CN115685766A - Controller and control system - Google Patents

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a controller and a control system. In the control system, a controller has two control modes, namely a local control mode and a centralized control mode, wherein when the controller adopts the local control mode, the controller controls at least one first device which is in direct communication connection with the controller; when the controller adopts a centralized control mode, the controller controls at least one second device connected with the controller through a centralized control device. That is, the controller integrates the local control mode and the centralized control mode, can fully utilize the advantages of the two control modes, and can flexibly deal with various scenes and devices, for example, the adopted control mode is determined according to different systems and/or different devices, thereby improving the control efficiency and the control effect.

Description

Controllers and Control Systems

technical field

The invention relates to the field of equipment control, in particular to a controller and a control system.

Background technique

The wire controller is a common device in the field of equipment control. It is generally fixed on the wall or other places that are easy to operate, and is directly connected to the controlled equipment through a wired connection. By operating the wire controller, the user controls the controlled device directly connected to it through communication.

However, the control method through wired direct communication connection has a great impact on the number of controlled devices and the scope of the control area, and the engineering amount of wiring is also large.

In recent years, there has been a technology that wirelessly connects with the controlled device through wireless switches and wireless gateway devices to control them.

It should be noted that the above introduction of the technical background is only for the convenience of a clear and complete description of the technical solution of the present invention, and for the convenience of understanding by those skilled in the art. It cannot be considered that the above technical solutions are known to those skilled in the art just because these solutions are described in the background of the present invention.

Contents of the invention

However, the inventors have found that whether it is a traditional wire controller that is controlled through a wired direct connection or a wireless connection, it only has one control mode. Therefore, there is a limitation of a single control mode. Unable to flexibly respond to different scenarios or controlled devices, resulting in poor control efficiency of a single control mode for complex scenarios such as a large number of controlled devices; Wire controllers, as mentioned above, have a great influence on the number of controlled devices and the scope of the control area, and the engineering amount of wiring is also large; while the control method based only on the wireless network, when the wireless network is unstable, it will affect the control Efficiency and control effect. In addition, for some devices, specific functions need to be realized through direct connection, and the control method that only supports wireless connection cannot effectively control these devices.

In order to solve at least one of the above problems, embodiments of the present invention provide a controller and a control system. The controller has two control modes: a local control mode and a centralized control mode, wherein, when the controller adopts the local control mode, the controller controls at least one first device directly connected to it by communication; when the controller adopts the centralized control mode , the controller controls at least one second device connected to the controller through the centralized control device. That is to say, the controller integrates the local control mode and the centralized control mode, can make full use of the advantages of these two control modes, and can flexibly respond to various scenarios and equipment, for example, according to different systems and/or different The device determines the control mode adopted, thereby improving the control efficiency and control effect.

According to the first aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, a controller is provided, the controller has a local control mode and a centralized control mode, when the controller adopts the local control mode, the controller controls the direct communication connection with the at least one first device; when the controller adopts a centralized control mode, the controller controls at least one second device connected to the controller through a centralized control device.

According to the second aspect of the embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a control system, the control system includes: at least one first device and/or at least one second device; and at least one device according to the first aspect of the embodiments of the present invention described controller.

One of the beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present invention is that: the controller of the present invention has two control modes: local control mode and centralized control mode, wherein, when the controller adopts the local control mode, the controller controls the At least one first device; when the controller adopts the centralized control mode, the controller controls at least one second device connected to the controller through the centralized control device. That is to say, the controller integrates the local control mode and the centralized control mode, can make full use of the advantages of these two control modes, and can flexibly respond to various scenarios and equipment, for example, according to different systems and/or different The device determines the control mode adopted, thereby improving the control efficiency and control effect.

With reference to the following description and accompanying drawings, there are disclosed in detail specific embodiments of the invention, indicating the manner in which the principles of the invention may be employed. It should be understood that embodiments of the invention are not limited thereby in scope. Embodiments of the invention encompass many changes, modifications and equivalents within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Feature information described and shown for one embodiment may be used in the same or similar manner in one or more other embodiments, combined with feature information in other embodiments, or replace features in other embodiments information.

