Communication control system for air conditioner

• US 6,625,996 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2001
• Issued: 09/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakajima, Seiji, Oohashi, Eiji, Tenma, Takaharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Tanner, Harry B.
• Application Number:
  US09/839,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20010032474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 621/75, 622/30, 622/03, 236/51, 165/205, 165/207, 165/208, 165/209
• US Class Current: 62/175
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/54 using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/88 Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits

Abstract

In a communication control system for an air conditioner including an outdoor unit, plural indoor units and control equipment such as a remote controller, etc. which is connected to each indoor unit through a communication line, data communication being carried out between each indoor unit and the control equipment through the communication line, each indoor unit is equipped with a communication control device having a power source circuit 59 to which a power source voltage is supplied from a main power source, a communication superposing circuit for superposing communication data on the power source voltage, a transistor 54 for ON/OFF-controlling the supply of the power source voltage from the main power source to the communication superposing circuit, and a polarity coincidence circuit 63A that passes the output of the communication superposing circuit therethrough to the communication line and depolarizes the power source voltage from the external. Even when an indoor unit functioning as a power supply source cannot supply power due to some trouble, another indoor unit is automatically selected as a power supply source so that the power supply operation can be continuously carried out in the air conditioner.

Claims

1. The communication control system as claimed in claim for an air conditioner including at least one outdoor unit, plural indoor units and control equipment such as a remote controller, etc. which are connected to one another through a communication line to mutually carry out data communication through said communication line, characterized in that at least two indoor units of said plural indoor units are equipped with power supply means, and non-polarized and bi-directional data communication is carried out between said plural indoor units and said control equipment while said power supply means of any one of said at least two indoor units supplies a power source voltage of a main power source to said communication line to said control equipment,

wherein said power supply means includes a voltage detecting unit for detecting the power source voltage on said communication line, and a logical unit for judging on the basis of the detection result of said voltage detecting unit whether there is another power supply source which supplies the power source voltage onto said communication line and setting itself to function as a power supply source if it is judged that no other power supply source exists.

2. The communication control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said power supply means includes a communication superposing unit for superposing communication data on the power source voltage, a switching unit for ON/OFF-controlling the supply of the power source voltage from said main power source to said communication superposing unit, and a polarity coincidence unit for passing therethrough the output of said communication superposing unit to said communication line and depolarizing the power source voltage through said communication line from another indoor unit functioning as a power supply source.

3. The communication control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said communication superposing unit includes a transistor to which ON/OFF signals of communication signals are input, and at least two resistors that are connected to each other in series and divides the power source voltage from said main power source in accordance with the ON/OFF operation of said transistor to superpose the communication signals on the power source voltage.

4. The communication control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said switching unit is disposed between said main power source and said communication superposing unit, and equipped with a transistor for ON/OFF-controlling the supply of the power source voltage from said main power source to said communication superposing unit on the basis of the ON/OFF operation thereof.

5. The communication control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said polarity coincidence unit includes bridged diodes for converting the polarity of signals from the external, and a transistor for bypassing the output signal of said communication superposing unit without passing the output signal through said bridged diodes.

6. The communication control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said power supply unit further includes a voltage detecting unit for detecting the power source voltage in said communication superposing unit.

7. The communication control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said power supply means further includes a logical unit for logically judging it on the basis of communication data transmitted through said communication line whether the supply of the power source voltage is stopped or not when another indoor unit functioning as a power supply source supplies an in-phase power source voltage.

8. The communication control system for an air conditioner including at least one outdoor unit, plural indoor units and control equipment such as a remote controller, etc. which are connected to one another through a communication line to mutually carry out data communication through said communication line, characterized in that at least two indoor units of said plural indoor units are equipped with power supply means, and non-polarized and bi-directional data communication is carried out between said plural indoor units and said control equipment while said power supply means of any one of said at least two indoor units supplies a power source voltage of a main power source to said communication line to said control equipment,

wherein said power supply means includes a communication superposing unit for superposing communication data on the power source voltage, a switching unit for ON/OFF-controlling the supply of the power source voltage from said main power source to said communication superposing unit, and a polarity coincidence unit for passing therethrough the output of said communication superposing unit to said communication line and depolarizing the power source voltage through said communication line from another indoor unit functioning as a power supply source,

wherein said power supply unit further includes an over-current detecting unit that is disposed between said switching unit and said communication superposing unit and detects the variation of the power source voltage applied to said communication superposing unit to detect short-circuiting of said communication line.

