain pump will remain on. Second, the water level in the drip tray drops due to the drain pump until it falls below the low water level switch. At this point, the drain pump stops, but due to external environmental influences, the water level rises again above the low water level switch. In this case, the drain pump will start again to drain water, causing frequent start-stop cycles. In either case, the drain pump will be operating ineffectively. Therefore, this embodiment monitors the running time and / or the number of times the drain pump runs to determine whether the air conditioner is affected by the external environment and whether the drain pump is operating ineffectively.

[0086] In the specific implementation, the preset duration can be set to 30 minutes and the preset number of times can be set to 3 times. That is, if the single continuous running time of the drain pump is greater than or equal to 30 minutes and / or the number of times the drain pump runs is greater than or equal to 3 times, it is determined that the air conditioner is in rain or similar conditions, and there is a situation where the drain pump is not running effectively. Therefore, at this time, the preset triggering conditions can be determined based on the triggering status of each water level switch, thereby controlling the operating status of the air conditioner and reducing the ineffective operation of the pump.

[0087] In some embodiments, controlling the drainage pump to stop or operate intermittently includes:

[0088] After the drainage pump has been stopped for a preset time, it is then turned on.

[0089] As mentioned above, when the air conditioner is affected by the external environment, the drain pump may stop. In order to achieve normal collection and use of condensate water from the air conditioner, in this embodiment, even if the drain pump stops, it can be restarted after a period of time, thereby reducing the water level in the outdoor water tray and improving the operating environment of the air conditioner and purifying the water quality.

[0090] In some embodiments, after the drainage pump 5 is stopped, the method further includes:

[0091] After a second time interval, return to the step of obtaining the trigger status of each water level switch.

[0092] In order to continuously monitor the water level of the outdoor water tray 3 and control the consumption of condensate, after the drain pump 5 stops, the trigger status of each water level switch can be retrieved again at certain intervals. If the outdoor water tray 3 is no longer affected by the external environment at this time, the drain pump 5 can continue to consume condensate in the heating mode to avoid the freezing of condensate in the outdoor water tray 3 caused by the low temperature environment. The second time interval can be set to 20 minutes or other time intervals. This embodiment does not make specific restrictions on this.

[0093] This embodiment obtains the trigger status of each water level switch. When the trigger status of each water level switch meets the preset trigger conditions, it controls the drainage pump to stop or run intermittently. This reduces the situation where the drainage pump is affected by the external environment, causing the water level in the outdoor water receiving pan to rise and thus run continuously without being able to lower the water level in the outdoor water receiving pan, resulting in ineffective operation. By controlling the drainage pump to stop or run intermittently, the service life of the pump body is improved.

[0094] Based on the first embodiment of this application, in the second embodiment of this application, the content that is the same as or similar to that in the first embodiment described above can be referred to the above description and will not be repeated hereafter. Based on this, please refer to Figure 3. After step S10, the method further includes:

[0095] Step S201: When the high water level switch of the outdoor unit is not triggered, control the operation of the drainage pump according to the triggering state of the low water level switch of the outdoor unit.

[0096] If the outdoor unit's high water level switch is not triggered, it means that the water level in the outdoor water receiving pan 3 is not high and is less affected by external environmental factors. Therefore, the drainage of the outdoor water receiving pan 3 can proceed normally. That is, the operation of the drainage pump 5 is controlled according to the triggering status of the outdoor unit's low water level switch.

[0097] In some embodiments, controlling the operation of the drainage pump based on the trigger state of the outdoor unit's low water level switch includes:

[0098] When the low water level switch of the outdoor unit is triggered, the drain pump is started; and / or,

[0099] If the low water level switch of the outdoor unit is not triggered, the drain pump is shut down.

[0100] In practice, if the water level in the outdoor water tray 3 triggers the low water level switch of the outdoor unit set in the outdoor water tray 3, it means that the condensate collected in the outdoor water tray 3 is high. At this time, it may affect the collection of condensate. Therefore, the water in the outdoor water tray 3 can be discharged to the indoor water tray 4 through the drainage pipe by turning on the drain pump 5, and then sprayed indoors or pumped by the indoor fan 8 to consume the condensate. Alternatively, the condensate can be discharged outdoors by the water pump 6 connected to the external environment.

[0101] In some embodiments, after the drainage pump is turned on, the method further includes:

[0102] After a first time interval, if the indoor unit low water level switch is not triggered, the outdoor unit low water level switch is triggered, and / or the outdoor unit high water level switch is triggered, an alarm message is output and the air conditioner is controlled to stop.

