# US 2025/0085010 A1 · Air Conditioner Control System and Control Method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2025/0085010 A1 - Document ID: US20250085010A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/725,628 - Filed: 2022-10-14 - Published: 2025-03-13 - Earliest claimed: 2022-01-24 - Assignees: Gree Electric Appliances, Inc. of Zhuhai - Applicants: Gree Electric Appliances, Inc. of Zhuhai - Inventors: Zhifeng Li; Pan Zuo; Huasheng Yang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250085010A1 ## CPC - F24F 11/56: Remote control - F24F 11/58: using Internet communication - F24F 11/32: Responding to malfunctions or emergencies - F24F 11/38: Failure diagnosis - F24F 11/50: characterised by user interfaces or communication - F24F 11/52: Indication arrangements, e.g. displays - F24F 11/54: using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers - F24F 11/63: Electronic processing - F24F 11/89: Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices - Y02B 30/70: Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating - F24F: AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING (removing dirt or fumes from areas where they are produced B08B15/00; vertical ducts for carrying away waste gases from buildings E04F17/02; tops for chimneys or ventilating shafts, terminals for flues F23L17/02) - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract The present disclosure relates to the technical field of air conditioners and provides an air conditioner control system and a control method. The air conditioner control system in the present disclosure includes: an outdoor unit device, one main indoor unit device and at least one secondary indoor unit device, wherein the main indoor unit device and the outdoor unit device are connected to a first communication bus, and the main indoor unit device and each of the at least one secondary indoor unit device are both connected to a second communication bus; each of the at least one secondary indoor unit device sends a secondary indoor unit state information of itself to the second communication bus; the main indoor unit device acquires the secondary indoor unit state information of each of the at least one secondary indoor unit device via the second communication bus, and sends an indoor unit state summary information to the first communication bus according to each piece of the secondary indoor unit state information and a main indoor unit state information of the main indoor unit device; and the outdoor unit device acquires the indoor unit state summary information via the first communication bus, and when it is determined, according to the indoor unit state summary information, that there is a fault in the main indoor unit device or each of the at least one secondary indoor unit device, controls itself to execute an action corresponding to the fault. By means of the air conditioner control system, the production cost can be effectively reduced. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An air conditioner control system, comprising: an outdoor unit device, one main indoor unit device and at least one secondary indoor unit device, wherein, the main indoor unit device and the outdoor unit device are connected to a first communication bus, and the main indoor unit device and each of the at least one secondary indoor unit device are both connected to a second communication bus; each of the at least one secondary indoor unit device is configured to send a secondary indoor unit state information of itself to the second communication bus; the main indoor unit device is configured to acquire the secondary indoor unit state information of each of the at least one secondary indoor unit device via the second communication bus, and send an indoor unit state summary information to the first communication bus according to each piece of the secondary indoor unit state information and a main indoor unit state information of the main indoor unit device; and the outdoor unit device is configured to acquire the indoor unit state summary information via the first communication bus, and when it is determined, according to the indoor unit state summary information, that there is a fault in the main indoor unit device or each of the at least one secondary indoor unit device, control itself to execute an action corresponding to the fault. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The air conditioner control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outdoor unit device is further configured to send an outdoor unit state information of itself to the first communication bus; and the main indoor unit device is further configured to receive the outdoor unit state information via the first communication bus, and control itself to perform fault shutdown, when it is determined, according to the outdoor unit state information, that the outdoor unit device has a fault. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The air conditioner control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the main indoor unit device is further configured to: when it is determined that the outdoor unit device has the fault, send an outdoor unit fault information to the second communication bus; and each of the at least one secondary indoor unit device is further configured to control itself to perform fault shutdown upon receiving the outdoor unit fault information via the second communication bus. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The air conditioner control system as claimed in any one of claim 1, wherein the air conditioner control system further comprises: a terminal controller, which is connected to the second communication bus; the terminal controller is configured to receive an air conditioner control instruction, and send the air conditioner control instruction to the second communication bus; and the main indoor unit device and each of the at least one secondary indoor unit device are further configured to receive the air conditioner control instruction via the second communication bus, and control working states of themselves according to the air conditioner control instruction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The air conditioner control system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the terminal controller is further configured to receive each piece of the secondary indoor unit state information and the main indoor unit state information of the main indoor unit device via the second communication bus, when there is an indoor unit fault information in each piece of the secondary indoor unit state information and the main indoor unit state information, display a corresponding indoor unit fault information, or when it is determined, according to each piece of the secondary indoor unit state information and the main indoor unit state information, that there is an indoor unit fault, display a corresponding indoor unit fault information; and send the indoor unit fault information to the second communication bus. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The air conditioner control system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the main indoor unit device is further configured to determine, according to each piece of the secondary indoor unit state information and the main indoor unit state information of the main indoor unit device, whether there is an indoor unit fault, and if there is the indoor unit fault, send a corresponding indoor unit fault information to the second communication bus; and the terminal controller is further configured to display the corresponding indoor unit fault information upon receiving the corresponding indoor unit fault information via the second communication bus. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The air conditioner control system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the main indoor unit device is further configured to: when it is determined that the outdoor unit device has a fault, send an outdoor unit fault information to the second communication bus; and the terminal controller is further configured to receive the outdoor unit fault information via the second communication bus, and display the outdoor unit fault information. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The air conditioner control system as claimed in claim 4, wherein, the main indoor unit device and each of the at least one secondary indoor unit device are further configured to: if receiving the air conditioner control instruction via the second communication bus, respectively generate a corresponding address information according to attribute information of themselves, and send the corresponding address information to the second communication bus. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The air conditioner control system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the terminal controller is further configured to: if receiving the corresponding address information via the second communication bus, establish association relationships with the main indoor unit device and each of the at least one secondary indoor unit device according to the corresponding address information. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The air conditioner control system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the main indoor unit device and each of the at least one secondary indoor unit device are further configured to generate a corresponding time response information according to the attribute information of themselves, and output the corresponding address information and the corresponding time response information to the terminal controller. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The air conditioner control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outdoor unit device is further configured to: when it is determined that there is a fault in the main indoor unit device or each of the at least one secondary indoor unit device, according to a type of the fault, control itself to perform fault shutdown or maintain current state for running. ### Claim 12 A control method of an air conditioner control system, wherein a main indoor unit device and an outdoor unit device of the air conditioner control system are connected to a first communication bus, the main indoor unit device and each of at least one secondary indoor unit device are both connected to a second communication bus, and the control method comprises: each of the at least one secondary indoor unit device sends a secondary indoor unit state information of itself to the second communication bus; the main indoor unit device acquires the secondary indoor unit state information of each of the at least one secondary indoor unit device via the second communication bus, and sends an indoor unit state summary information to the first communication bus according to each piece of the secondary indoor unit state information and a main indoor unit state information of the main indoor unit device; and the outdoor unit device acquires the indoor unit state summary information via the first communication bus, and when it is determined, according to the indoor unit state summary information, that there is a fault in the main indoor unit device or each of the at least one secondary indoor unit device, controls itself to execute an action corresponding to the fault. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The control method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising: the outdoor unit device sends an outdoor unit state information of itself to the first communication bus; and the main indoor unit device receives the outdoor unit state information via the first communication bus, and controls itself to perform fault shutdown, when it is determined, according to the outdoor unit state information, that the outdoor unit device has a fault. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The control method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising: when it is determined that the outdoor unit device has the fault, the main indoor unit device sends an outdoor unit fault information to the second communication bus; and upon receiving the outdoor unit fault information via the second communication bus, each of the at least one secondary indoor unit device controls itself to perform fault shutdown. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The control method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising: a terminal controller receives an air conditioner control instruction, and sends the air conditioner control instruction to the second communication bus; and the main indoor unit device and each of the at least one secondary indoor unit device receive the air conditioner control instruction via the second communication bus, and control working states of themselves according to the air conditioner control instruction. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The control method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising: the terminal controller receives each piece of the secondary indoor unit state information and the main indoor unit state information of the main indoor unit device via the second communication bus; and when there is an indoor unit fault information in each piece of the secondary indoor unit state information and the main indoor unit state information, displays a corresponding indoor unit fault information, or when it is determined, according to each piece of the secondary indoor unit state information and the main indoor unit state information, that there is an indoor unit fault, displays a corresponding indoor unit fault information; and sends the indoor unit fault information to the second communication bus. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The control method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising: the main indoor unit device determines, according to each piece of the secondary indoor unit state information and the main indoor unit state information of the main indoor unit device, whether there is an indoor unit fault, and if there is the indoor unit fault, sends a corresponding indoor unit fault information to the second communication bus; and upon receiving the corresponding indoor unit fault information via the second communication bus, the terminal controller displays the corresponding indoor unit fault information. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The control method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising: when it is determined that the outdoor unit device has a fault, the main indoor unit device sends an outdoor unit fault information to the second communication bus; and the terminal controller receives the outdoor unit fault information via the second communication bus, and displays the outdoor unit fault information. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The control method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising: if receiving the air conditioner control instruction via the second communication bus, the main indoor unit device and each of the at least one secondary indoor unit device respectively generates a corresponding address information according to attribute information of themselves, and sends the corresponding address information to the second communication bus. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The control method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising: if receiving the corresponding address information via the second communication bus, the terminal controller establishes association relationships with the main indoor unit device and each of the at least one secondary indoor unit device according to the corresponding address information.