METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING AIR CONDITIONER, ELECTRONIC DEVICE, AIR CONDITIONER, STORAGE MEDIUM AND PRODUCT

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The application is provided based on and claims priority to the Chinese Patent Application No. 202410902301.7, filed on Jul. 5, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

With development of an air conditioner technology, more and more air conditioners are needed in people's lives. Compared with other electronic devices, safety of the air conditioners is high.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The disclosure provides a method and apparatus for controlling an air conditioner, an electronic device, an air conditioner, a storage medium and a product.

According to a first aspect of an example of the disclosure, a method for controlling an air conditioner is provided and includes: determining a power-on duration of an air conditioner indoor unit; determining a refrigerant circulation state of the air conditioner based on a current change situation of an air conditioner outdoor unit and a current change situation of an air conditioner compressor in a case that the power-on duration is less than a first preset duration; and generating an abnormity protection instruction in a case that the refrigerant circulation state is abnormal, where the abnormity protection instruction is used to control the air conditioner compressor to perform a halt protection.

According to a second aspect of an example of the disclosure, a method for controlling an air conditioner is provided, performed by an air conditioner outdoor unit, including: receiving a power-on duration parameter sent by an air conditioner indoor unit; determining a power-on duration of the air conditioner indoor unit according to the power-on duration parameter, where the power-on duration parameter is sent continuously within a ninth preset duration after the air conditioner indoor unit is powered on; determining a refrigerant circulation state of the air conditioner based on a current change situation of the air conditioner outdoor unit and a current change situation of an air conditioner compressor in a case that the power-on duration is less than a first preset duration; generating an abnormity protection instruction in a case that the refrigerant circulation state is abnormal; and controlling the air conditioner compressor to perform a halt protection based on the abnormity protection instruction.

According to a third aspect of an example of the disclosure, an electronic device is provided, including: a first processor; and a first memory configured to store an instruction executable by the first processor. Where the first processor is configured to implement steps of the method for controlling the air conditioner provided by the first aspect during performing.

According to a fourth aspect of an example of the disclosure, an air conditioner is provided and includes an air conditioner outdoor unit, and the air conditioner outdoor unit includes: a second processor; and a second memory configured to store an instruction executable by the second processor. Where the second processor is configured to implement steps of the method for controlling the air conditioner provided by the first aspect or the second aspect during performing.

According to a fifth aspect of an example of the disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided and stores one or more computer programs configured to be executed by one or more processors of a processing device, the one or more programs including instructions which, when executed by the processing device, cause the processing device to carry out the method for controlling the air conditioner provided by the first aspect or the second aspect of the disclosure.

It is to be understood that the general description and the following detailed description are merely examples and explanatory instead of limiting the disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Accompanying drawings here, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate examples consistent with the disclosure and, together with the specification, serve to explain principles of the disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a method for controlling an air conditioner shown according to an example.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of another method for controlling an air conditioner shown according to an example.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an apparatus for controlling an air conditioner shown according to an example.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of another apparatus for controlling an air conditioner shown according to an example.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an electronic device shown according to an example.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The examples will be described in detail here, and their instances are represented in the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise indicated, when the following description refers to the accompanying drawings, the same number in the different accompanying drawings represents the same or similar elements. Implementations described in the following examples do not represent all implementations consistent with the disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of an apparatus and method consistent with some aspects of the disclosure as detailed in the appended claims.

It needs to be noted that in the disclosure, all actions of obtaining signals, information or data are performed in accordance with corresponding data protection regulations and policies of a country where it is located and with permission of an owner of the corresponding apparatus.

In some cases, there are hidden dangers that exist in air conditioners. Hidden dangers may be brought by leakage of an air conditioner refrigerant. Judgment for fluorine deficiency and a valve cutoff protection function are adopted for solving the problem of refrigerant leakage of an air conditioner at present. However, temperature judgment prevails in these protection functions, judgment can be usually performed only when the air conditioner runs for a long time, and thus problems of long judgment time and poor judgment timeliness exist.

The inventor discovers in a long-term study, that at present, a dangerous situation of the air conditioner after sale occurs in that in a case of blockage on a high-pressure side and leakage on a low-pressure side, air is sucked continuously for compressing due to running of a compressor. Thus, a temperature and a pressure on the high-pressure side increase continuously, and compression ignition explosion occurs when it exceeds an ignition point of a gas-oil mixture.