[0103] When the air conditioner starts running, the water pump 6 and fan in the indoor unit are all turned off. At this time, the water in the indoor water tray 4 will not be consumed. Therefore, if the low water level switch of the outdoor unit is triggered, the water in the outdoor water tray 3 will be transported to the indoor water tray 4 by the drain pump 5. Theoretically, the water level in the indoor water tray 4 will slowly rise until a water pumping or spraying command is received.

[0104] In this situation, if the low water level switch 12 of the indoor unit in the indoor water tray 4 is not triggered after the first interval, it indicates that there may be a problem such as sensor damage, damage to the indoor water tray 4, or damage to the drain pump 5. At this time, an alarm message can be output to remind the user to inspect the air conditioner and control the air conditioner to stop, so as to avoid causing greater equipment damage and affecting the user's experience.

[0105] Similarly, if the low water level switch of the outdoor unit is triggered after the first interval, it indicates that there is a drainage pump failure or a water level sensor failure, which causes the water level in the outdoor water tray to fail to drain or to be misjudged. If the high water level switch of the outdoor unit is triggered, there may be a water level sensor failure. In this case, an alarm message can be output to remind the user to inspect the air conditioner and to control the air conditioner to stop.

[0106] This embodiment controls the operation of the drainage pump according to the triggering state of the low water level switch of the outdoor unit when the high water level switch of the outdoor unit is not triggered. This improves the water level control efficiency of the outdoor water receiving pan, avoids freezing of condensate in the outdoor water receiving pan in low temperature environments, which could damage the drainage pump and extend the service life of the equipment.

[0107] Based on the second embodiment of this application, in the third embodiment of this application, the content that is the same as or similar to that in the first embodiment described above can be referred to the above description and will not be repeated hereafter. Based on this, please refer to Figure 4. After step S10, the method further includes:

[0108] Step S202: Control the operation of the water pump according to the trigger state of the low water level switch of the indoor unit.

[0109] When the water level in the indoor water tray 4 is too high, it will affect the operating status of the various components in the indoor unit of the air conditioner, and there is a risk of corrosion or leakage. Therefore, the water pump 6 can be controlled to operate according to the triggering state of the low water level switch of the indoor unit. When the water level in the indoor water tray 4 is high, the water in the indoor water tray 4 can be discharged to the outdoor environment by the water pump 6. For example, in this embodiment, the water in the indoor water tray 4 can be discharged to the outside environment in the form of a spray through a spray pump and a spray pipe.

[0110] In some embodiments, controlling the operation of the water pump 6 according to the trigger state of the indoor unit's low water level switch includes:

[0111] When the low water level switch of the indoor unit is triggered, the water pump is turned on. And / or,

[0112] When the low water level switch of the indoor unit is not triggered, the water pump is shut off.

[0113] In practice, if the water level in the indoor water tray 4 triggers the low water level switch of the condenser set in the indoor water tray 4, it means that the condensate collected in the indoor water tray 4 is high. At this time, it may affect the collection of condensate. Therefore, the water level in the indoor water tray 4 can be reduced by turning on the water pump 6 and discharging the water in the indoor water tray 4 to the outside environment through the water pipeline.

[0114] After the water pump is turned on, the method further includes:

[0115] After a second time interval, if the low water level switch of the indoor unit is triggered, an alarm message will be output.

[0116] After a second time interval, the low water level switch 12 of the indoor unit in the indoor water tray 4 is triggered, indicating that there may be a problem such as sensor damage, damage to the indoor water tray 4, or damage to the water pump. At this time, an alarm message can be output to remind the user to inspect the air conditioner and control the air conditioner to stop, so as to avoid causing greater equipment damage and affecting the user experience.

[0117] In some embodiments, the indoor unit water level switch also includes an indoor unit high water level switch;

[0118] When the high water level switch of the indoor unit is triggered, an alarm message is output and the air conditioner is controlled to stop.

[0119] If the water level in the indoor drip tray 4 is too high, triggering the high water level switch of the indoor unit, it indicates that there is a high probability of water leakage. In more serious cases, it may cause a short circuit in the indoor unit of the air conditioner, posing a safety risk. Therefore, an alarm message can be output to remind the user to inspect the air conditioner and to control the air conditioner to stop, so as to avoid causing greater equipment damage and affecting the user experience.

