KR102114307B1 - Air conditioner and method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an air conditioner and a control method thereof. According to the present invention, the air conditioner comprises: an outdoor unit; a plurality of indoor units connected to the outdoor unit; and a remote controller connected to a first indoor unit and performing local control to control the first indoor unit for a plurality of units including the outdoor unit and the plurality of indoor units. The remote controller determines errors for the plurality of units through local control and remote control by receiving unit information from the outdoor unit and the plurality of indoor units to synchronize data and by emergency control of the unit where the error occurred according to received error information and may restore an error through emergence control to allow normal operation.

Description

Air conditioner and control method thereof

The present invention relates to an air conditioner and a method for controlling the air conditioner and a control method for conveniently controlling a plurality of units using a remote control.

The air conditioner is installed to provide a more comfortable indoor environment by discharging cold and hot air into the room to create a comfortable indoor environment, adjusting the indoor temperature, and purifying the indoor air.

The air conditioner is controlled by an indoor unit composed of a heat exchanger, and an outdoor unit composed of a compressor and a heat exchanger, and the outdoor unit and the indoor unit are connected to a refrigerant pipe, and the refrigerant compressed from the compressor of the outdoor unit is supplied to the heat exchanger of the indoor unit through the refrigerant pipe, The refrigerant exchanged in the heat exchanger of the indoor unit flows back into the compressor of the outdoor unit through the refrigerant pipe. Accordingly, the indoor unit discharges cold and hot air into the room through heat exchange using a refrigerant.

Units such as outdoor units and indoor units in an air conditioner are interconnected in units of buildings or small groups to transmit and receive data, and to monitor and control the status of each unit through transmitted and received data.

The air conditioner operates by transmitting and receiving data between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit, and the controller receives and receives data from the indoor unit or the outdoor unit to monitor and control the operation status of a plurality of units. In addition, the air conditioner includes a remote control.

The remote control is provided with a remote control or a wireless remote control connected to the indoor unit, and a user can control a specific indoor unit by operating the remote control.

For example, Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2008-0094278 (published on October 23, 2008), a button unit for instructing the operation of the air conditioner, a display unit for indicating the operating condition of the air conditioner and air conditioning A remote controller of an air conditioner including a rotary switch for setting a reserved operation time of a device is proposed.

In addition, Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2007-0038489 (2007.4.19) discloses a wired controller connected to an indoor unit. The wired controller performs monitoring and control of the indoor unit connected by the remote control.

However, in the case of the conventional remote control, it is limited to monitoring and control of the status of one connected indoor unit, and there is a problem that monitoring and control are possible only for the connected indoor unit.

Since the remote control cannot be used as a communication unit as a single unit, there is a limitation in expandability of the function.

An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner that operates as a controller by communicating with an air conditioner unit, as well as an indoor unit to which a remote control capable of controlling units is connected, and a control method thereof.

The present invention is to provide an air conditioner and a control method for improving convenience of use by monitoring and controlling the status of units with any one remote control.

The present invention is to provide an air conditioner and a control method for remote control of a plurality of units using a remote control unit to perform emergency control when an error occurs in a unit and recover the generated error.

An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner having a communication structure that has advantages in terms of communication performance and expandability at a low cost and a control method thereof.

The air conditioner according to the present invention is connected to a first indoor unit with respect to a plurality of units, including an outdoor unit, a plurality of indoor units connected to the outdoor unit, the outdoor unit and the plurality of indoor units, and provides local control to control the first indoor unit. And a remote control to perform remote control to control the plurality of units. The remote control receives unit information from the outdoor unit and the plurality of indoor units to synchronize data, and generates an error according to the received error information. It is characterized by emergency control of the generated unit.

The present invention is characterized in that a remote controller remotely controls a plurality of units according to a TLV communication method, detects an abnormality for a plurality of units in real time, and recovers an error of an error-generated unit through emergency control.

The present invention is characterized in that an error-prone unit is recovered using data of a unit in which the remote control operates normally.

According to the present invention, according to the TLV communication method, a remote control searches for a unit that can interwork with an error-prone unit among a plurality of units, and uses the data for the interlockable unit to enable emergency operation so that an error-prone unit can maintain operation. Characterized in that to control.

The present invention is characterized in that a response request signal is transmitted to a plurality of units, and a failure caused by any one of a communication line, a communication module, and a unit is determined according to whether a response signal is received.

In the present invention, the remote control unit receives data from the outdoor unit and a plurality of indoor units to synchronize data, and the unit having an error occurs according to error information received from at least one of the outdoor unit and the plurality of indoor units as well as the first indoor unit. Emergency control air conditioner.

The present invention comprises the steps of remote control performing a local control or remote control with a plurality of units, communicating data with the plurality of units at predetermined time intervals, monitoring and controlling operations of the plurality of units, and controlling the plurality of units. And detecting an error of the first unit in response to error information received from the first unit of the units of the unit, and emergency controlling the first unit in response to the error of the first unit.

The remote control, transmitting a signal requesting a response to the communication module of the first unit and the first unit, diagnosing a failure of the communication error according to whether a response signal is received in response to the request and response Further comprising the step of diagnosing a fault in any one of the abnormalities according to the signal processing of the communication line, the communication module and the first unit in response to the signal.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, multiple communication via a remote control is possible, so that a communication area of the remote control is extended, and a plurality of units can be controlled using the remote control.

The present invention enables multiple communication through a remote control.

According to the present invention, by monitoring and controlling the status of a plurality of units with any one remote control, it is easy to expand functions in controlling the air conditioner.

According to the present invention, a plurality of units may be controlled by a single remote control, and the units may be grouped to control a plurality of units in group units.

According to the present invention, the ease of use can be improved by interlocking the remote control with a mobile terminal or a server.

In addition, the present invention can improve network efficiency using TLV communication.

In the present invention, the communication area can be extended through remote control of the remote control unit and indoor unit, as well as remote control of other indoor units or outdoor units.

According to the present invention, when an error occurs in the unit, the unit having the error can be monitored through a remote control and controlled to be in emergency control so that the unit can maintain operation.

According to the present invention, a normal operating unit may be restored by using a normal operating unit through a remote control.

The present invention improves user convenience in unit control, and can implement a communication structure having advantages in terms of communication performance and scalability at low cost.

Meanwhile, various other effects will be disclosed directly or implicitly in a detailed description according to an embodiment of the present invention to be described later.

