Apparatus and method for detecting a communication abnormality in a multi-type air conditioner

1. An apparatus for detecting a communication abnormality in a multi-type air conditioner by performing data communication with peripheral devices, the peripheral devices including an outdoor unit, a plurality of indoor units, a repeater and a wired remote controller, the apparatus comprising:

a level converter for serving as an interface to allow multiplex communication between the apparatus and the peripheral devices; and

an abnormality detector connectable with the peripheral devices from a remote site through the level converter, the abnormality detector detecting a communication abnormality in the peripheral devices by automatically changing an operation mode thereof into a slave or master mode depending on whether an operation mode of each of the peripheral devices connected thereto is the master or slave mode.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the abnormality detector further comprises:

a mode changing unit for changing the operation mode of the abnormality detector into the slave or master mode by determining whether the operation mode of each of the peripheral devices connected to the abnormality detector through communication lines is the master or slave mode;

a connection checking unit for checking whether there is an abnormality in the communication lines connecting the abnormality detector to the peripheral devices;

a peripheral device checking unit for checking whether there is a communication abnormality in the peripheral devices by changing the operation mode into the master or slave mode by the mode changing unit and individually connecting it to the peripheral devices; and

a display unit for displaying checking results obtained by the peripheral device checking unit on a screen.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the peripheral device checking unit further comprises a remote controller checking unit for checking the wired remote controller through a specific communication port only when the wired remote controller acts as a master while checking whether there is a communication abnormality in the peripheral devices.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the abnormality detector is individually connectable with the indoor units through communication lines from the remote site.

5. A method for detecting a communication abnormality in a multi-type air conditioner by performing data communication with peripheral devices, the peripheral devices including an outdoor unit, a plurality of indoor units, a repeater and a wired remote controller, the method comprising:

connecting each of the peripheral devices when the communication abnormality occurs and changing an operation mode into a master or slave mode depending on an operation mode of each of the connected peripheral devices; and

detecting whether there is a communication abnormality in the peripheral devices by individually connecting the peripheral devices after changing the operation mode.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the connecting further comprises:

converting a level of an input voltage to allow multiplex communication with the peripheral devices.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the detecting further comprises:

sequentially calling the indoor units in an address order, and if there is a specific one of the indoor units making no response, determining that there is an abnormality in the specific indoor unit.

8. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the changing further comprises:

changing the operation mode into the slave mode if each of the connected peripheral devices acts as a master and changing the operation mode into the master mode if each of the connected peripheral devices acts as a slave.

9. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the communication abnormality is detected by changing the operation mode to function as a high-order or low-order unit depending on a function and an operation mode of each of the connected peripheral devices.

10. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the communication abnormality is detected by changing the operation mode to function as a high-order or low-order unit depending on a function and an operation mode of each of the connected peripheral devices.

11. The method according to any one of claim 7 , wherein the communication abnormality is detected by changing the operation mode to function as a high-order or low-order unit depending on a function and an operation mode of each of the connected peripheral devices.

12. The method according to any one of claim 8 , wherein the communication abnormality is detected by changing the operation mode to function as a high-order or low-order unit depending on a function and an operation mode of each of the connected peripheral devices.

13. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the detecting further comprises:

inspecting the wired remote controller through a first communication port if the wired remote controller acts as a slave;

inspecting the wired remote controller through a second communication port if the wired remote controller acts as a master; and

inspecting the peripheral devices other than the wired remote controller through the first communication port.