[0120] This embodiment controls the operation of the water pump 6 according to the trigger state of the indoor unit's low water level switch, thereby improving the efficiency of water level control for the indoor water tray, preventing the water level in the indoor water tray 4 from being too high, which would affect the normal use of the indoor unit and improve the user experience.

[0121] This application also provides a control device for an air conditioner. Referring to Figure 5, the control device for the air conditioner includes:

[0122] The acquisition module 10 is used to acquire the trigger status of each water level switch.

[0123] Control module 20 is used to control the drainage pump 5 to stop or operate intermittently when the triggering state of each water level switch meets the preset triggering conditions.

[0124] In some embodiments, the control module 20 is further configured to: start the drainage pump; obtain the running time of the drainage pump and / or the number of times the drainage pump runs; and when the running time is greater than or equal to a preset duration and / or the number of times the pump runs is greater than or equal to a preset number of times, determine whether a preset triggering condition is met based on the triggering state of each water level switch.

[0125] In some embodiments, the control module 20 is further configured to control the drainage pump to start after a preset shutdown time.

[0126] In some embodiments, the control module 20 is further configured to allow the preset triggering condition to include any one of the following: the outdoor unit high water level switch, the outdoor unit low water level switch, and the indoor unit low water level switch are all triggered; the outdoor unit high water level switch and the indoor unit low water level switch are all triggered; the outdoor unit high water level switch and the indoor unit high water level switch are all triggered; the outdoor unit high water level switch, the outdoor unit low water level switch, and the indoor unit high water level switch are all triggered; the outdoor unit high water level switch, the outdoor unit low water level switch, the indoor unit high water level switch, and the indoor unit low water level switch are all triggered.

[0127] In some embodiments, the control module 20 is further configured to control the operation of the drainage pump according to the triggering state of the low water level switch of the outdoor unit when the high water level switch of the outdoor unit is not triggered.

[0128] In some embodiments, the control module 20 is further configured to turn on the drain pump when the low water level switch of the outdoor unit is triggered; and / or turn off the drain pump when the low water level switch of the outdoor unit is not triggered.

[0129] In some embodiments, the control module 20 is further configured to output alarm information after a first time interval, in the case that the indoor unit low water level switch is not triggered, the outdoor unit low water level switch is triggered, and / or the outdoor unit high water level switch is triggered.

[0130] In some embodiments, the control module 20 is further configured to control the operation of the water pump according to the triggering state of the indoor unit low water level switch.

[0131] In some embodiments, the control module 20 is further configured to turn on the water pump when the indoor unit low water level switch is triggered, and / or turn off the water pump when the indoor unit low water level switch is not triggered.

[0132] In some embodiments, the control module 20 is further configured to output an alarm message when the low water level switch of the indoor unit is triggered after a second time interval.

[0133] In some embodiments, the control module 20 is further configured to output alarm information when the high water level switch of the indoor unit is triggered.

[0134] This embodiment obtains the trigger status of each water level switch. When the trigger status of each water level switch meets the preset trigger conditions, it controls the drainage pump to stop or run intermittently. This reduces the situation where the drainage pump is affected by the external environment, causing the water level in the outdoor water receiving pan to rise and thus run continuously without being able to lower the water level in the outdoor water receiving pan, resulting in ineffective operation. By controlling the drainage pump to stop or run intermittently, the service life of the pump body is improved.

[0135] The air conditioner control device provided in this application, employing the air conditioner control method in the above embodiments, can solve the technical problem of air conditioner control. Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the air conditioner control device provided in this application are the same as those of the air conditioner control method provided in the above embodiments, and other technical features in the air conditioner control device are the same as those disclosed in the methods of the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0136] This application provides an air conditioner, which includes: at least one processor; and a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor; wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor, which are executed by the at least one processor to enable the at least one processor to perform the control method of the air conditioner in the first embodiment described above.

[0137] Referring now to Figure 6, a structural schematic diagram of an air conditioner suitable for implementing embodiments of this application is shown. The air conditioner in embodiments of this application may include, but is not limited to, mobile terminals such as mobile phones, laptops, digital broadcast receivers, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), PADs (Portable Application Description), PMPs (Portable Media Players), in-vehicle terminals (e.g., in-vehicle navigation terminals), and fixed terminals such as digital TVs and desktop computers. The air conditioner shown in Figure 6 is merely an example and should not impose any limitations on the functionality and scope of use of embodiments of this application.