It should be emphasized that the term "comprising/comprising" when used herein refers to the presence of characteristic information, integers, steps or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other characteristic information, integers, steps or components.

Description of drawings

Many aspects of the invention can be better understood with reference to the following figures. The components in the figures are not drawn to scale, merely illustrating the principles of the invention. In order to facilitate illustration and description of some parts of the present invention, corresponding parts in the drawings may be exaggerated or reduced. Element and characteristic information described in one drawing or one embodiment of the present invention may be combined with element and characteristic information shown in one or more other drawings or embodiments. Furthermore, in the drawings, like numerals indicate corresponding parts in the several figures and may be used to indicate corresponding parts used in more than one embodiment.

In the attached picture:

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of the composition of the control system of Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a method for performing Wi-Fi network distribution by the controller 103 in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the application of the control system in Embodiment 1 of the present invention to a specific scenario;

Fig. 4 is a block diagram of the controller of Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

Detailed ways

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Example 1

Embodiment 1 of the present invention provides a control system. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the control system of Embodiment 1 of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the control system 100 includes:

at least one first device 101 and/or at least one second device 102;

at least one controller 103; and

Centralized control device 104.

Wherein, the controller 103 has a local control mode and a centralized control mode,

When the controller 103 adopts the local control mode, the controller 103 controls at least one first device 101 directly communicated with it; At least one second device 102 connected to the controller 103 .

In this way, the controller 103 has two control modes, a local control mode and a centralized control mode, wherein, when the controller 103 adopts the local control mode, the controller controls at least one first device 101 directly connected to it in communication; When the controller adopts the centralized control mode, the controller controls at least one second device 102 connected to the controller through the centralized control device. That is to say, the controller 103 integrates the local control mode and the centralized control mode, can make full use of the advantages of these two control modes, and can flexibly deal with various scenarios and equipment, for example, according to different systems and/or Different devices determine the control mode adopted, thereby improving the control efficiency and control effect.

For example, the local control mode can be used for some equipment to realize the specific functions of the equipment;

For another example, a centralized control mode is adopted for some devices, so there is no need to wire between all these devices and the controller, making the installation process simple and the control range large.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the numbers of the first device 101, the second device 102 and the controller 103 may be determined according to actual needs.

For example, when the control system 100 is applied to a room including multiple spaces, the controllers 103 may be installed in the multiple spaces, or the controllers 103 may be installed in some spaces and existing controllers may be installed in other spaces.

For example, as shown in FIG. 1 , one first device 101 , two second devices 102 , namely 102 - 1 and 102 - 2 , and one controller 103 are taken as examples for illustration. However, this embodiment of the present invention does not limit the number of the first device 101 , the second device 102 and the number of the controller 103 .

In the embodiment of the present invention, for a controller 103, the device controlled by the local control mode is called the first device, and the device controlled by the centralized control mode is called the second device, and the first device and the second device are only for A distinction is made in description without limitation on the kind, structure, or function of the device itself.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the first device 101 and the second device 102 may be devices that only support a local control mode or a centralized control mode, or devices that support both control modes.

For example, the first device is a device that supports both the local control mode and the centralized control mode. Therefore, in the centralized control mode, at least one second device controlled by the controller 103 may include the first device.

For example, for multiple devices of the same type, some of the devices may be used as the first device, and another part of the devices may be used as the second device.

For another example, for multiple devices of the same type, some devices are first devices for one controller, and another part of devices are second devices for another controller.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the direct communication connection may be a wired direct communication connection or a wireless direct communication connection. connection or a Bluetooth direct communication connection. At this time, correspondingly, both the controller and the first device have a Wi-Fi module, an infrared module or a Bluetooth module.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the controller 103 and the centralized control device 104 may be connected in a wired or wireless manner, and the centralized control device 104 and the second device 102 may be connected in a wired or wireless manner.