This kind of security accident after sale usually occurs in the first installation after sale and relocation installation processes, a fault or even an explosion occurs within short time, and the current judgment for fluorine deficiency and valve cutoff protection function cannot achieve timely protection for this situation, so as to bring hidden dangers for a user.

For solving the technical problems, examples of the disclosure relate to the field of air conditioners, and provide a method and apparatus for controlling an air conditioner, an electronic device, an air conditioner, a storage medium, and a program product. It is provided that a power-on duration of an air conditioner indoor unit is determined; a refrigerant circulation state of the air conditioner is determined based on a current change situation of an air conditioner outdoor unit and a current change situation of an air conditioner compressor in a case that the power-on duration is less than a first preset duration; an abnormity protection instruction for controlling the air conditioner compressor to perform a halt protection is generated in a case of determining that the refrigerant circulation state is abnormal, so that protection control over the air conditioner is performed. The protection control over the air conditioner is implemented by using the current change situation of the air conditioner outdoor unit and the current change situation of the air conditioner compressor convenient to obtain, so that the protection control over the air conditioner can be implemented even in an air conditioner after-sale scene, and timeliness of air conditioner protection may be improved; and besides, judgment for the refrigerant circulation state is performed only when the power-on duration of the air conditioner indoor unit is less than the first preset duration, so unnecessary protection is also reduced to a certain degree while the protection control over the air conditioner is performed.

The air conditioner includes the air conditioner indoor unit, the air conditioner outdoor unit, and the air conditioner compressor, which work together to regulate the temperature and humidity of the indoor air. For example, the air conditioner indoor unit is responsible for air distribution and part of the heat exchange process, while the air conditioner outdoor unit contains the condenser and fan, responsible for releasing heat to the external environment. As for the air conditioner compressor, it is the core component of the air conditioner, tasked with compressing the refrigerant and propelling it through the air conditioner. The compressor can be part of either the indoor or outdoor unit, depending on the design of the air conditioner. In most split-type air conditioners, the compressor is located in the outdoor unit, but there are designs where the compressor is integrated within the indoor unit. In short, these components are interdependent and together they form the complete air conditioner, which functions to regulate the indoor climate.

FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a method for controlling an air conditioner shown according to an example. The method may be performed by an electronic device. The electronic device may be, for example, an air conditioner indoor unit, an air conditioner outdoor unit or a smart gateway connected with the air conditioner, etc. As shown in FIG. 1, the method includes the following steps S11-S13.

In step S11, a power-on duration of an air conditioner indoor unit is determined.

In step S12, a refrigerant circulation state of the air conditioner is determined based on a current change situation of an air conditioner outdoor unit and a current change situation of an air conditioner compressor in a case that the power-on duration is less than a first preset duration.

In step S13, an abnormity protection instruction is generated in a case that the refrigerant circulation state is abnormal, where the abnormity protection instruction is used to control the air conditioner compressor to perform a halt protection.

A current of the air conditioner outdoor unit may be understood as a current corresponding to the air conditioner outdoor unit, and a current of the air conditioner compressor may be understood as a current corresponding to the air conditioner compressor.

In the example of the disclosure, the current of the air conditioner outdoor unit and the current of the air conditioner compressor at different moments may be obtained by the electronic device, so that the current change situation of the air conditioner outdoor unit and the current change situation of the air conditioner compressor may be further obtained according to the current of the air conditioner outdoor unit and the current of the air conditioner compressor at different moments, and then the refrigerant circulation state of the air conditioner may be determined based on the current change situation of the air conditioner outdoor unit and the current change situation of the air conditioner compressor.

It needs to be noted that a user usually powers on the air conditioner but does not pull out a plug of the air conditioner indoor unit, and pulls out the plug of the air conditioner indoor unit only in a case of maintenance after sale or relocation. Thus, in general, the air conditioner indoor unit keeps in a power-on state.

The inventor discovers in a long-term study that if there is refrigerant leakage, a refrigerant is substantially leaked completely after exceeding a certain time. If the refrigerant is leaked completely, occurrence of a fault or even explosion risk is extremely small, so in order to achieve protection control in the first installation after sale and relocation installation processes and reduce unnecessary protection to a certain degree, in the example of the disclosure, it may be set that the refrigerant circulation state of the air conditioner may be determined in a case that the power-on duration is less than the first preset duration and then based on the current change situation of the air conditioner outdoor unit and the current change situation of the air conditioner compressor. Otherwise, judgment for the refrigerant circulation state and the subsequent process for generating the abnormity protection instruction may be not performed in a case that the power-on duration of the air conditioner indoor unit is greater than or equal to the first preset duration.

