Control device and air-conditioning system
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing air conditioning systems with separate control devices for outdoor and indoor units incur high costs and are inflexible in updating control specifications, as all units must have the same control version, making it difficult to change equipment with new specifications.
Innovation Solution
A control device that consolidates control functions for multiple units into one device, using re-entrant control programs shared among units of the same type, optimizing memory usage by assigning program regions based on equipment types and dynamically managing input/output data regions to reduce memory and processing loads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If separate control devices are provided for outdoor unit and indoor units, then each unit can be independently controlled, but the cost of the air conditioning system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent consolidates control functions by providing a single control device in the outdoor unit that can control both the outdoor unit and multiple indoor units. This merging of control functions reduces the number of separate control devices needed, thereby reducing system cost while maintaining independent control capability through software-based unit-specific control logic
Solution Approach 2:
The control device in the outdoor unit is designed with multi-functionality to perform both outdoor unit control and indoor unit control. By making the control device universal, it can replace multiple separate control devices, reducing overall system complexity and cost while maintaining the ability to independently control each unit type
2Reliability
If all control programs have the same control version, then system compatibility is maintained, but flexibility to update equipment with new control specifications is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The control program is segmented into unit-specific control logic and core control functions. This segmentation allows different indoor units to have access to updated control specifications through the outdoor unit's control device, while maintaining version compatibility through the standardized interface layer
Solution Approach 2:
The outdoor unit's control device acts as an intermediary between the control system and multiple indoor units. It can fetch and execute updated control programs from external sources and distribute them to relevant units, enabling flexible updates while maintaining system-wide compatibility through centralized coordination
3Device complexity
If control functions are consolidated into one control device, then system cost is reduced, but memory resource utilization becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The control program is designed to load only the necessary portions of control code into memory based on current operational requirements. When controlling different unit types, the system loads relevant control modules and discards unused portions, optimizing memory utilization while supporting multiple unit types through a single control device
Solution Approach 2:
The control program structure allows dynamic loading and unloading of unit-specific control modules into memory. This dynamic memory management enables the single control device to efficiently handle multiple indoor unit types by loading only the required control code segments, optimizing memory resource utilization
4Productivity
If control programs are created in units of operation modes, then processing load is reduced, but program complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control program is segmented into distinct operation mode modules (e.g., cooling mode, heating mode, dehumidification mode). Each module contains the specific control logic for that operation mode, allowing the system to load and execute only the relevant module based on current operational requirements, thereby reducing processing load while maintaining manageable program structure through modular design
Data Source
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AI summary
In a control device, in which respective control functions of a plurality of control targets are consolidated into one control device, a control device capable of effectively using memory resources is provided. The control device includes a main memory, a region assignment means that assigns program holding regions respectively corresponding to equipment types of the control targets and input/output data regions respectively corresponding to the control targets on the main memory, a loading means that loads control programs into the program holding regions, and a program execution means that executes the control programs. The control programs are made re-entrant. The control program written into each of the program holding regions is shared among respective controls of the control targets of the same equipment type.