1 is a view illustrating the configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a schematic view of the outdoor unit and the indoor unit of FIG. 1.
3 is a diagram illustrating a communication structure of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a block diagram schematically showing a control configuration of a remote control according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 and 6 are diagrams illustrating a data structure used when communicating between units in an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 and 8 are diagrams referred to for explaining data flow between units such as a remote controller and an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment.
9 is a flowchart illustrating an error detection and emergency control method of a unit through remote control of a remote control of the present invention.
10 is a diagram illustrating a signal flow according to error recovery of a unit through remote control of a remote control according to an embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a flowchart illustrating a control method according to a communication error of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Advantages and features of the present invention, and methods for achieving them will be clarified with reference to embodiments described below in detail together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but may be implemented in various different forms, and only the embodiments allow the disclosure of the present invention to be complete, and common knowledge in the art to which the present invention pertains It is provided to completely inform the person having the scope of the invention, and the present invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. The same reference numerals refer to the same components throughout the specification. In addition, the present invention specifies that the configuration of the control unit and other parts included in the air conditioner may be implemented by one or more processors (Micro Processor), and may be implemented by a hardware device.

On the other hand, the suffixes "module" and "part" for the components used in the following description are given only by considering the ease of writing the present specification, and do not impart a particularly important meaning or role in itself. Therefore, "module" and "unit" may be used interchangeably. Further, in this specification, terms such as first and second may be used to describe various elements, but these elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another.

1 is a view illustrating the configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 1, the air conditioner 50 according to an embodiment of the present invention, a large air conditioner 50, a plurality of indoor units (31 to 35), a plurality of connected to a plurality of indoor units It may include an outdoor unit (21, 22), a remote control (41 to 45) connected to each of the plurality of indoor units, and a central controller (10) for controlling the plurality of indoor units and outdoor units.

The central controller 10 is connected to the plurality of indoor units 31 to 36 and the plurality of outdoor units 21 and 22 to monitor and control its operation. At this time, the central controller 10 may be connected to a plurality of indoor units to perform operation setting, lock setting, schedule control, group control, and the like for the indoor unit.

The air conditioner may be any of a stand type air conditioner, a wall-mounted air conditioner, and a ceiling type air conditioner, but for convenience of description, the ceiling type air conditioner will be described as an example. In addition, the air conditioner may further include at least one of a ventilation device, an air cleaning device, a humidifying device, and a heater, and may operate in conjunction with the operation of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit.

The outdoor units (21, 22) are a compressor (not shown) that receives and compresses refrigerant, an outdoor heat exchanger (not shown) that exchanges refrigerant with outdoor air, and an accumulator that extracts gas refrigerant from the supplied refrigerant and supplies it to the compressor. (Not shown) and a four-way valve (not shown) for selecting the flow path of the refrigerant according to the heating operation. In addition, it may further include a plurality of sensors, valves and oil recovery.

The outdoor units 21 and 22 operate a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger provided to compress or heat exchange the refrigerant according to the setting to supply the refrigerant to the indoor units 31 to 35.

The outdoor units 21 and 22 are driven by the request of the central controller 10 or the indoor units 31 to 35, and as the cooling/heating capacity varies depending on the indoor units being driven, the number of outdoor units and the compressor installed in the outdoor unit The number of operations is variable.

At this time, the outdoor units 21 and 22 are described on the basis of supplying refrigerant to each of the outdoor units and the connected indoor units, but the plurality of outdoor units are interconnected according to the connection structure of the outdoor unit and the indoor unit, and the refrigerant to the plurality of indoor units You can also supply

The indoor units 31 to 35 are connected to any one of the plurality of outdoor units 21 and 22 to receive coolant and discharge cold and hot air into the room. The indoor units 31 to 35 include an indoor heat exchanger (not shown), an indoor fan (not shown), an expansion valve (not shown) for expanding the supplied refrigerant, and a plurality of sensors (not shown).

At this time, the outdoor units (21, 22) and the indoor units (31 to 35) are connected by a communication line to transmit and receive mutual data, and the outdoor unit and the indoor unit are connected by a separate communication line to the central controller (10) to control the central controller (10). It works.

The remote controllers 41 to 45 are respectively connected to the indoor unit, input a user's control command into the indoor unit, and receive and display status information of the indoor unit. At this time, the remote control communicates by wire or wireless depending on the connection type with the indoor unit, and in some cases, a single remote control unit is connected to a plurality of indoor units, so that the settings of the plurality of indoor units may be changed through one remote control input.

Further, the remote controllers 41 to 45 may include a temperature sensor inside.

2 is a schematic view of the outdoor unit and the indoor unit of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 2, the air conditioner 50 is largely divided into an indoor unit 31 and an outdoor unit 21.

The indoor unit 31 is disposed indoors to perform an air-conditioning/heating function, and an indoor fan 109a and an indoor fan arranged on one side of the indoor heat exchanger 108 to promote heat dissipation of the refrigerant. And an indoor blower 109 made of an electric motor 109b for rotating the fan 109a.

At least one indoor heat exchanger 108 may be installed. The compressor 102 may be at least one of an inverter compressor and a constant speed compressor.

In addition, the air conditioner 50 may be configured with a cooler that cools the room, or may be configured with a heat pump that cools or heats the room.

The outdoor unit 21 includes a compressor 102 serving to compress the refrigerant, an electric motor 102b for driving the compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger 104 serving to dissipate the compressed refrigerant, and outdoor An outdoor blower 105, which is disposed on one side of the heat exchanger 104 to promote heat dissipation of the refrigerant, and an outdoor fan 105 composed of an electric fan 105b that rotates the outdoor fan 105a, and expansion to expand condensed refrigerant. Mechanism 106, a cooling/heating switching valve 110 for changing the flow path of the compressed refrigerant, and an accumulator 103 for storing the vaporized refrigerant for a while to remove moisture and foreign substances, and then supplying the refrigerant at a constant pressure to the compressor. And the like.

Meanwhile, although the indoor unit 31 and the outdoor unit 21 are each shown in FIG. 2, a driving device for an air conditioner according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is not limited thereto, and the multi-type having a plurality of indoor units and outdoor units Of course, it can be applied to an air conditioner, an air conditioner having a single indoor unit, and a plurality of outdoor units.

3 is a diagram illustrating a communication structure of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention may include at least one outdoor unit and a plurality of indoor units connected to a refrigerant pipe to the outdoor unit. In addition, outdoor units and indoor units may be connected by a wired communication line.

Referring to the example illustrated in FIG. 3, the first outdoor units 23a may be connected to a plurality of indoor units 36a, 37a, and 38a by wired communication lines 1 to communicate with each other.

Depending on the embodiment, the first outdoor unit 23a and the first to third indoor units 36a, 37a, and 38a may be connected by a wired serial communication line 1.

Meanwhile, the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a plurality of remote controllers 46, 47, and 48 connected by wire to respective corresponding indoor units among the plurality of indoor units 36a, 37a, and 38a. .

For example, the first remote control 46 is connected to the first indoor unit 36a, the second remote control 47 is connected to the second indoor unit 37a, and the third remote control 48 is connected to the third indoor unit 38a. ) Can be connected.