In some implementations, the abnormity protection instruction may also be used for controlling the air conditioner to output a fault prompt so as to warn the user that the air conditioner has a situation of abnormal refrigerant circulation.

In some implementations, the compressor is a device in the air conditioner outdoor unit, so when the electronic device is a device different from the air conditioner outdoor unit, the generated abnormity protection instruction may be sent to the air conditioner outdoor unit, so that the air conditioner outdoor unit controls the air conditioner compressor according to the received abnormity protection instruction to perform the halt protection.

In this technical solution, it is provided that the power-on duration of the air conditioner indoor unit is determined, the refrigerant circulation state of the air conditioner may be determined based on the current change situation of the air conditioner outdoor unit and the current change situation of the air conditioner compressor in the case that the power-on duration is less than the first preset duration, the abnormity protection instruction for controlling the air conditioner compressor to perform the halt protection is generated in the case of determining that the refrigerant circulation state is abnormal, and thus protection control over the air conditioner is performed. The protection control over the air conditioner is implemented by using the current change situation of the air conditioner outdoor unit and the current change situation of the air conditioner compressor convenient to obtain, so that timeliness of air conditioner protection may be improved, and protection control in processes of first installation after sale and relocation installation may be implemented. Besides, judgment for the refrigerant circulation state is performed only when the power-on duration of the air conditioner indoor unit is less than the first preset duration, and thus, unnecessary protection is reduced to a certain degree while the protection control over the air conditioner is performed.

In some implementations, in step S12, determining the refrigerant circulation state of the air conditioner based on the current change situation of the air conditioner outdoor unit and the current change situation of the air conditioner compressor may include steps: the refrigerant circulation state is determined as abnormal refrigerant circulation in a case that an absolute value of an absolute change value of the current of the air conditioner outdoor unit at a first moment and a second moment is greater than or equal to a preset current threshold and an absolute value of a relative change rate of the current of the compressor at a third moment and a fourth moment is greater than or equal to a preset proportion threshold. Where an interval between the first moment and the second moment is a second preset duration, and an interval between the third moment and the fourth moment is a third preset duration.

In some implementations, the first moment and the third moment may be the same or not, and the second moment and the fourth moment may be the same or not.

In some implementations, the absolute value of the absolute change value of the current of the air conditioner outdoor unit at the first moment and the second moment is greater than or equal to the preset current threshold, which may be represented by the following Formula (1):

❘ "\[LeftBracketingBar]" I outdoor ⁢ unit ⁢ 1 - I outdoor ⁢ unit ⁢ 2 ❘ "\[RightBracketingBar]" ≥ I threshold ( 1 )

Where I_{outdoor unit 1} represents the current of the air conditioner outdoor unit at the first moment, I_{outdoor unit 2} represents the current of the air conditioner outdoor unit at the second moment, and I_threshold represents the preset current threshold.

In some implementations, the absolute value of the relative change rate of the current of the compressor at the third moment and the fourth moment is greater than or equal to the preset proportion threshold, which may be represented by the following Formula (2):

❘ "\[LeftBracketingBar]" I compressor ⁢ 3 I compressor ⁢ 4 - 1 ❘ "\[RightBracketingBar]" ≥ P threshold ( 2 )

Where I_{compressor 3} represents the current of the compressor at the third moment, I_{compressor 4} represents the current of the compressor at the fourth moment, and P_threshold represents the preset proportion threshold.

In the example of the disclosure, the current change situation of the air conditioner outdoor unit and the current change situation of the air conditioner compressor may start to be obtained in a case of needing to determine the refrigerant circulation state of the air conditioner. For example, in a case that the power-on duration is less than the first preset duration and a detection instruction of the refrigerant circulation state is obtained. And the refrigerant circulation state may be determined as abnormal refrigerant circulation as long as the absolute value of the absolute change value of the current of the air conditioner outdoor unit at the first moment and the second moment is greater than or equal to the preset current threshold and the absolute value of the relative change rate of the current of the compressor at the third moment and the fourth moment is greater than or equal to the preset proportion threshold.

