Air conditioning system and communication method
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air conditioning systems face processing load issues due to complex processes for sharing and managing IP address tables among devices, leading to increased communication congestion and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a method where outdoor units generate secondary addresses for both themselves and connected indoor units using primary addresses, and obtain these addresses from other outdoor units and the central control device, allowing for efficient communication through different communication methods, reducing the need for complex table management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If IP addresses are assigned to respective devices using DHCP and a management device creates and shares a table associating IP addresses with device information, then high-speed communication can be performed between devices, but complicated processes are needed for sharing the table and managing changes, which imposes processing loads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the address management function from the central management device and relocates it to the gateway device. The gateway device now creates and maintains the table associating first addresses with second addresses, while other devices only need to communicate with the gateway for address resolution. This extraction reduces the management burden on individual devices and centralizes the complexity in a single point.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway device serves as an intermediary between devices using first addresses and devices using second addresses. The gateway maintains the mapping table and performs address translation, mediating communication between different address systems. This intermediary approach simplifies the overall system by providing a single point of address management rather than requiring all devices to participate in table sharing.
2Quantity of substance
If communication is performed using low-speed and low-cost communication lines such as communication lines shared with power supply lines, then cost is reduced, but traffic congestion occurs due to increased communication volume
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments communication into two distinct paths: control communication using the existing low-speed communication lines (first communication method), and data communication using high-speed networks (second communication method). This segmentation allows each communication type to use the most appropriate medium, preventing congestion on the control lines while enabling high-speed data transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway device performs multiple functions: it acts as a router between different communication methods, maintains address mapping tables, and enables both low-speed and high-speed communication protocols. This multi-functionality allows the system to leverage both communication infrastructures simultaneously, achieving high-speed data transfer while maintaining cost-effective control communication.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a relay device is used to connect high-level and low-level air conditioning systems with different protocols, then compatibility is achieved, but the relay device requires association information storage and conversion processing between protocols
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the protocol conversion function with the existing gateway device that already performs address mapping. Rather than adding a separate relay device for protocol conversion, the gateway integrates multiple functions (address translation, protocol conversion, and routing) into a single device. This reduces overall system complexity by consolidating conversion requirements.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
An air conditioning system includes: outdoor units (2-1 to 2-3); indoor units (1) each communicating with any one of the outdoor units (2-1 to 2-3) by a first communication method; and a central control device (3) communicating with each of the outdoor units (2-1 to 2-3) by a second communication method and controlling the outdoor units (2-1 to 2-3) and the indoor units (1). One of the outdoor units (2-1 to 2-3) generates, by using a first address used for communication performed using the first communication method, a second address used for communication performed using a second communication method, generates a second address for one or more of the indoor units (1) by using a first address, and obtains second addresses from another outdoor unit and the central control device (3). The central control device (3) obtains, from each of the outdoor units (2-1 to 2-3), second addresses of the outdoor unit and each indoor unit, and controls operations of the outdoor units (2-1 to 2-3) and the indoor units (1) by using the second addresses obtained.