[0138] As shown in Figure 6, the air conditioner may include a processing unit 1001 (e.g., a central processing unit, a graphics processor, etc.), which can perform various appropriate actions and processes according to a program stored in a read-only memory (ROM) 1002 or a program loaded from a storage device 1003 into a random access memory (RAM) 1004. The RAM 1004 also stores various programs and data required for the operation of the air conditioner. The processing unit 1001, ROM 1002, and RAM 1004 are interconnected via a bus 1005. An input / output (I / O) interface 1006 is also connected to the bus. Typically, the following systems can be connected to the I / O interface 1006: input devices 1007 including, for example, a touchscreen, touchpad, keyboard, mouse, image sensor, microphone, accelerometer, gyroscope, etc.; output devices 1008 including, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), speaker, vibrator, etc.; storage devices 1003 including, for example, magnetic tape, hard disk, etc.; and communication devices 1009. The communication device 1009 allows the air conditioner to communicate wirelessly or wiredly with other devices to exchange data. Although the figure shows an air conditioner with various systems, it should be understood that it is not required to implement or have all of the systems shown. More or fewer systems may be implemented alternatively.

[0139] Specifically, according to the embodiments disclosed in this application, the processes described above with reference to the flowcharts can be implemented as computer software programs. For example, embodiments disclosed in this application include a computer program product comprising a computer program carried on a computer-readable medium, the computer program containing program code for performing the methods shown in the flowcharts. In such embodiments, the computer program can be downloaded and installed from a network via a communication device, or installed from storage device 1003, or installed from ROM 1002. When the computer program is executed by processing device 1001, it performs the functions defined in the methods of the embodiments disclosed in this application.

[0140] The air conditioner provided in this application, employing the control method of the air conditioner in the above embodiments, can solve the technical problem of air conditioner control. Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the air conditioner provided in this application are the same as the beneficial effects of the control method of the air conditioner provided in the above embodiments, and other technical features of this air conditioner are the same as those disclosed in the method of the previous embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0141] It should be understood that the various parts disclosed in this application can be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. In the description of the above embodiments, specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0142] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

[0143] This application provides a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program instructions (i.e., a computer program) stored thereon, the computer-readable program instructions being used to execute the air conditioner control method of the above embodiments.

[0144] The computer-readable storage medium provided in this application may be, for example, a USB flash drive, but is not limited to, electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, devices, or any combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media may include, but are not limited to: electrical connections having one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof. In this embodiment, the computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium containing or storing a program that can be used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, system, or device. The program code contained on the computer-readable storage medium may be transmitted using any suitable medium, including but not limited to: wires, optical cables, RF (Radio Frequency), etc., or any suitable combination thereof.

[0145] The aforementioned computer-readable storage medium may be included in the air conditioner; or it may exist independently and not be installed in the air conditioner.

[0146] The aforementioned computer-readable storage medium carries one or more programs that, when executed by the air conditioner, cause the air conditioner to control itself.

[0147] Computer program code for performing the operations of this application can be written in one or more programming languages ​​or a combination thereof, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java, Smalltalk, and C++, and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as the "C" language or similar programming languages. The program code can be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In cases involving remote computers, the remote computer can be connected to the user's computer via any type of network—including a Local Area Network (LAN) or a Wide Area Network (WAN)—or can be connected to an external computer (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0148] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of this application. In this regard, each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of code containing one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions indicated in the blocks may occur in a different order than those indicated in the drawings. For example, two consecutively indicated blocks may actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each block in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, can be implemented using a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or operation, or using a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0149] The modules described in the embodiments of this application can be implemented in software or hardware. The names of the modules do not necessarily limit the functionality of the unit itself.

[0150] The readable storage medium provided in this application is a computer-readable storage medium that stores computer-readable program instructions (i.e., a computer program) for executing the control method of the air conditioner described above, and is capable of solving the technical problem of air conditioner control. Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the computer-readable storage medium provided in this application are the same as the beneficial effects of the control method of the air conditioner provided in the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0151] This application also provides a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the air conditioner control method described above.