In some implementations, the detection instruction of the refrigerant circulation state may be sent when the air conditioner indoor unit is powered on. In some other implementations, the detection instruction of the refrigerant circulation state may also be sent at any time after the air conditioner indoor unit is powered on.

In an example, the second preset duration may be two seconds, and the third preset duration may also be two seconds.

In some implementations, a value range of the preset current threshold is 0.3 A to 2 A.

In some implementations, a value range of the preset proportion threshold is 3% to 20%.

In some implementations, in step S12, determining the refrigerant circulation state of the air conditioner based on the current change situation of the air conditioner outdoor unit and the current change situation of the air conditioner compressor may include steps: running stability of the air conditioner is determined; and the refrigerant circulation state of the air conditioner is determined based on the current change situation of the air conditioner outdoor unit and the current change situation of the air conditioner compressor in a case that the air conditioner runs stably.

In the example of the disclosure, in order to improve accuracy of the air conditioner protection while timeliness of the air conditioner protection is improved, the running stability of the air conditioner may be determined first, and then the refrigerant circulation state of the air conditioner is further determined based on the current change situation of the air conditioner outdoor unit and the current change situation of the air conditioner compressor in the case of determining that the air conditioner runs stably. Thus, accuracy of determining the refrigerant circulation state of the air conditioner may be improved. Therefore, improving the accuracy of the air conditioner protection.

In some implementations, the stability of air conditioner running may be judged/determined based on aspects of running frequency of the air conditioner compressor, a rotation speed of an internal/external fan, an alternating current voltage of the air conditioner outdoor unit and the like, so as to eliminate influence on a current parameter in cases of frequency increasing and decreasing of the air conditioner compressor, gear shift of the internal and external fans and voltage fluctuation of the air conditioner outdoor unit, and reduce erroneous judgment.

In some implementations, determining the running stability of the air conditioner may include steps: it is determined that the air conditioner runs stably in a case that a preset condition is met. Where the preset condition includes one or more following conditions: a fluctuation of a running frequency of the air conditioner compressor within a fourth preset duration is less than a preset frequency threshold; a fluctuation of a rotation speed of an internal fan of the air conditioner within a fifth preset duration is less than a first preset rotation speed threshold; a fluctuation of a rotation speed of an external fan of the air conditioner within a sixth preset duration is less than a second preset rotation speed threshold; and/or a fluctuation of a variation range of an alternating current voltage of the air conditioner outdoor unit within a seventh preset duration is less than a preset voltage threshold.

The fluctuation may be calculated by a difference between a maximum value and a minimum value. For example, the fluctuation of the running frequency of the air conditioner compressor within the fourth preset duration may be calculated by a difference between a maximum value and a minimum value of the running frequency of the air conditioner compressor within the fourth preset duration.

In the example of the disclosure, one or more of the four conditions may be preset for judgment of whether the preset condition is met.

For example, the preset condition is determined to be met by presetting that the fluctuation of the running frequency of the air conditioner compressor within the fourth preset duration is less than the preset frequency threshold, the fluctuation of the rotation speed of the internal fan of the air conditioner within the fifth preset duration is less than the first preset rotation speed threshold, the fluctuation of the rotation speed of the external fan of the air conditioner within the sixth preset duration is less than the second preset rotation speed threshold and the fluctuation of the change range of the alternating current voltage of the air conditioner outdoor unit within the seventh preset duration is less than the preset voltage threshold, and then it is determined that the air conditioner runs stably. It is determined that the air conditioner runs unstably in a case that any of these four conditions are not met.

For example, the preset condition is determined to be met by presetting that the fluctuation of the running frequency of the air conditioner compressor within the fourth preset duration is less than the preset frequency threshold, the fluctuation of the rotation speed of the internal fan of the air conditioner within the fifth preset duration is less than the first preset rotation speed threshold, and the fluctuation of the rotation speed of the external fan of the air conditioner within the sixth preset duration is less than the second preset rotation speed threshold, and then it is determined that the air conditioner runs stably. It is determined that the air conditioner runs unstably in a case that any of these three conditions are not met.

In some implementations, a value range of the fourth preset duration may be 1 second to 60 seconds, a value range of the fifth preset duration may be 1 second to 60 seconds, a value range of the sixth preset duration may be 1 second to 60 seconds, and a value range of the seventh preset duration may be 1 second to 60 seconds.