The plurality of remote controllers 46, 47, and 48 may control a connected indoor unit by transmitting a predetermined signal to the connected indoor units 36a, 37a, and 38a, respectively. Further, the plurality of remote controllers 46, 47, and 48 may receive status information from the indoor units 36a, 37a, and 38a, respectively.

Although FIG. 3 shows an example in which all indoor units 36a, 37a, and 38a are connected to remote controllers 46, 47, and 48, as described with reference to FIG. 1, some indoor units may be configured to be controlled by a wireless remote controller. .

Meanwhile, the outdoor unit 23a and the plurality of indoor units 36a, 37a, and 38a may be provided with communication modules 23b, 36b, 37b, and 38b, respectively, or may be connected to communication modules 23b, 36b, 37b, and 38b. . The communication modules 23b, 36b, 37b, and 38b may be built in each unit or installed outside the unit.

Meanwhile, the outdoor unit 23a and the plurality of indoor units 36a, 37a, and 38a may include communication modules 23b, 36b, 37b, and 38b using RS-485 communication standards, respectively. In this case, the communication modules 23b, 36b, 37b, and 38b may include a communication module supporting RS-485 communication standards or may be a 485 modem.

Meanwhile, the communication modules 23b, 36b, 37b, and 38b can transmit and receive data packets according to the RS-485 communication standard. For example, the communication module 23b of the outdoor unit 23a is the first indoor unit 36a corresponding to the generated data packet according to the control of the control unit (not shown) of the outdoor unit 23a according to the RS-485 communication standard. ) Can be transmitted to the communication module 36b. Further, the communication module 36b of the first indoor unit 36a may process the received data packet and transmit it to a control unit (not shown) of the first indoor unit 36a.

The RS-485 communication standard is a serial communication protocol standard standard supporting a home network, and a plurality of transmitting and receiving nodes may be connected to one serial communication line 1. In this case, a plurality of transmitting and receiving nodes may perform multi-party data transmission and reception on the same communication line.

The outdoor unit 23a and the plurality of indoor units 36a, 37a, and 38a can transmit and receive data to and from each other through RS-485 communication, and the outdoor unit 23a is in an operating state of the plurality of indoor units 36a, 37a, 38a Can be monitored. In addition, the outdoor unit 23a and the plurality of indoor units 36a, 37a, and 38a can transmit and receive control signals to each other.

Conventional air conditioners transmit and receive data at a fixed communication speed and data structure. When the amount of data increases, there is a limitation in scalability as well as a problem in compatibility. In addition, there is a problem that the response time is delayed and the network efficiency is reduced due to the fixed speed and data structure.

For example, conventional air conditioners generally use only the RS-485 protocol format, which is based on a fixed size page. For example, the remote controller used a protocol with a connected indoor unit and a fixed size of 13 bytes.

When communicating using a protocol of a fixed size as described above, it is difficult to add or expand new functions and delay communication speeds at the present time when functions are complicated and diversified. In particular, the remote control was difficult to expand other than the (Local) area communication with the individual indoor units connected.

Therefore, the present invention can use a signal according to the TLV (Type Length Value) protocol in which the data size is variable in communication with the remote control unit.

For example, the first remote control 46 among the plurality of remote controls 46, 47, and 48 includes indoor units 37a, 38a other than the corresponding first indoor unit 36a among the plurality of indoor units 36a, 37a, 38a. ) And a signal according to the TLV (Type Length Value) protocol can be transmitted and received through the serial communication line 1.

In addition, as in the past, the first remote controller 46 can perform local area communication with the corresponding first indoor unit 36a. Even in this case, the first remote control 46 and the first indoor unit 36a may transmit and receive signals having a data structure according to the TLV (Type Length Value) protocol.

4 is a block diagram schematically showing a control configuration of a remote control according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4, the remote control according to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 210 for controlling the overall operation, the operation unit 220 for receiving a user input, a display unit 230, a predetermined screen is displayed, predetermined data It may include a memory 240 is stored, a communication unit 250 having one or more communication modules.

The operation unit 220 includes at least one input means such as a button, a switch, and a touch input means. For example, the operation unit 220 may be provided with a power key, a menu input key, an operation setting key, a temperature control key, an air volume key, a lock key, and the like. When the user command or predetermined data is input in response to the manipulation of the input means, the manipulation unit 220 may transmit the input data to the control unit 210.

The display 230 may output a menu screen for controlling the unit, and output at least one of letters, numbers, and images for the operation setting or operation state of the unit.

In addition, the display 230 outputs a user command input through the operation unit 220 on the screen, or a predetermined screen corresponding to the input user command is output, so that the operation setting and operation state of the air conditioner are performed. , It can display information about the abnormality.

The memory 240 stores software programs of the remote control, control data for controlling the operation of the unit, communication data for address or group setting for communicating with other units, and data transmitted and received through the communication unit 250.

The memory 240 may be various storage devices such as ROM, RAM, EPROM, flash drive, hard drive, and the like in hardware.

The data unit 120 includes basic data for the unit, control data for controlling operation of the unit, data input/output,

The communication unit 250, including one or more communication modules, may transmit and receive data between different units. For example, the communication unit 250 may communicate with other units using signals according to the TLV protocol.

The control unit 210 may process input/output data and control data transmission/reception between units through the communication unit 250.

When communicating with a unit, that is, an outdoor unit or an indoor unit, the control unit 210 checks the communication method of the device to be communicated, sets the communication method, and controls to transmit data. After determining whether the TLV structure data can be processed or interlocked, the control unit 210 may set a communication method according to the device.

The control unit 210 may determine whether the target device can interwork with the communication method according to whether a response is received by transmitting the data of the TLV method. When a response is received through the communication unit, the control unit determines that the device can process TLV data and sets the TLV communication method. For devices that do not receive a response, the existing communication method, for example, 485 serial communication You can set the communication method.

The control unit 210 stores the communication method for each unit in a memory, and transmits and receives data corresponding to the communication method of the corresponding device during communication.

In addition, the control unit 210 receives data for a plurality of units of the outdoor unit or the indoor unit through the remote control, as well as the connected indoor unit through local control, and monitors the operation state thereof.

When an error occurs in any one of the plurality of units, the control unit 210 displays a notification according to the occurrence of the error.

In addition, the control unit 210 determines the type of error of the unit in which the error occurs and performs emergency control so that the corresponding unit can operate.

In addition, the control unit 210 may receive the data of the corresponding unit using a unit that operates normally, which is the same or similar to the unit in which the error occurred, so that the unit in which the error occurred is recovered.

When the error of the unit in which the error occurs is not recovered, the control unit 210 needs to replace the part due to an abnormality in a specific part, for example, when there is an abnormality in the temperature sensor, the temperature value of another unit located in the same room Use to control so that the unit where the error occurred can operate.