In the embodiment of the present invention, when the control system 100 includes multiple controllers 103, some controllers 103 may be connected to the central control device 104 by wire, and some controllers 103 may be connected to the central control device 104 by wireless.

In the embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, the control system 100 may also include:

Router 105, which provides Wi-Fi connection for the control system 100.

The controller 103 may include a first Wi-Fi module, and the controller 103 performs wireless communication with the centralized control device 104 through the first Wi-Fi module.

In this way, the controller 103 can communicate wirelessly with the controlled device through the local area network provided by the router 105 to realize centralized control based on the local area network; Control instructions and information from the external network to realize remote control.

In addition, the controller 103 may also be wired to the centralized control device 104 via the router 105 .

In the embodiment of the present invention, the centralized control device 104 and the router 105 may be wired through a network cable.

For example, as shown in FIG. 1 , a wired connection manner is indicated by a solid line, and a wireless connection manner is indicated by a dotted line. The controller 103 can be connected to the centralized control device 104 via 105 in a wired or wireless manner. As shown in FIG. Connect in a wireless manner; the centralized control device 104 is connected to the second device 102-1 in a wired manner, and the centralized control device 104 is connected to the second device 102-2 in a wireless manner.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the controller 103 has two control modes: a local control mode and a centralized control mode.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the local control mode of the controller 103 refers to that the controller directly controls the device that is directly communicatively connected with the controller, for example, directly communicates in a wired manner.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the first device 101 that is directly communicatively connected to the controller 103 may be determined according to at least one of the device type, function, and user settings.

For example, when there are multiple devices or multiple devices in the control system 100, the number of devices that can be directly connected to the controller 103 through wired communication is limited, that is, the number of devices that the controller 103 can control in the local control mode is limited. In this case, the first device 101 directly communicatively connected to the controller 103 may be determined according to at least one of the device type, function, and user settings.

For example, a plurality of devices or types of devices have priority for a direct communication connection with the controller.

For example, for a certain device, some of its control functions can only be realized in the local control mode. When several kinds of equipment are under the same system and controlled by the controller of the present invention, this kind of equipment is set as the equipment that can be connected directly with the controller in priority. As a result, during product development, there is no need to completely redevelop the control program of the controller corresponding to this type of equipment, that is, the original control program is used to shorten the development cycle, and it is also convenient to use the original control program different from the present invention. The controller is replaced by the controller of the present invention.

For example, for fresh air equipment, the control method of direct communication connection is preferred, and the existing control program can be directly applied to the new controller without redevelopment.

For example, the fresh air equipment is a total heat exchanger (VAM).

In the embodiment of the present invention, the centralized control mode of the controller 103 means that the controller 103 controls the devices connected to the controller 103 through the centralized control device 104 .

For example, when the controller 103 adopts the centralized control mode, the controller 103 independently controls multiple second devices connected to the controller 103 through the centralized control device 104 .

In this embodiment of the present invention, the controller 103 may be installed at a fixed location, for example, on a wall, or at another easy-to-operate location, such as a location relatively close to the first device. In this way, wiring between the controller and the directly connected device, that is, the first device is facilitated.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the local control mode and the centralized control mode of the controller 103 may correspond to different control instructions.

In this way, the control instructions in the two control modes are distinguished. Compared with the Wi-Fi network control, the signal transmission is more stable and the executable instructions are more, which can ensure that all functions of the device can be realized. .

In addition, as mentioned above, in the case of upgrading the existing wire controller, the control method of direct communication connection is still used for some devices, and some existing control programs and control instructions can be used to shorten the development cycle.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the controller 103 may include a setting module, which is used to set the priorities of the local control mode and the centralized control mode.

In this way, when the initial selection is made, the centralized control mode or the local control mode can be set to be preferentially adopted. After the setting is completed, the controller 103 will control the corresponding equipment in the selected mode.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the controller 103 may further include a display part, which displays a selection interface of the local control mode and the centralized control mode when the controller 103 is turned on.