In some implementations, a value range of the preset frequency threshold may be 0.5 Hz to 10 Hz, a value range of the first preset rotation speed threshold may be 20 rpm to 100 rpm, a value range of the second preset rotation speed threshold may be 20 rpm to 100 rpm, and a value range of the preset voltage threshold may be 5% to 30%.

In some implementations, in step S12, determining the refrigerant circulation state of the air conditioner based on the current change situation of the air conditioner outdoor unit and the current change situation of the air conditioner compressor may include steps: an inner tube temperature, an inner loop temperature, an outer tube temperature and an outer loop temperature corresponding to a starting-up moment of the air conditioner outdoor unit are obtained; and the refrigerant circulation state of the air conditioner is determined based on the current change situation of the air conditioner outdoor unit and the current change situation of the air conditioner compressor in a case of determining that a preset temperature difference condition is met based on the inner tube temperature, the inner loop temperature, the outer tube temperature and the outer loop temperature.

The inner tube temperature may be understood as a temperature of a heat exchange tube on an indoor side of the air conditioner, the outer tube temperature may be understood as a temperature of a heat exchange tube on an outdoor side of the air conditioner, the inner loop temperature may be understood as an environment temperature on the indoor side of the air conditioner, and the outer loop temperature may be understood as an environment temperature on the outdoor side of the air conditioner.

In the example of the disclosure, in order to further improve accuracy of the air conditioner protection, whether the preset temperature difference condition is met may be determined first based on the inner tube temperature, the inner loop temperature, the outer tube temperature and the outer loop temperature corresponding to the starting-up moment of the air conditioner outdoor unit, and then the refrigerant circulation state of the air conditioner is determined based on the current change situation of the air conditioner outdoor unit and the current change situation of the air conditioner compressor in a case of determining that the preset temperature difference condition is met. Thus, accuracy of determining the refrigerant circulation state of the air conditioner may be improved, and the accuracy of the air conditioner protection is also improved.

In some implementations, it may be set that the preset temperature difference condition is determined to be met in a case that an absolute value of a difference value between the inner tube temperature and the inner loop temperature corresponding to the starting-up moment of the air conditioner outdoor unit is less than or equal to a first preset temperature threshold and an absolute value of a difference value between the outer tube temperature and the outer loop temperature corresponding to the starting-up moment of the air conditioner outdoor unit is less than or equal to a second preset temperature threshold.

In some implementations, determining the refrigerant circulation state of the air conditioner based on the current change situation of the air conditioner outdoor unit and the current change situation of the air conditioner compressor in the case of determining that the preset temperature difference condition is met based on the inner tube temperature, the inner loop temperature, the outer tube temperature and the outer loop temperature may include steps: the refrigerant circulation state of the air conditioner is determined based on the current change situation of the air conditioner outdoor unit and the current change situation of the air conditioner compressor in cases of determining that the preset temperature difference condition is met based on the inner tube temperature, the inner loop temperature, the outer tube temperature and the outer loop temperature and determining that a starting-up duration of the air conditioner compressor reaches an eighth preset duration.

In the example of the disclosure, in order to further improve accuracy of the air conditioner protection, except that whether the preset temperature difference condition is met may be first determined based on the inner tube temperature, the inner loop temperature, the outer tube temperature and the outer loop temperature corresponding to the starting-up moment of the air conditioner outdoor unit, whether the starting-up duration of the air conditioner compressor reaches the eighth preset duration may be further judged, and it may indicate that the air conditioner compressor meets the conditions of stable running in a case that the starting-up duration of the air conditioner compressor reaches the eighth preset duration.

In some implementations, the eighth preset duration may be 60 seconds.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a method for controlling an air conditioner shown according to an example. The method may be performed by an air conditioner outdoor unit. As shown in FIG. 2, the method includes the following steps, S21-S25.

In step S21, a power-on duration parameter sent by an air conditioner indoor unit is received.

In step S22, a power-on duration of the air conditioner indoor unit is determined according to the power-on duration parameter, where the power-on duration parameter is sent continuously within a ninth preset duration after the air conditioner indoor unit is powered on.

In some implementations, the power-on duration parameter may be represented through a preset byte.

In some implementations, after the air conditioner indoor unit is powered on, the power-on duration parameter representing the power-on duration of the indoor unit may be continuously sent to the air conditioner outdoor unit, and thus, the power-on duration parameter sent by the air conditioner indoor unit may be received by the air conditioner outdoor unit.