3 and 4, the remote control according to the present invention can be connected to the corresponding indoor unit wired or wirelessly, and transmit a predetermined signal to the connected indoor unit. Also, the remote control may receive status information or the like from the connected indoor unit.

For example, the first remote controller 46 may perform local area communication with the corresponding first indoor unit 36a. According to an embodiment, the first remote control 46 and the first indoor unit 36a may transmit and receive a signal having a data structure according to a Type Length Value (TLV) protocol.

In addition, according to the present invention, the remote control may use a signal according to a TLV (Type Length Value) protocol in which data size is variable in communication with other units in a remote area.

For example, the first remote control 46 among the plurality of remote controls 46, 47, and 48 includes indoor units 37a, 38a other than the corresponding first indoor unit 36a among the plurality of indoor units 36a, 37a, 38a. ) And a signal according to the TLV (Type Length Value) protocol can be transmitted and received through the serial communication line 1.

In this case, the control unit 210 of the first remote control 46 may generate a control signal for controlling the second indoor unit 37a among the indoor units 37a and 38a other than the first indoor unit 36a.

Under the control of the control unit 210, the communication unit 250 may transmit the generated control signal to the second indoor unit 37a using the TLV protocol. That is, the communication unit 250 may transmit a signal having a data structure of the TLV protocol to the second indoor unit 37a.

In addition, when the communication unit 250 receives a signal including status information from the second indoor unit 37a, the control unit 210 may control the display unit 230 to display status information based on the received signal. .

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first remote control 46 transmits a signal including data including status information from at least one of the indoor units 37a and 38a other than the first indoor unit 36a to the TLV protocol. It may include a communication unit 250 for receiving and a display unit 230 for displaying status information based on the received signal.

On the other hand, the display 230 of the first remote control 46, in a remote (remote) communication mode that can control the indoor units (37a, 38a) other than the first indoor unit (36a), the list of controllable indoor units Can be displayed.

Also, the first remote controller 46 may transmit a request signal according to the TLV protocol to indoor units 37a and 38a other than the first indoor unit 36a through the communication unit 250 and receive a response signal. .

The control unit 210 may control the communication unit 250 to broadcast a request signal according to the TLV protocol a predetermined number of times through the serial communication line 1.

The control unit 210 of the first remote control 46 may be in communication communication with indoor units that have transmitted a response signal, and control to enter a remote communication mode.

Meanwhile, the units according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a communication unit using an RS-485 communication standard. The outdoor unit 23a and the plurality of indoor units 36a, 37a, and 38a may include communication modules 23b, 36b, 37b, and 38b using RS-485 communication standards, respectively. In this case, the communication modules 23b, 36b, 37b, and 38b may include a communication module supporting RS-485 communication standards or may be a 485 modem.

Meanwhile, the communication modules 23b, 36b, 37b, and 38b can transmit and receive data packets according to the RS-485 communication standard. Also, the communication modules 23b, 36b, 37b, and 38b can transmit and receive data packets having a data structure according to the TLV protocol according to the RS-485 communication standard.

In addition, the remote controllers 46, 47, and 48 according to the present invention communicate with other indoor units in the remote area through the communication modules 36b, 37b, 38b of the indoor units 36a, 37a, 38a in the local area. Can be. For example, the first remote control 46 may communicate with the communication modules 37b and 38b of the other indoor units 37a and 38a through the communication module 36b of the first indoor unit 36a.

Meanwhile, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the communication unit 250 of the remote controllers 46, 47, and 48 may further include a Wi-Fi communication module, and may be communicatively connected to a server or a mobile terminal through Wi-Fi communication. have.

For example, the communication unit 250 of the remote controllers 46, 47, and 48 may communicate with a plurality of indoor units through signals according to the TLV protocol, and may communicate with a server or a mobile terminal through Wi-Fi communication.

In some cases, the communication unit 250 may be provided with a Wi-Fi communication module therein, or may be connected to and communicate with an external Wi-Fi communication module.

In addition, the remote controls 46, 47 and 48 may communicate with a server or a mobile terminal through Wi-Fi communication, and may be interlocked to provide various additional functions.

Hereinafter, an embodiment connected to a server or a mobile terminal through Wi-Fi communication will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

5 and 6 are diagrams illustrating a data structure used when communicating between units in an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, units such as a remote control use a data link layer method, which is a second layer, among OSI layer structures.

Data packets used for communication between the remote control and units include an address data area 211, a message data area 212, and a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) area (for error detection). CRC16) 213. For example, CRC for error detection may be processed as 16-bit. CRC method checksums 208 and 209 are used for error detection, but this is not limited and other error detection methods may be used.

The address data area 211 is composed of an address length 201 including address length information, and an address 202 including a source address and a destination address.

The message data area 212 includes an application ID (203), a message type (204), a sequence number (Sequence no.) 205, a data length (Data Length) 206, and data. (Data) (207).

In the message data area 212, each field except for the data field 207 has a size of 1 byte. That is, the application ID (Application ID) 203, the message type (Message Type) 204, the sequence number (Sequence no.) 205, and the data length (Data Length) 206 each have a size of 1 byte.

The application ID 203 is an item that identifies which products are targeted. The message type 204 is an item for classifying data types.

The message type 204 may be divided into a request for data, a response, and a response. In addition, the message type distinguishes the request of the remote control and the unit by assigning the request of the remote control and the request of the unit (for example, the indoor unit) to different values, respectively.

The data 207 may have a data structure according to a TLV (Type Length Value) protocol. The TLV protocol is a communication standard that concisely and efficiently expresses complex data into three structured field elements, namely, Type, Length, and Value.

Data may be composed of a type field, a length field, and a value field.

In addition, the data (Data) has a size of 0 to 255 bytes (byte), the size of the data value can be varied, the data length can be changed to represent the size of the variable data value.

The address data area 211 is composed of an address length including address length information and an address including an address of a transmission address and an address of a destination.

The address area consists of the indoor unit address, remote control address, group number, and reserve area. The address area is 4 bytes in size. The reserve is a reserved area for address change or data expansion.

The indoor unit address and the remote control address include the address of the sender.

When the indoor unit transmits data, the indoor unit's own address is included in the indoor unit's address and transmitted. On the other hand, when the remote control transmits data, the address of the remote control is included in the address of the remote control.

Therefore, only one of the indoor unit address and the remote control address may be included in the received data. Accordingly, the receiver can distinguish whether it is data transmitted from the indoor unit or data transmitted from the remote control.

For example, when the second indoor unit receives from the first remote control, the remote control may transmit data using the communication module of the first indoor unit. Also, the second indoor unit may receive data from the first indoor unit.

Since the second indoor unit receives the data transmitted through the same communication module, it is difficult to distinguish the data from the first indoor unit and the first remote controller, but it is possible to distinguish them as the address of the sender is described separately as the address of the indoor unit and the address of the remote controller. .