9. The communication control system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said over-current detecting unit includes at least one resistor, and a transistor which is switched on/off on the basis of the voltage applied to both the ends of said resistor, a voltage value applied to both the end of said resistor being varied in accordance with the variation of the power source voltage, and said transistor being switched on/off when the voltage value exceeds a predetermined voltage value, thereby detecting the short-circuiting of said communication line.

10. The communication control system for an air conditioner including at least one outdoor unit, plural indoor units and control equipment such as a remote controller, etc. which are connected to one another through a communication line to mutually carry out data communication through said communication line, characterized in that at least two indoor units of said plural indoor units are equipped with power supply means, and non-polarized and bi-directional data communication is carried out between said plural indoor units and said control equipment while said power supply means of any one of said at least two indoor units supplies a power source voltage of a main power source to said communication line to said control equipment,

wherein said power supply means includes a communication superposing unit for superposing communication data on the power source voltage, a switching unit for ON/OFF-controlling the supply of the power source voltage from said main power source to said communication superposing unit, and a polarity coincidence unit for passing therethrough the output of said communication superposing unit to said communication line and depolarizing the power source voltage through said communication line from another indoor unit functioning as a power supply source;

wherein said power supply unit further includes a voltage detecting unit for detecting the power source voltage in said communication superposing unit;

wherein said voltage detecting unit includes at least two resistors connected in series, and a transistor connected to the connection point of said two resistors, the power source voltage being applied to one terminal of one of said two resistors at the opposite side to said connection point while one terminal of the other resistors at the opposite side to said connection point is grounded, and the power source voltage being detected on the basis of the ON/OFF operation of said transistor which is switched on/off on the basis of the voltage at the connection point of said two resistors.

11. The communication control system for an air conditioner including at least one outdoor unit, plural indoor units and control equipment such as a remote controller, etc. which are connected to one another through a communication line to mutually carry out data communication through said communication line, characterized in that at least two indoor units of said plural indoor units are equipped with power supply means, and non-polarized and bi-directional data communication is carried out between said plural indoor units and said control equipment while said power supply means of any one of said at least two indoor units supplies a power source voltage of a main power source to said communication line to said control equipment,

wherein said power supply means includes a detection unit for detecting simultaneous application of a negative-phase power source voltage from another indoor unit functioning as a power supply source onto said communication line or short-circuiting of said communication line, and then stopping the supply of the power source voltage if the simultaneous application of the negative-phase power source voltage from the other indoor unit is detected.

12. The communication control system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said power supply means resumes the supply of the power source voltage after the supply of the power source voltage is stopped.

13. The communication control system for an air conditioner including at least one outdoor unit, plural indoor units and control equipment such as a remote controller, etc. which are connected to one another through a communication line to mutually carry out data communication through said communication line, characterized in that at least two indoor units of said plural indoor units are equipped with power supply means, and non-polarized and bi-directional data communication is carried out between said plural indoor units and said control equipment while said power supply means of any one of said at least two indoor units supplies a power source voltage of a main power source to said communication line to said control equipment,

wherein said power supply means of each of said at least two indoor units is equipped with self-selecting means for automatically selecting itself as a power supply source for supplying the power source voltage to said communication line.

14. A communication control system for an air conditioner including plural indoor units and at least one outdoor unit, each indoor unit and control equipment containing a remote controller being connected to each other through a communication line, characterized in that at least two indoor units of said plural indoor units are equipped with a power supply means and further characterized in that all said indoor units and said control equipment perform non-polarized and bi-directional data communication while a power source voltage is applied from any one of said plural indoor units to said control equipment,

wherein said power supply means includes a voltage detecting unit for detecting the power source voltage on said communication line, and a logical unit for judging on the basis of the detection result of said voltage detecting unit whether there is another power supply source which supplies the power source voltage onto said communication line and setting itself to function as a power supply source if it is judged that no other power supply source exists.