It may be known with reference to the included content that if there is a case of refrigerant leakage, the refrigerant is substantially leaked completely after exceeding a certain time, if the refrigerant has been leaked completely, occurrence of a fault or even explosion risk is extremely small, so in order to reduce unnecessary detection, in the example of the disclosure, a duration of sending the power-on duration parameter by the air conditioner indoor unit may be set, for example, the power-on duration parameter may be sent continuously within the ninth preset duration after the air conditioner indoor unit is powered on and is not sent any more when exceeding the ninth preset duration.

In step S23, a refrigerant circulation state of the air conditioner is determined based on a current change situation of the air conditioner outdoor unit and a current change situation of an air conditioner compressor in a case that the power-on duration is less than a first preset duration.

In step S24, an abnormity protection instruction is generated in a case that the refrigerant circulation state is abnormal.

In step S25, the air conditioner compressor is controlled to perform a halt protection based on the abnormity protection instruction.

In the example of the disclosure, the air conditioner outdoor unit may control the air conditioner compressor, so the air conditioner outdoor unit may control the air conditioner compressor to perform the halt protection based on the abnormity protection instruction after the abnormity protection instruction is generated.

In this method, given that transmitting data of the air conditioner outdoor unit to the air conditioner indoor unit has a communication delay of about 1 second, and if the method for controlling the air conditioner is performed in the air conditioner indoor unit, control timeliness is reduced, so the air conditioner outdoor unit is set as a master device for performing the method for controlling the air conditioner, and the control timeliness may be improved.

The method for controlling the air conditioner in the example of the disclosure is described below by taking one complete example.

Byte information representing the power-on duration of the air conditioner indoor unit is sent continuously to the air conditioner outdoor unit by the air conditioner indoor unit after powered on, X minutes is set as the longest, and the byte information is not sent continuously any more when exceeding the X minutes. When a starting-up instruction sent by the air conditioner indoor unit is received by the air conditioner outdoor unit, whether the power-on duration of the air conditioner indoor unit is less than Y minutes is judged through the byte information carried in the starting-up instruction, and if the power-on duration of the air conditioner indoor unit is less than Y minutes, subsequent detection and judgment may be performed.

In the example of the present application, whether the air conditioner indoor unit is powered on for the first time may be determined by the air conditioner outdoor unit through the byte information sent by the air conditioner indoor unit, and if a first power-on condition is met, the subsequent detection and judgment may be performed. Whether the air conditioner indoor unit is powered on for the first time is determined by judging the power-on duration of the indoor unit, one the one hand, given that if there is a case of leakage, the refrigerant is substantially leaked completely after exceeding the power-on duration of the indoor unit, occurrence of the fault or even explosion risk is extremely small, the air conditioner outdoor unit may not perform judgment any more, and on the other hand, a program is easier to write, and whether the air conditioner indoor unit is powered on for the first time does not need to be judged by increasing flag bits of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit, which may be applied to another subsequent function needing to judge first power-on of the air conditioner indoor unit.

A subsequent detection and judgment manner are as follows.

When the inner tube temperature, the inner loop temperature, the outer tube temperature and the outer loop temperature corresponding to the starting-up moment of the air conditioner outdoor unit meet the following (1) and (2) judgment conditions, function judgment is performed.

• • (1) A temperature difference range between the inner tube temperature (T_{inner tube}) and the inner loop temperature (T_{inner loop}) corresponding to the starting-up moment: |T_{inner tube}−T_{inner loop}|≤T_inner° C.
  • (2) A temperature difference range between the outer tube temperature (T_{outer tube}) and the outer loop temperature (T_{outer loop}) corresponding to the starting-up moment: |T_{outer tube}−T_{outer loop}|≤T_outer° C.

Where T_inner represents the first preset temperature threshold, T_outer represents the second preset temperature threshold. If an inner and outer loop temperature difference condition and an inner and outer tube temperature difference condition for entering the function judgment are met, the air conditioner compressor is started up for continuous 60 s, and then a continuous sliding window judgment is performed on the running frequency of the air conditioner compressor, the rotation speed of the internal/external fan of the air conditioner and the alternating current voltage of the air conditioner outdoor unit according to the following conditions (3) to (6). Judgment for conditions (3) to (6) is performed mainly considering stable system control, and the influence on the current parameter in cases of frequency increasing and decreasing, gear shift and voltage fluctuation is eliminated.