Meanwhile, the group number is the address of the unit to be controlled. The group number includes the address of the receiver, and can be used when performing individual control or group control for the unit. When the group number includes the address of the group, the same data may be transmitted to a plurality of units belonging to the group.

The remote controller and the plurality of units can easily check whether it is controlled by a remote controller or an indoor unit by describing an address by distinguishing a device to be controlled through each field value in the address area and a controlled object.

In addition, it is possible to clearly indicate a device to be controlled and to transmit a function to be processed. The data area may have a variable size (length) as described below.

Therefore, since the size is configured differently according to the purpose of data transmission and the amount of data to be transmitted, data can be transmitted even if an unnecessarily large amount of data is not transmitted. The unnecessary waste of transmission time can be prevented and the occurrence of errors or distortions is greatly reduced.

6 is a diagram illustrating examples of a data area.

As shown in FIG. 6, the data 207 may be composed of a type, length, and data value.

The type is an identifier for information to be included in the data value, the length is the size of the data value, and the data value is information actually transmitted. At this time, the type is 10 bits and the length is 2 bits, and the size of the data value varies depending on the type and length.

Event information to be actually delivered is transmitted through a data field by varying the data value according to the type, and the size of information to be transmitted is variably transmitted.

For example, when the type is 1, the operation mode, and when the type is 2, information about compressor on-off may be transmitted. In addition, when the data length is displayed as 0, 1, 2, or 3 according to the size of information, 4 bits (a), 8 bits (b), 16 bits (c), and 24 bits (d) can be represented, respectively. . The length of information that can be sent as a data value varies depending on the length.

Referring to (a) of FIG. 6, in the basic structure of a data packet, a data type (Length) of data type (Type) occupies a size of 10 bits (bit) and a data length (Len) indicating a size of a data value (2) ). The size of the data value basically occupies the size of 4 bits.

Referring to (b), (c), and (d) of FIG. 6, the size of the data value may be expanded in units of 8 bits according to the type. The length Len indicates the size of a variable data value.

The length of the data is the size of the data to be transmitted. If the value is 0, the size of the data value is 4 bits, and the data value is data having two types of values: true or false, 1 or 0d, product operation/stop, It may include information on air clean operation/stop.

When the data length is 1, the size of the data value is 8 bits, and the data value is data having 256 values or less, including information on operation mode cooling/dehumidification/heating/blowing, wind strength weak/medium/strong wind do.

When the data length is 2, the size of the data value is 16 bits, and the data value is data having a value within the range of 256 to 65535, and includes Duct Zone information.

In addition, when the data length is 3, the size of the data value is 24 bits, and the data has a value exceeding 65,536, and includes information such as reservation information and model name information.

Accordingly, it is possible to perform communication at a faster communication speed than conventional outdoor units and indoor units always transmit and receive data of a fixed size. In addition, since the size of data is expandable, it is easy to add new functions to data packets.

Accordingly, the remote control according to the present invention can directly transmit and receive data to and from a wired indoor unit, and control not only a wired indoor unit, but also TLV communication to participate in communication between indoor units and outdoor units and communication with other indoor units. have.

Accordingly, the present invention applies a communication structure capable of monitoring and controlling a remote communication area between a remote controller, a plurality of indoor units, and outdoor units, as well as a communication of a local area between an existing remote controller and indoor units, and controls a connected unit. It can provide a synchronization function.

Meanwhile, in this specification, a remote control and an indoor unit connected one-to-one are defined as a local area, and areas other than the local area are defined as a remote communication area.

Therefore, the serial communication line 1 may also be referred to as a remote communication line.

According to the present invention, through a remote communication for transmitting and receiving a signal having a data structure according to the TLV (Type Length Value) protocol, the remote control can exchange communication with other indoor units, remote controls, outdoor units, and an environment in which various functions can be applied This is built, and the basic remote control that was possible only with the existing physical installation can be solved by communication.

In addition, the remote controllers 46, 47, and 48 according to the present invention communicate with other indoor units in the remote area through the communication modules 36b, 37b, 38b of the indoor units 36a, 37a, 38a in the local area. Can be. For example, the first remote controller 46 may communicate with the communication modules 37b and 38b of the other indoor units 37a and 38a through the communication module 36b of the first indoor unit 36a.

In addition, the remote controls 46, 47, 48 according to the present invention communicate with the outdoor unit 23a in the remote area through the communication modules 36b, 37b, 38b of the indoor units 36a, 37a, 38a in the local area. can do.

That is, the remote controls 46, 47, 48 according to the present invention are connected to the serial communication line 1 through the communication modules 36b, 37b, 38b of the indoor units 36a, 37a, 38a in the local area, and other units And a signal having a data structure according to the TLV protocol.

In addition, by using the existing 485 modem and the serial communication line (1), it is possible to implement a communication structure having an advantage in terms of communication performance and scalability at a low cost, without additional cost input.

According to the present invention, it is possible to build a control environment for other units in the remote area with any one remote control, so that various functions can be applied and extended in the future.

For example, it is possible to transmit and receive signals to and from the remote control area in addition to the local control communication protocol with the existing indoor unit of the remote control, and to implement group control and remote individual control functions that were possible only with the existing physical installation. .

7 and 8 are diagrams referred to for explaining data flow between units such as a remote controller and an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 7, the remote controller 40 is connected to the indoor unit 30. At this time, the remote control performs local control of the connected indoor unit.

The remote controller 40 may transmit the control command corresponding to the input user command to the connected indoor unit to control the operation of the indoor unit. The remote controller 40 may control the operation of the indoor unit by transmitting a control command to the indoor unit in response to the set reservation or schedule. Also, data received from the indoor unit can be displayed on the screen.

Meanwhile, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the remote controller 40 may monitor and control its operation by communicating with an indoor unit 30 or an outdoor unit 20 other than the connected indoor unit. The remote control may perform remote control for the outdoor unit and other indoor units according to the communication method to which the TLV protocol is applied.

Hereinafter, each unit is basically connected and communicated with a communication line, but wireless communication is also possible according to a wireless communication method.

The remote control 40 communicates with the indoor unit 30 by being interconnected with a first communication line P1. The remote control may perform local control on the indoor unit 30. For example, as described above, the first remote control performs local control on the first indoor unit, and the second remote control performs local control on the second indoor unit.

The indoor unit 30 communicates with other units, that is, other indoor units or outdoor units, through the communication module 61. In addition, the outdoor unit 20 communicates with other outdoor units or indoor units through the communication module 62.

The remote controller 40 may perform local control with the indoor unit 30 as well as communicate with other indoor units or outdoor units through the communication module 61 of the indoor unit 30 to perform remote control.

The remote controller 40 may transmit and receive data according to a communication method to which the TLV communication protocol is applied, thereby performing remote control as well as local control for the indoor unit to be directly connected. As the remote controller 40 monitors and controls a plurality of units on the remote communication line, the controllable area is expanded.

