Air Conditioner Signal Conversion for Inverter Unit Compatibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air conditioners face limitations in compatibility and energy efficiency, requiring replacement of both indoor and outdoor units to upgrade to more energy-efficient outdoor units, which is costly and inconvenient.
Innovation Solution
An air conditioner system that includes an indoor controller generating communication signals, a main controller to combine these signals into a single serial signal for the outdoor unit, allowing the outdoor unit to operate efficiently without replacing the indoor controller or unit, and enabling bidirectional communication for precise control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If an outdoor unit is replaced with an outdoor unit with improved energy efficiency, then energy efficiency is improved, but compatibility with existing indoor controllers is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
A communication signal conversion unit is introduced as an intermediary component between the indoor controller and the inverter outdoor unit. This conversion unit receives contact signals from the indoor controller and converts them into frequency modulation signals that the inverter outdoor unit can understand, thereby enabling compatibility between the existing indoor controller and the new energy-efficient outdoor unit without requiring replacement of the indoor controller.
2Use of energy by moving object
If both indoor controller and outdoor unit are replaced to achieve improved energy efficiency, then energy efficiency is improved, but device complexity and cost are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The communication signal conversion function is extracted as a separate, independent component (communication signal conversion unit) rather than integrating it into either the indoor controller or the outdoor unit. This modular approach allows the conversion unit to be added independently to enable compatibility, avoiding the need to replace the entire indoor controller system while achieving energy efficiency improvements.
3Ease of operation
If contact signals are directly transmitted to the inverter outdoor unit, then ease of operation is maintained, but communication precision and control accuracy are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The communication signal conversion unit changes the parameter format of communication signals from contact signals (on/off states) to frequency modulation signals (variable frequency). This parameter transformation enables more precise control of the inverter outdoor unit while maintaining the simplicity of operation for users, as the conversion is handled automatically by the system.
Data Source
AI summary
An air conditioner including an indoor controller configured to receive an operation command from a user, and generate a plurality of first communication signals corresponding to the operation command; an outdoor unit; and a main controller configured to connect to the indoor controller and the outdoor unit, receive the plurality of first communication signals, and convert the plurality of first communication signals into a single second communication signal by combining the plurality of first communication signals, and transmit the single second communication signal to the outdoor unit to control operation of the outdoor unit. The outdoor unit is configured to receive the single second communication signal, and operate based on the single second communication signal.