• • (3) The fluctuation of the running frequency of the air conditioner compressor within time t1 is within the preset frequency threshold.
  • (4) The fluctuation of the rotation speed of the internal fan of the air conditioner within time t2 is within the first preset rotation speed threshold.
  • (5) The fluctuation of the rotation speed of the external fan of the air conditioner within time t3 is within the second preset rotation speed threshold.
  • (6) The fluctuation of the alternating current voltage of the air conditioner outdoor unit within time t4 is within the preset voltage threshold.

Whether the following conditions (7) and (8) are met continues to be judged if the conditions (3) to (6) are met.

❘ "\[LeftBracketingBar]" I outdoor ⁢ unit ⁢ 1 - I outdoor ⁢ unit ⁢ 2 ❘ "\[RightBracketingBar]" ≥ I threshold . Condition ⁢ ( 7 ) ❘ "\[LeftBracketingBar]" I compressor ⁢ 3 I compressor ⁢ 4 - 1 ❘ "\[RightBracketingBar]" ≥ P threshold . Condition ⁢ ( 8 )

The refrigerant circulation is judged as abnormal if the conditions (7) and (8) are met, and it enters the halt protection of the air conditioner compressor. A judgment duration of the whole of conditions (7) and (8) lasts for a duration t5, a value of t5 is 10 to 30 minutes, and judgment is not performed any more when exceeding t5 unless judgment for first power-on of the air conditioner indoor unit is met, for example, after the air conditioner indoor unit is powered on again.

A fault code may be displayed once the refrigerant circulation is judged as abnormal, the user is warned that there is something wrong with the air conditioner, and in the example of the disclosure, the refrigerant circulation is judged as abnormal, so it shows that a pipeline has a leakage and a valve is not opened and there is compressed air. In addition, or in an alternate embodiment, the electronic device can stop the air conditioner from running or power off the air conditioner as part of performing the halt protection.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an apparatus for controlling an air conditioner shown according to an example. Referring to FIG. 3, the apparatus 300 for controlling the air conditioner includes: a first determining module 310, a second determining module 320, and an instruction generating module 330.

The first determining module 310 is configured to determine a power-on duration of an air conditioner indoor unit.

The second determining module 320 is configured to determine a refrigerant circulation state of the air conditioner based on a current change situation of an air conditioner outdoor unit and a current change situation of an air conditioner compressor in a case that the power-on duration is less than a first preset duration.

The instruction generating module 330 is configured to generate an abnormity protection instruction in a case that the refrigerant circulation state is abnormal, where the abnormity protection instruction is used to control the air conditioner compressor to perform a halt protection.

Optionally, the second determining module 320 includes: a first determining sub-module (not show), configured to determine the refrigerant circulation state as abnormal refrigerant circulation in a case that an absolute value of an absolute change value of a current of the air conditioner outdoor unit at a first moment and a second moment is greater than or equal to a preset current threshold and an absolute value of a relative change rate of a current of the compressor at a third moment and a fourth moment is greater than or equal to a preset proportion threshold. Where an interval between the first moment and the second moment is a second preset duration, and an interval between the third moment and the fourth moment is a third preset duration.

Optionally, the second determining module 320 includes: a second determining sub-module (not show) and a third determining sub-module (not show). The second determining sub-module is configured to determine running stability of the air conditioner. The third determining sub-module is configured to determine the refrigerant circulation state of the air conditioner based on the current change situation of the air conditioner outdoor unit and the current change situation of the air conditioner compressor in a case that the air conditioner runs stably.

Optionally, the second determining sub-module is further configured to determine that the air conditioner runs stably in a case that a preset condition is met. The preset condition includes the one or more following conditions: a fluctuation of a running frequency of the air conditioner compressor within a fourth preset duration is less than a preset frequency threshold; a fluctuation of a rotation speed of an internal fan of the air conditioner within a fifth preset duration is less than a first preset rotation speed threshold; a fluctuation of a rotation speed of an external fan of the air conditioner within a sixth preset duration is less than a second preset rotation speed threshold; and/or a fluctuation of a variation range of an alternating current voltage of the air conditioner outdoor unit within a seventh preset duration is less than a preset voltage threshold.