For example, the first remote controller performs remote control according to the TLV communication method through the communication module 61 for the second or third indoor units or outdoor units excluding the first indoor unit.

The remote controller 40 transmits data through the communication module 61, and the outdoor unit 20 receives data through the communication module 62 provided. In addition, the outdoor unit 20 may transmit data to the remote control as a response signal through the communication module 62. The communication modules 61 and 62 may be installed outside each unit to be connected by a communication line, or may be embedded in the unit.

When receiving data transmitted from the communication module 61, the outdoor unit and the indoor unit can check whether the transmission destination is an indoor unit or a remote control based on the address information of the received data. As the address of the address destination is divided into an indoor unit address (or an outdoor unit) and a remote control address, and composed of respective fields, the receiving unit can distinguish the transmitting side.

The outdoor unit may transmit data as a response signal without transmitting a separate response signal (ACK) when receiving data. After transmitting the ACK signal according to the data acknowledgment, the data can be transmitted without transmitting the ACK signal. Accordingly, the receiving side can recognize the reception of the data as a response signal. If there is no separate transmission data, an ACK signal can be transmitted as a response signal.

In the local control and remote control, the remote controller 40 monitors and controls the control object by using a communication unit to which the control object is applied and the TLV protocol.

By receiving and synchronizing the information of the indoor unit 30, it is possible to store and display the operation status of the indoor unit in real time through data transmission and reception.

When an error occurs in the indoor unit or the outdoor unit, the remote controller 40 may receive and display the error information accordingly.

A unit such as an indoor unit or an outdoor unit transmits unit information to the remote control when a request is received from the remote control or when a set period is reached. In addition, each unit may transmit unit information to the remote control when there is a data change such as an operation state or when an event such as an error occurs or a notification occurs.

The unit can transmit error information to the remote control when an error occurs.

In addition, the unit may transmit information about the sensor provided to the remote control. For example, if a temperature sensor or a humidity sensor is provided, data measured from each sensor may be transmitted to the remote control as sensor information. When the remote control receives a temperature, it can be displayed on the screen as the room temperature.

Although FIG. 7 discloses that it is an indoor unit, it can be equally applied to indoor units and outdoor units according to remote control, as well as local indoor units. If the air conditioner includes a ventilation unit or the like, the same may be applied to the corresponding unit.

9 is a flowchart illustrating an error detection and emergency control method of a unit through remote control of a remote control of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 9, the remote control 40 updates and stores the received data so that the information of the unit and the information of the remote control are synchronized (S410).

The remote controller 40 synchronizes the information of the connected indoor unit, that is, the indoor unit according to local control, based on the received data. In addition, the remote control 40 synchronizes the unit information with respect to a plurality of units including an indoor unit based on data received through a remote control line in a TLV communication method.

The remote controller 40 displays data for the indoor unit and the plurality of units on the screen (S420). Accordingly, the operation change of the unit of the remote control can be displayed in real time on the screen.

When synchronization is completed, the remote controller 40 may output a list of a plurality of controllable units.

The remote control transmits a control command to a selected unit or a group consisting of a plurality of units from a list, so that a plurality of units included in the selected unit or group are scrambled according to the control command.

When an error occurs in at least one indoor unit, the remote controller 40 may receive error information from the corresponding indoor unit in which the error occurred (S430), and display an error list for the unit in which the error occurred (S440). In the case of a unit in which synchronization has been completed, data according to an error may be automatically transmitted to the remote controller.

The remote controller 40 may determine that an error has occurred in the indoor unit even if a response to the transmitted data is not received when data is not received for a predetermined time or more and display information of the indoor unit in the error list.

The remote controller 40 may perform emergency control for an error-generated unit, for example, an indoor unit (S450).

Based on the received error information, the remote controller 40 performs emergency control for each indoor unit according to the error of the indoor unit. When any one indoor unit is selected from the error list, emergency control according to an error type of the indoor unit may be performed.

When an error related to the operation setting of the device of the unit occurs, it is determined as an option error (A) (S461). That is, when a collision occurs between the set operations or an error due to a data processing order, it may be determined as an option error. In the case of the option error, the communication status is normal, so data transmission and reception is possible.

In the case of the option error (A), the remote control searches for the same model as the indoor unit (error indoor unit) in which an error has occurred, and requests data to another indoor unit that is the same model and operates normally (S468).

The remote controller may request data for operation information of the indoor unit operating normally and setting information (option) according to driving. In some cases, specific data can be specified and requested.

The indoor unit (normal indoor unit) that has been requested data may transmit data with a remote controller, and may also directly transmit data to the indoor unit (error indoor unit) in which an error has occurred. In this case, a response signal for completion of data transmission can be transmitted to the remote control.

The remote control receives data from the indoor unit operating normally (S471). In some cases, when the normal indoor unit transmits data to the error indoor unit, a response signal for transmission completion may be received.

The remote control transmits an emergency control command to the error indoor unit (S481). The remote controller 40 transmits the data of the normal indoor unit together with the emergency control command to the indoor unit in which an error has occurred.

The indoor unit (error indoor unit) in which an error occurs, stops the operation if there is a running operation according to the emergency control command, and starts recovery using the received data.

The indoor unit in which an error has occurred can recover data by changing the data of the indoor unit based on the received data. For example, the indoor unit may change overall data such as reference data for operation setting and control to received data. Since the option error is due to data collision or control setting collision, recovery is possible by changing the relevant data.

After recovering the data, the indoor unit starts driving again.

When the indoor unit is operating normally, data for error recovery is transmitted to the remote control.

The remote controller confirms the recovery of the indoor unit and synchronizes and displays the operation status of the indoor unit.

In addition, the remote control 40 determines whether the indoor unit is a communication error based on the received error information.

If the indoor unit selected from the error list is the communication error B, or if the indoor unit has not communicated with the corresponding indoor unit for a predetermined time or longer, the remote controller 40 may determine that a response is not received (S462).

The remote controller 40 performs a malfunction diagnosis on the indoor unit (error indoor unit) where the communication error B has occurred (S472).

When the remote control unit 40 is included in the list of the local control or the remote control, the remote control unit detects the error indoor unit through the communication line, so that the communication line can be determined to be normal.

On the other hand, if the remote control 40 is not included in the list or the pre-registered indoor unit is deactivated, it may be determined that the communication line is abnormal.

In addition, the remote control 40 may determine the abnormality of the communication module and the indoor unit by transmitting data for diagnosis to the communication module of the error indoor unit and each of the error indoor units while the communication line is normal.

After the remote controller transmits data to the communication module of the indoor unit, within a predetermined time, it is possible to determine the abnormality of the communication module through whether or not a response signal is received.

In addition, the remote control can check whether the communication module of the local indoor unit is abnormal. That is, when the communication module of the local indoor unit is broken, since the data of the remote controller is not transmitted to the corresponding indoor unit, it is possible to first check whether the communication module of the local indoor unit is normal.