For example, the controller 103 has a touch screen, and when the controller 103 is turned on, a selection interface of the local control mode and the centralized control mode is displayed on the touch screen. The user selects the control mode by touching the corresponding interface.

For example, when the user selects the local control mode through the selection interface, the display part displays the first device directly communicated with the controller and the control interface for controlling the first device; when the user selects the local control mode through the selection interface In the centralized control mode, the display unit displays the second device connected to the controller through the centralized control device and the control interface for controlling the second device.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the same second device 102 may be controlled by at least two controllers 103 . In this case, the second device 102 executes the last received control instruction among the control instructions from the at least two controllers 103 . In this way, conflicts can be avoided with simple control logic.

Alternatively, a certain controller 103 can also be set as a controller with a higher priority. When there are multiple controllers, the control instruction of this controller is given priority, that is, the second device 102 executes multiple controllers 103 The control command of the controller with the highest priority in the

In the embodiment of the present invention, the centralized control device 104 can function as a control center, and control instructions can be stored in the centralized control device 104. After the centralized control device 104 receives the control instruction sent by the controller 103, the control instruction is passed The Wi-Fi network is sent to each controlled device to realize the centralized control function.

For example, the centralized control device 104 has functions of data conversion and data calculation.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the centralized control device 104 may be set independently, or the centralized control device 104 may also be integrated on one controller 103 of at least one controller.

That is to say, the centralized control device 104 can be used as an independent device, or can be integrated into a controller 103 in the control system 100 .

In the embodiment of the present invention, the centralized control device may include a second Wi-Fi module and a NB-IoT module,

When the first device and/or the second device are in the commissioning stage, for the second device connected to the controller through the centralized control device, the user terminal connected to the NB-IoT module of the centralized control device displays the For the operating state of the second device, for the first device directly communicatively connected to the controller, the controller displays the operating state of the first device.

In this way, even in the absence of a Wi-Fi network, it is possible to check the commissioning status of all devices in two control modes through the NB-IoT network.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the controller 103 can perform Wi-Fi network configuration according to the network configuration information from the user terminal through the NB-IoT module.

For example, the user terminal obtains network distribution information after performing a Wi-Fi connection, and sends the network distribution information to the controller 103 for the controller 103 to perform Wi-Fi network configuration.

For example, the network configuration information includes a service set identifier (Service Set Identifier, SSID) and a password (Password, PW) of the router.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of a method for the controller 103 to configure a Wi-Fi network according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. As shown in Figure 2, the method includes:

Step 201: set the controller to connect with bluetooth;

Step 202: Connect the user terminal to the Wi-Fi router to obtain the SSID and password;

Step 203: Connect to the centralized control device through the APP of the user terminal, and obtain the MAC address and password of the centralized control device;

Step 204: Open the APP, connect to the controller via Bluetooth, and send the SSID and password of the Wi-Fi router and the MAC address and password of the centralized control device;

Step 205: use the SSID and password of the Wi-Fi router received by the controller to connect to the Wi-Fi router; and

Step 206: use the MAC address and password of the centralized control device received by the controller to connect to the centralized control device.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the control system 100 can be applied to various fields and scenarios. For example, the control system 100 is applied in a business environment or a home environment, and controls various controllable devices in the environment, for example, at least one of each indoor unit, fresh air system, humidifier, and floor heating equipment in an air-conditioning system.

For example, the air conditioning system may be a commercial air conditioning system or a domestic air conditioning system.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the air conditioning system may include at least one air conditioning equipment, and the air conditioning equipment may be air conditioning equipment of various models, types, forms, and capacities.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the air conditioner may include at least one outdoor unit and/or indoor unit.

For example, the air conditioner may be a one-to-one (that is, one outdoor unit and one indoor unit) or one-to-multiple (that is, one outdoor and multiple indoor units) air conditioner or a multi-to-multiple (that is, multiple outdoor units and multiple indoor units), it can also be a central air-conditioning system.

