Air conditioner, air conditioning system having the same, and method for controlling outdoor unit of the system

Abstract

According to the present disclosure, there are disclosed an air conditioner, an air conditioning system including the same, and an outdoor unit control method. According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, a user or the like may easily upgrade an outdoor unit program without directly visiting the site, and upgrade outdoor unit programs provided in a plurality of outdoor units, respectively at the same time. According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, it may be possible to detect an error occurred while remotely upgrading an outdoor unit program and retransmit or restore the outdoor unit program when the error has occurred. Accordingly, it may be possible to prevent a malfunction of the outdoor unit and air conditioner that can be occurred according to an upgrade failure of the outdoor unit program.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An air conditioner, comprising:
 a plurality of indoor units configured to perform air conditioning; and   one or more outdoor units connected to the plurality of indoor units to drive the indoor units,   wherein the outdoor unit determines an error occurred while receiving an outdoor unit program for driving the indoor units and the outdoor unit, and requests retransmission of the outdoor unit program when the error has occurred.   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein the outdoor unit comprises:
 a control unit having a storage unit configured to store the outdoor unit program and upgrade data for the outdoor unit program, and   a controller configured to determine a reception error of the outdoor unit program or the upgrade data to drive the indoor units using the outdoor unit program.   
     
     
         3 . The air conditioner of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a communication unit provided in or connected to the outdoor unit to receive the outdoor unit program or the upgrade data to transmit it to the outdoor unit, and transfer a request signal for requesting retransmission of the outdoor unit program or the upgrade data.   
     
     
         4 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a backup unit provided in or connected to the outdoor unit to back up the outdoor unit program.   
     
     
         5 . The air conditioner of  claim 4 , wherein when a reception error or execution error of the outdoor unit program or the upgrade data has occurred, the outdoor unit restores the outdoor unit program using an outdoor unit program that has been backed up in the backup unit. 
     
     
         6 . An air conditioning system, comprising:
 an air conditioner comprising a plurality of indoor units, a plurality of outdoor units configured to drive the plurality of indoor units using an outdoor unit program, and a backup unit provided in or connected to the outdoor unit to back up the outdoor unit program so as to perform air conditioning; and   a central control server configured to form a communication network with the air conditioner, and transmit upgrade data for the outdoor unit program to part or all of the plurality of outdoor units to upgrade the outdoor unit program.   
     
     
         7 . The air conditioning system of  claim 6 , wherein the outdoor unit comprises:
 a storage unit configured to store the outdoor unit program or the upgrade data; and   a control unit comprising a controller configured to determine a reception error of the upgrade data, and upgrade the outdoor unit program using the received upgrade data.   
     
     
         8 . The air conditioning system of  claim 7 , wherein the air conditioner further comprises:
 a communication unit provided in or connected to the outdoor unit to receive the upgrade data to transmit it to the outdoor unit, and transmit a request signal for requesting retransmission of the upgrade data.   
     
     
         9 . The air conditioning system of  claim 6 , wherein the central control server determines a transmission error of the outdoor unit program or the upgrade data to the outdoor unit, and retransmits the outdoor unit program or the upgrade data when the transmission error has occurred. 
     
     
         10 . The air conditioning system of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a gateway provided between the central control server and the air conditioner such that the central control server directly upgrades the outdoor unit program or configured to receive the upgrade data from the central control server to upgrade the outdoor unit program.   
     
     
         11 . The air conditioning system of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of outdoor units comprises:
 one or more master outdoor units connected to the gateway through a dedicated line to be upgraded or controlled; and   one or more slave outdoor units connected to the master outdoor unit to receive the upgrade data from the master outdoor unit to upgrade an outdoor unit program built therein.   
     
     
         12 . The air conditioning system of  claim 11 , wherein the outdoor unit comprises:
 a storage unit configured to store the outdoor unit program or the upgrade data; and   a control unit comprising a controller configured to determine a reception error of the upgrade data, and upgrade the outdoor unit program using the received upgrade data.   
     
     
         13 . The air conditioning system of  claim 12 , wherein the air conditioner further comprises:
 a communication unit provided in or connected to the outdoor unit to receive the upgrade data to transmit it to the outdoor unit, and transmit a request signal for requesting retransmission of the upgrade data.   
     
     
         14 . The air conditioning system of  claim 10 , wherein the central control server determines a transmission error of the outdoor unit program or the upgrade data to the outdoor unit, and retransmits the outdoor unit program or the upgrade data when the transmission error has occurred. 
     
     
         15 . An outdoor unit control method of an air conditioning system comprising an air conditioner comprising a plurality of indoor units and a plurality of outdoor units configured to drive the indoor units using an outdoor unit program, and a central control server configured to form a communication network with the air conditioner, and control the plurality of outdoor units or upgrade the outdoor unit program, the method comprising:
 allowing the central control server to transmit upgrade data for the outdoor unit program to the outdoor units;   allowing the outdoor units to sense a reception error of the upgrade data; and   allowing the outdoor units to request retransmission of the upgrade data to the central control server when a reception error of the upgrade data has occurred.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 allowing the air conditioner to back up the outdoor unit program.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 allowing the outdoor units to restore the outdoor unit program using the backed up outdoor unit program when a reception error of the upgrade data has occurred.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 allowing the outdoor units to execute an upgraded outdoor unit program;   allowing the outdoor units to determine whether or not an execution error has occurred; and   allowing the outdoor units to restore the outdoor unit program using the backed up outdoor unit program when the execution error has occurred as a result of the determination.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 allowing the central control server to determine whether or not a transmission error of the upgrade data has occurred; and   allowing the central control server to retransmit the upgrade data when the transmission error has occurred as a result of the determination.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the air conditioning system further comprises a gateway provided between the air conditioner and the central control server to upgrade the outdoor unit program using the upgrade data, and the method comprises:
 allowing the gateway to receive upgrade data for the outdoor unit program from the central control server;   allowing the gateway to transmit the upgrade data to the outdoor units;   allowing the outdoor units to sense a reception error of the upgrade data; and   allowing the outdoor units to request retransmission of the upgrade data to the gateway when a reception error of the upgrade data has occurred.