After transmitting the data to the indoor unit, the remote controller may determine the abnormality of the indoor unit through whether a response signal is received within a predetermined time.

When the remote controller receives a response signal from the communication module, it is determined that the communication module is normal, and if no response is received, it is determined as a communication error due to a malfunction of the communication module.

If the remote controller does not receive a response from the indoor unit while the communication line and the communication module are normal, the remote controller may determine that the indoor unit is abnormal. Also, the remote controller may determine that the communication line between the communication module and the error indoor unit is abnormal.

The remote control can be applied to the indoor unit as well as the outdoor unit to check communication errors.

The remote controller diagnoses the failure of the communication error by checking the part where the communication error has occurred in the case where no response is received.

The remote control outputs an error therefor when the communication line is abnormal. In addition, the remote control can request the service center to inspect and repair the communication line.

The remote controller can request a check for not only the communication line between each communication module, but also the communication line between the communication module and the unit.

If the remote control unit is abnormal in the communication module or unit, the reset command is transmitted (S482), and the communication module and the unit are restarted, respectively, and then it is checked again.

If the communication line and the communication module are normal, a reset command is sent to the unit to initialize, and if a communication error occurs even after restarting after initialization, the service center can be checked and repaired for the unit.

In addition, when a sensor error (C) occurs in the indoor unit where the error occurs (S463), the remote controller 40 has the same type and model, the same sensor is provided, and requests sensor data to the indoor unit in normal operation (S469). ).

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The remote control transmits the sensor data received from the normal indoor unit to the error indoor unit and transmits an emergency control command (S483).

Error The indoor unit performs emergency operation based on the sensor data of the normal indoor unit according to the emergency control command. The normal indoor unit may transmit sensor data to the error indoor unit at a predetermined time period.

At this time, the normal indoor unit may be an indoor unit installed in the same room, so that the sensor values can be measured identically. In addition, the normal indoor unit can select the indoor unit installed in a similar environment based on the sensor data of the error indoor unit.

Accordingly, the indoor unit in which an error has occurred can be restored to normal operation based on the received data, or an emergency operation may be performed using data of another indoor unit.

10 is a diagram illustrating a signal flow according to error recovery of a unit through remote control of a remote control according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 10, in the case of the option error (A) or the sensor error (C), the remote controller performs emergency control so that the indoor unit in which the error occurs operates using the indoor unit operating normally.

The remote control synchronizes information on the control target unit using the received data (S201). The first indoor unit and the second indoor unit each operate according to the designated setting (S206) (S207), and transmit unit information to the remote controller 40 at predetermined time intervals. Accordingly, data of the remote controller may be synchronized with data of each indoor unit.

The remote control stores information on a plurality of units in real time through synchronization and displays a list of control targets (S205).

When the control target is selected, the remote controller transmits a control command to the first indoor unit or the second indoor unit which is the control target (S210). Each of the first indoor unit 31 and the second indoor unit 32 operates according to a control command, and correspondingly, transmits data on the operating state to the remote controller as a response signal.

Meanwhile, when an error occurs in the first indoor unit 31 during operation (S215), the first indoor unit transmits error information to the remote controller (S220).

The remote controller 40 displays error information (S225), and sets emergency control for the first indoor unit (S230). In response to the error information of the first indoor unit, the remote controller may classify the generated error into an option error, a communication error, and a sensor error and perform emergency control accordingly. For other errors, the remote control can request inspection and repair to the service center.

In the case of an option error or a sensor error, the remote control searches for an indoor unit that can be linked to the first indoor unit and displays a list (S231).

In the case of an option error, the remote controller may select and display the indoor units of the same model as the first indoor unit among the indoor units operating normally.

On the other hand, in the case of a sensor error, the remote controller may select an indoor unit installed in the same room as the first indoor unit or an indoor unit installed in an environment similar to the first indoor unit among the indoor units of the same model and output a list.

As for the remote control, any one of the interlockable indoor units is selected, or any one of the interlockable indoor units can be arbitrarily selected when there is no separate selection.

The remote controller requests data from the selected indoor unit, for example, the second indoor unit 32 (S235).

In the case of an option error, the remote controller may request data for operation setting and control settings of the indoor unit, and in the case of a sensor error, request sensor data.

In response to a request from the remote controller, the second indoor unit transmits unit data or sensor data to the remote controller (S240). In some cases, the second indoor unit may transmit data to the first indoor unit. In addition, the second indoor unit may periodically transmit data to the first indoor unit.

The remote control stores the received data (S241).

The remote controller transmits an emergency control command to emergency operation of the first indoor unit based on the data received from the second indoor unit (S245).

The first indoor unit recovers an error based on the received data (S250).

For example, in the case of an option error, errors may be recovered by recovering data based on the data of the second indoor unit. In addition, in the case of a sensor error, it is possible to maintain operation based on the sensor data of the second indoor unit and perform emergency operation.

When the error is recovered, the second indoor unit operates normally (S255). Meanwhile, in the case of a sensor error, emergency operation is maintained.

11 is a flowchart illustrating a control method according to a communication error of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 11, the remote controller synchronizes information on the control target unit using the received data (S301).

When an error occurs in the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit (S310) (S310), the error information is respectively transmitted to the remote controller (S311) (S312).

If the second indoor unit has an error in the communication line or there is an error in the communication module, error information is not transmitted to the remote control.

The remote control receives the control information of the first indoor unit and displays error information (S325).

Meanwhile, the remote controller determines that the second indoor unit is an error when a response is not received for more than a predetermined time from the second indoor unit.

The remote controller determines the communication error between the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit and performs emergency control (S330).

The remote controller diagnoses a communication error by transmitting data to the first indoor unit, the second indoor unit, and each communication module with respect to the communication error. It is assumed that the communication module of the first indoor unit is the first communication module, and the communication module of the second indoor unit is the second communication module.

The remote controller requests a response from the first and second communication modules (S335).

The first and second communication modules transmit a response signal to the request to the remote control (S340) (S341).

In addition, the remote controller requests a response to the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit (S345).

The first and second indoor units respectively transmit a response signal to the request to the remote controller (S350) and (S351).

In response to the request, the remote controller diagnoses a failure for the communication error according to whether a response is received (S360).

For example, when a response is received from the first communication module, the remote controller determines that the communication line with the first indoor unit is normal, and the first communication module also operates normally.

If a response is not received from the first indoor unit while the first communication module and the communication line are normal, the remote controller determines that there is an abnormality in the communication processing between the first communication module and the first indoor unit or the communication processing of the first indoor unit. can do.

In addition, when a response is received from the first indoor unit in a state in which the first communication module and the communication line are normal, the remote controller may determine that it is a temporary communication error.