For example, the form of the indoor unit of the air conditioner can be in the form of air outlet from all sides, air outlet from both sides, duct machine, air outlet from the ground or baseboard; the form of the outdoor unit of the air conditioner can be a single fan with upper Dual fan top air outlet, single fan front air outlet or dual fan front air outlet, etc.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the air-conditioning system may further include at least one sensor for detecting parameters of the air-conditioning equipment and/or various indoor parameters. For example, a temperature sensor and/or a humidity sensor that detects the temperature and/or humidity of the space where the air conditioner is located. The sensor uploads the detected data to the server, and the controller can send instructions related to sensor linkage in the centralized control mode.

Furthermore, the at least one sensor can be integrated on the air conditioning system or be independent of the air conditioning system.

In the following, the control system according to the embodiment of the present invention will be exemplarily described in conjunction with an application scenario including an air-conditioning system.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the application of the control system in Embodiment 1 of the present invention to a specific scenario. As shown in FIG. 3 , the devices controlled by the controller 103 include air conditioners A, air conditioners B and fresh air devices. Wherein, in the centralized control mode, the controller 103 adopts the centralized control mode and controls the air conditioner A, the air conditioner B and the fresh air equipment through the centralized control device 104, and in the local control mode, the controller 103 adopts the local control mode to control the fresh air equipment; The controller 103 and the fresh air equipment are directly connected by wired communication; the controller 103 and the centralized control equipment 104 are connected wirelessly via the router 105, and the centralized control equipment 104 is connected to the air conditioner A, air conditioner B, and fresh air equipment by wire.

In addition, the centralized control device 104 has a Wi-Fi module and an NB-IoT module. The centralized control device 104 can be connected to the user's terminal device 106 through the NB-IoT network, and can also be connected to the server 107 via the Internet. The centralized control device 104 can also It is connected to a user's terminal device 106 via a Wi-Fi network via a router 105 , and can also be connected to a server 107 via the Internet. Through the terminal device 106, the user can realize remote control of various devices.

For example, the terminal device 106 is a mobile phone.

It can be known from the above embodiments that in the control system, the controller has two control modes: local control mode and centralized control mode, wherein, when the controller adopts the local control mode, the controller controls at least one first communication-connected direct A device; when the controller adopts a centralized control mode, the controller controls at least one second device connected to the controller through the centralized control device. That is to say, the controller integrates the local control mode and the centralized control mode, can make full use of the advantages of these two control modes, and can flexibly respond to various scenarios and equipment, for example, according to different systems and/or different The device determines the control mode adopted, thereby improving the control efficiency and control effect.

Example 2

Embodiment 2 of the present invention provides a controller, which has the same structure and function as the controller in the control system described in Embodiment 1.

Fig. 4 is a configuration diagram of a controller according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 4, the controller 400 includes:

The first Wi-Fi module 401 is used for the controller 400 to communicate wirelessly with the centralized control device via a router;

For example, as shown in Figure 4, the controller 400 may also include:

A setting module 402, which is used to set the priorities of the local control mode and the centralized control mode; and

The display unit 403 displays a selection interface between the local control mode and the centralized control mode when the controller 400 is turned on.

In this embodiment of the present invention, the controller 400, the first Wi-Fi module 401, the setting module 402, and the display unit 403 are the same as the controller 103 and its corresponding components in the control system 100 described in Embodiment 1. The structure and function can refer to the description in Embodiment 1, and will not be repeated here.

It can be known from the above-mentioned embodiments that the controller has two control modes: local control mode and centralized control mode, wherein, when the controller adopts the local control mode, the controller controls at least one first device directly connected to it in communication; when the When the controller adopts the centralized control mode, the controller controls at least one second device connected to the controller through the centralized control device. That is to say, the controller integrates the local control mode and the centralized control mode, can make full use of the advantages of these two control modes, and can flexibly respond to various scenarios and equipment, for example, according to different systems and/or different The device determines the control mode adopted, thereby improving the control efficiency and control effect.