[0152] The computer program product provided in this application can solve the technical problem of air conditioner control. Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the computer program product provided in this application are the same as the beneficial effects of the air conditioner control method provided in the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0153] The above description is only a part of the embodiments of this application and does not limit the patent scope of this application. All equivalent structural transformations made under the technical concept of this application and using the contents of the specification and drawings of this application, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included in the patent protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A control method of an air conditioner, wherein, The air conditioner comprises an indoor heat exchanger, an outdoor heat exchanger, a drainage pump, an indoor water receiving tray arranged at the bottom of the indoor heat exchanger, and an outdoor water receiving tray arranged at the bottom of the outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor water level switch arranged in the indoor water receiving tray, an outdoor water level switch arranged in the outdoor water receiving tray, and the drainage pump is used to drain water in the outdoor water receiving tray to the indoor water receiving tray. The control method of the air conditioner comprises: obtaining the triggering state of each water level switch; and in the case where it is determined that the triggering state of each water level switch meets a preset triggering condition, controlling the drainage pump to stop or intermittently operate; wherein the preset triggering condition indicates that the air conditioner is affected by external factors to cause the water level in the outdoor water receiving tray to rise.

2. The control method of an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein, Before determining that the triggering state of each water level switch meets the preset triggering condition, the control method further comprises: starting the drainage pump; obtaining the running duration of the drainage pump and / or the running frequency of the drainage pump; and when the running duration is greater than or equal to a preset duration and / or the running frequency is greater than or equal to a preset frequency, determining whether the preset triggering condition is met according to the triggering state of each water level switch.

3. The control method of an air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The control of the drainage pump to stop or intermittently operate comprises: controlling the drainage pump to stop for a preset duration, and then starting the drainage pump.

4. The control method of an air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The outdoor water level switch comprises an outdoor high water level switch and an outdoor low water level switch, and the indoor water level switch comprises an indoor low water level switch; the preset triggering condition comprises any one of the following: all of the outdoor high water level switch, the outdoor low water level switch and the indoor low water level switch are triggered; both of the outdoor high water level switch and the indoor low water level switch are triggered; both of the outdoor high water level switch and the indoor high water level switch are triggered; all of the outdoor high water level switch, the outdoor low water level switch and the indoor high water level switch are triggered; all of the outdoor high water level switch, the outdoor low water level switch, the indoor high water level switch and the indoor low water level switch are triggered.

5. The control method of an air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein, After the step of obtaining the triggering state of each water level switch, the method further comprises: when the outdoor high water level switch is not triggered, controlling the drainage pump to operate according to the triggering state of the outdoor low water level switch.

6. The control method of an air conditioner according to claim 5, wherein, The control of the drainage pump to operate according to the triggering state of the outdoor low water level switch comprises: when the outdoor low water level switch is triggered, starting the drainage pump; and / or when the outdoor low water level switch is not triggered, stopping the drainage pump.

7. The control method of an air conditioner according to claim 6, wherein, After the step of starting the drainage pump, the method further comprises: after a first duration, in the case where the indoor low water level switch is not triggered, the outdoor low water level switch is triggered and / or the outdoor high water level switch is triggered, outputting an alarm information.

8. The control method of an air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The air conditioner further comprises a water delivery pump, and the water delivery pump is used to drain water in the indoor water receiving tray to the outdoor side. After the step of obtaining the triggering state of each water level switch, the method further comprises: controlling the water delivery pump to operate according to the triggering state of the indoor low water level switch.

9. The control method of an air conditioner according to claim 8, wherein, The control of the water delivery pump to operate according to the triggering state of the indoor low water level switch comprises: when the indoor low water level switch is triggered, starting the water delivery pump; and / or when the indoor low water level switch is not triggered, stopping the water delivery pump. When the low water level switch of the indoor unit is not triggered, the water pump is turned off.

10. The control method of an air conditioner according to claim 9, wherein, After the water pump is turned on, the method further comprises: After a second time interval, if the low water level switch of the indoor unit is triggered, an alarm information is output.

11. The control method of an air conditioner according to any one of claims 4 to 10, wherein, The indoor water level switch further comprises a high water level switch of the indoor unit. After the triggering state of each water level switch is obtained, the method further comprises: If the high water level switch of the indoor unit is triggered, an alarm information is output.

12. An air conditioner, wherein, The air conditioner comprises a control device and an indoor heat exchanger, an outdoor heat exchanger, a water pump, an indoor water receiving tray arranged at the bottom of the indoor heat exchanger, and an outdoor water receiving tray arranged at the bottom of the outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor water level switch arranged in the indoor water receiving tray, an outdoor water level switch arranged in the outdoor water receiving tray, the water pump is used to drain water in the outdoor water receiving tray to the indoor water receiving tray, and the control device comprises a memory, a processor, and a control program of the air conditioner stored in the memory and capable of running on the processor, the control program of the air conditioner is configured to implement the control method of the air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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