The remote controller may transmit a reset command to the first indoor unit (S365), and the first indoor unit may perform a preset operation again after being restarted or initialized. In case of a temporary communication error, normal operation is possible by resetting. Also, it is possible to re-confirm the communication error through reset.

On the other hand, if the response from the second communication module (S341) is not received by the remote control, the remote control may determine the abnormality of the second communication module or the communication line. In addition, if a response is not received from the second indoor unit, the service center may be first requested to check and repair the communication line and communication module.

If communication is impossible due to a malfunction of the communication module, the second indoor unit may automatically reset when communication is disabled for a predetermined time (S361) (S375).

The second indoor unit may reset and retry communication when data is not received from the remote controller for a predetermined time during normal operation.

According to the present invention, a plurality of units can be controlled using a remote control, and control through server interlocking or interlocking of a mobile terminal is possible. According to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to improve ease of use by monitoring and controlling the status of units with any one remote control.

Therefore, the remote control can monitor and control a plurality of units through a remote control as well as a local indoor unit using the TLV communication method. In addition, according to the present invention, the remote controller detects an error of a plurality of units and performs emergency control on it to allow the indoor unit to recover or emergency operation.

The air conditioner according to the present invention is not limited to the configuration and method of the embodiments described as one, and the embodiments may be configured by selectively combining all or part of each embodiment so that various modifications can be made. It might be.

In addition, although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and the technical field to which the present invention belongs without departing from the gist of the present invention claimed in the claims. In addition, various modifications can be implemented by those skilled in the art, and these modifications should not be individually understood from the technical idea or prospect of the present invention.

10: controller 20, 21, 22 23a: outdoor unit
30, 31 to 35, 36a, 37a, 38a: indoor unit
40, 41 to 45: remote control
23b, 36b, 37b, 38b: Communication module

Claims (21)

Outdoor unit;
A plurality of indoor units connected to the outdoor unit;
A remote control connected to a first indoor unit for a plurality of units including the outdoor unit and the plurality of indoor units to perform local control to control the first indoor unit, and to perform remote control to control the plurality of units; Including,
The remote controller receives unit information from the outdoor unit and the plurality of indoor units, synchronizes data, and determines an error type of the first unit with respect to the first unit having an error based on the received error information. Search for a second unit that is a unit that can be linked to the first unit among the plurality of units according to an error type, and recover the first unit based on data received from the second unit, or the first unit may Air conditioner characterized in that the emergency control to operate according to the data of the second unit. According to claim 1,
The remote control, the air conditioner characterized in that the communication with the outdoor unit and the plurality of indoor units in a communication method to which the TLV protocol is applied. delete According to claim 1,
The remote control searches for a unit capable of interlocking with the unit in which the error occurred, in the case of an option error due to a data collision or an error in setting, or a sensor error due to an abnormality in the sensor, and the second Air conditioner, characterized in that for requesting data to the unit. According to claim 1,
In the case of the remote control, if the error type is an option error due to data collision or setting error,
An air conditioner, characterized in that, among units operating normally, the unit having the same type and model as the first unit in which the error has occurred is selected as the second unit that can be linked. According to claim 1,
The second unit, in response to the request of the remote control, the air conditioner, characterized in that for extracting data for the operation and control of the second unit and transmits to the remote control or the first unit. According to claim 1,
The first unit, in response to the emergency control command received from the remote control when the error type is an option error, air conditioner, characterized in that based on the data of the second unit, to restore its own data. According to claim 1,
In the case of the remote control, if the error type is a sensor error due to a sensor error,
Among the plurality of units, the unit operates normally, searches for a unit having the same type and model as the first unit, installed in the same space as the first unit, or installed in an environment similar to the first unit, and the second unit Air conditioner characterized in that the unit is selected as the interlockable unit. According to claim 1,
The second unit transmits sensor data to the remote control or the first unit at predetermined time intervals. According to claim 1,
The first unit may perform an emergency operation by determining an operation state and controlling an operation in response to the sensor data of the second unit in response to an emergency control command of the remote control when the error type is a sensor error. Air conditioner made with. According to claim 1,
The first communication module is connected to the first unit for transmitting and receiving data; further comprising,
When the type of the error is a communication error, the remote control transmits a signal requesting a response to the first communication module and the first unit, and diagnoses a failure of the communication error in response to whether a response is received. Air conditioner made with. The method of claim 11,
When the remote control receives a response from the first communication module, it is determined that the communication line and the first communication module operate normally,
If a response is not received from the first communication module, the air conditioner is characterized in that it is determined as a communication error due to the abnormality of the first communication module. The method of claim 11,
The air conditioner, if the first unit is detected, determines that the communication line is normal, and if the first unit is not detected, air conditioner characterized in that it is determined as a communication error due to an abnormality of the communication line. The method of claim 11,
When the remote control is in a state in which the first communication module is normal, a response is not received from the first unit,
And determining an abnormality in communication line between the first communication module and the first unit or an error in communication signal processing of the first unit. The method of claim 11,
The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein, during normal operation, if data is not received from the remote control for a predetermined time or longer, reset and retry communication. The method of claim 11,
The remote control unit controls the first unit to be reset when a temporary communication error occurs in the first unit. A remote controller connected to a plurality of indoor units and a plurality of units including at least one outdoor unit to perform local control or remote control, connected to a first indoor unit of the plurality of units to locally control the first indoor unit;
Communicating with the plurality of units at predetermined time intervals to transmit and receive data and synchronize data;
Monitoring operations of the plurality of units and performing remote control;
Detecting an error of the first unit in response to error information received from a first unit among the plurality of units;
Determining an error type of the first unit;
Searching for a second unit that is a unit that can be linked to the first unit among the plurality of units according to the error type; And
Restoring the first unit based on data received from the second unit, or emergency controlling the first unit such that the first unit operates according to the data of the second unit; Control method of an air conditioner comprising a. The method of claim 17,
The remote control, the normal operation of the plurality of units, and the control method of the air conditioner further comprising the step of selecting the second unit, which is the same type and model as the first unit, as a linkable unit. The method of claim 17,
When the error type is an option error due to a data collision or a setting error, the first unit recovers an error by recovering data based on the data of the second unit in response to an emergency control command of the remote controller. Step; Control method of the air conditioner further comprising. The method of claim 17,
If the error type is a sensor error according to a sensor error, the first unit determines a driving state based on the sensor data of the second unit in response to an emergency control command of the remote controller, and further performs an emergency operation. Control method of the air conditioner comprising. The method of claim 17,
The remote control, when a communication error occurs in the first unit,
Transmitting a signal requesting a response to the first unit and the first communication module of the first unit;
Diagnosing a failure of the communication error according to whether a response signal is received in response to the signal; And
And in response to the response signal, diagnosing a failure by any one of a communication line error, an error in the first communication module, and an error in response to signal processing of the first unit.

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