Optionally, the second determining module 320 includes: an obtaining sub-module (not show) and a fourth determining sub-module (not shown). The obtaining sub-module is configured to obtain an inner tube temperature, an inner loop temperature, an outer tube temperature and an outer loop temperature corresponding to a starting-up moment of the air conditioner outdoor unit. The fourth determining sub-module is configured to determine the refrigerant circulation state of the air conditioner based on the current change situation of the air conditioner outdoor unit and the current change situation of the air conditioner compressor in a case of determining that a preset temperature difference condition is met based on the inner tube temperature, the inner loop temperature, the outer tube temperature and the outer loop temperature.

Optionally, the fourth determining sub-module is further configured to determine the refrigerant circulation state of the air conditioner based on the current change situation of the air conditioner outdoor unit and the current change situation of the air conditioner compressor in cases of determining that the preset temperature difference condition is met based on the inner tube temperature, the inner loop temperature, the outer tube temperature and the outer loop temperature and determining that a starting-up duration of the air conditioner compressor reaches an eighth preset duration.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an apparatus for controlling an air conditioner shown according to an example. Referring to FIG. 4, the apparatus 400 for controlling the air conditioner includes: a receiving module 410, a third determining module 420, a fourth determining module 430, an instruction generating module 440, and a controlling module 450.

The receiving module 410 is configured to receive a power-on duration parameter sent by an air conditioner indoor unit.

The third determining module 420 is configured to determine a power-on duration of the air conditioner indoor unit according to the power-on duration parameter, where the power-on duration parameter is sent continuously within a ninth preset duration after the air conditioner indoor unit is powered on.

The fourth determining module 430 is configured to determine a refrigerant circulation state of the air conditioner based on a current change situation of an air conditioner outdoor unit and a current change situation of an air conditioner compressor in a case that the power-on duration is less than a first preset duration.

The instruction generating module 440 is configured to generate an abnormity protection instruction in a case that the refrigerant circulation state is abnormal.

The controlling module 450 is configured to control the air conditioner compressor to perform a halt protection based on the abnormity protection instruction.

As for the apparatuses in the examples, a specific mode of each module for performing an operation has been described in detail in the examples related to the methods, which is not described in detail here.

The disclosure further provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing a computer program instruction, and the program instruction, when executed by a processor, implements the above method for controlling the air conditioner.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an electronic device 500 shown according to an example. For example, the electronic device 500 may be provided as any one of an air conditioner outdoor unit, an air conditioner indoor unit, or a smart gateway, as well as either apparatus 300 or 400. Referring to FIG. 5, the electronic device 500 includes one or more first processors 522, and a first memory 532 configured to store a computer program executable by the first processor 522. The computer program stored in the first memory 532 may include one or more than one module each of which corresponds to a set of instructions. The first processor 522 may be configured to execute the computer program so as to execute the methods for controlling the air conditioner.

Besides, the electronic device 500 may further include a power component 526 and a communication component 550, the power component 526 may be configured to execute power management of the electronic device 500, and the communication component 550 may be configured to implement communication of the electronic device 500, for example, wired or wireless communication. Besides, the electronic device 500 may further include an input/output (I/O) interface 558.

In another example, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including program instructions is further provided, and the program instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to implement steps of any of the methods for controlling the air conditioner. For example, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be the first memory 532 including the program instructions, and the program instructions may be executed by the first processor 522 of the electronic device 500 so as to complete any of the methods for controlling the air conditioner.

In another example, an air conditioner is provided and includes an air conditioner outdoor unit, and the air conditioner outdoor unit includes: a second processor; and a second memory configured to store an instruction executable by the second processor. Where the second processor is configured to implement any of the methods for controlling the air conditioner during performing.

In another example, a computer program product is further provided, the computer program product includes a computer program capable of being executed by a programmable apparatus, and the computer program has a code part which is used for performing, when executed by the programmable apparatus, any of the methods for controlling the air conditioner.

Those skilled in the art will easily figure out other implementation solutions of the disclosure after considering the specification and practicing the disclosure. The disclosure intends to cover any variation, use or adaptive change of the disclosure, and these variations, uses or adaptive changes conform to a general principle of the disclosure and include common general knowledge or conventional technical means in the technical field not disclosed by the disclosure. The specification and the examples are merely regarded as examples, and the true scope and spirit of the disclosure are indicated by the following claims.

It is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited to an accurate structure described and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of the disclosure is limited merely by appended claims.