The above devices and methods in the embodiments of the present invention may be implemented by hardware, or may be implemented by combining hardware and software. The present invention relates to a computer-readable program that, when executed by logic means, enables the logic means to realize the above means or constituent means, or causes the logic means to realize the above various methods or steps.

Embodiments of the present invention also relate to storage media for storing the above programs, such as hard disks, magnetic disks, optical disks, DVDs, flash memories, and the like.

The present invention has been described above in conjunction with specific embodiments, but those skilled in the art should be clear that these descriptions are exemplary and not limiting the protection scope of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make various variations and modifications to the present invention according to the spirit and principle of the present invention, and these variations and modifications are also within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (20)

1. A controller is characterized in that the controller is provided with a control unit,

the controller has a local control mode and a centralized control mode,

when the controller adopts a local control mode, the controller controls at least one first device which is in direct communication connection with the controller;

when the controller adopts a centralized control mode, the controller controls at least one second device connected with the controller through a centralized control device.

2. The controller according to claim 1,

the controller is connected with the centralized control equipment in a wired or wireless mode,

the centralized control equipment is connected with the second equipment in a wired or wireless mode.

3. The controller according to claim 1 or 2,

the controller comprises a first Wi-Fi module, and the controller is in wireless communication with the centralized control equipment through the first Wi-Fi module.

4. The controller according to claim 1,

the local control mode and the centralized control mode correspond to different control instructions.

5. The controller of claim 1,

when the controller adopts a centralized control mode, the controller respectively and independently controls a plurality of second devices connected with the controller through the centralized control device.

6. The controller of claim 1,

the controller includes a setting module for setting priorities of the local control mode and the centralized control mode.

7. The controller according to claim 1,

the controller includes a display part that displays selection interfaces of the local control mode and the centralized control mode when the controller is turned on.

8. The controller of claim 7,

when the user selects the local control mode through the selection interface, the display part displays a first device which is in direct communication connection with the controller and a control interface for controlling the first device;

when the user selects the centralized control mode through the selection interface, the display part displays a second device connected with the controller through the centralized control device and a control interface for controlling the second device.

9. A control system, characterized in that the control system comprises:

at least one first device and/or at least one second device; and

at least one controller according to any one of claims 1-8.

10. The control system of claim 9, further comprising:

a centralized control device connected with the controller in a wired or wireless manner,

when the controller adopts a centralized control mode, the controller controls a second device connected with the controller through the centralized control device.

11. The control system of claim 10,

the centralized control equipment is connected with the second equipment in a wired or wireless mode.

12. The control system of claim 10,

the centralized control device is independently arranged, or the centralized control device is integrated on one controller of at least one controller.

13. The control system according to any one of claims 10 to 12,

the centralized control device comprises a second Wi-Fi module and an NB-IoT module,

when the first device and/or the second device is in a commissioning phase,

for a second device connected with the controller through the centralized control device, displaying an operating state of the second device through a user terminal connected with the NB-IoT module of the centralized control device,

and for a first device which is directly connected with the controller in a communication way, displaying the operating state of the first device through the controller.

14. The control system of claim 9, wherein the centralized control apparatus comprises:

a router providing Wi-Fi connectivity for the control system.

15. The control system of claim 9,

when the same second device is controlled by at least two controllers, the second device executes the last received control instruction in the control instructions from the at least two controllers, or the second device executes the control instruction from the controller with the highest priority in the at least two controllers.

16. The control system of claim 9,

the first device is in direct communication connection with the controller in a wired mode.

17. The control system according to claim 9 or 16,

determining a first device in direct communication connection with the controller according to at least one of a kind of device, a function, and a setting of a user.

18. The control system of claim 9,

and the controller performs Wi-Fi distribution according to the distribution network information from the user terminal.

19. The control system of claim 18,

and the user terminal acquires distribution network information after carrying out Wi-Fi connection and sends the distribution network information to the controller.

20. The control system according to claim 18 or 19,

the distribution network information comprises a service set identifier and a password of the router.

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