Data processing: measuring – calibrating – or testing – Measurement system – Remote supervisory monitoring
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-27
2004-07-06
Hoff, Marc S. (Department: 2857)
Data processing: measuring, calibrating, or testing
Measurement system
Remote supervisory monitoring
C702S058000, C702S160000, C702S189000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06760688
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an appliance maintenance apparatus and an appliance remote maintenance system, and more particularly to an appliance maintenance apparatus which can contactlessly detect the operation states of appliances, and can operate the appliances in response to the operation states of the appliances, and to an appliance remote maintenance system which comprises an appliance maintenance apparatus, and a remote diagnosis control apparatus which is communicatable with the appliance maintenance apparatus through a public network to ensure the remote diagnosis control of the appliance maintenance apparatus from a remote place.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, many surveillance camera systems are used at such places as department stores, leisure centers and the like at which many people gather to watch the situations of these places. The surveillance camera system of this kind generally comprises a plurality of camera units for taking images in these places, and a display unit for displaying the images taken by the camera units. The display unit is in general located far away from the camera units.
The surveillance camera system of this type comprises a plurality of camera units arranged at many places, a plurality of display units smaller in number than the camera unit and provided in a surveillance room, a recording units for recording the images taken by the camera units, and a matrix switcher for selectively connecting and disconnecting the circuits between the camera units and the display units in compliance with the operator's instruction. The matrix switcher also may selectively connecting and disconnecting the circuit between the camera units and the recording units in compliance with the operator's instruction.
One of the conventional matrix switcher
1
is shown in
FIG. 7
as comprising a plurality of base plates
3
each having a plurality of input and output terminals respectively connected with the camera units, the display unit and other appliances. Each of the base plates
3
has one side surface
3
a
on which are provided a plurality of LED light indicators
5
showing the operation states of the camera units, the display unit and other appliances and other side surface
3
b
having input and output terminals, not shown, thereon. The matrix switcher
1
further comprises a housing
7
formed with an opening
7
a
and accommodating therein the base plates
3
with the LED light indicators
5
aligned with one another on the opening
7
a
. The opening
7
a
of the housing
7
is covered by a front cover
11
.
The conventional matrix switcher
1
is controlled by a remote diagnosis control apparatus
15
which is installed far away from the matrix switcher
1
and thus is communicated with the matrix switcher
1
through a public network
13
to check the operation states of the matrix switcher
1
as shown in FIG.
8
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The conventional surveillance camera system encounters such a problems that the LED light indicators
5
cannot be watched from outside the housing
7
through the front cover
11
, thereby forcing an operator to remove the front cover
11
from the housing
7
to confirm the state of the LED light indicators
5
.
The conventional surveillance camera system is usually provided with a remote diagnosis function to diagnose the camera units from the remote place through the public network, however, cannot function to control the camera units through the public network if the controller forming part of the surveillance camera system comes to be out of order. If the operator wishes to maintain the controller out of order, the operator is required to confirm the states of the LED light indicators and to communicate by telephone with operators in charge of maintaining the surveillance camera system. The operator's task for this procedure is liable to be laborious and needs much time to be consumed.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an appliance maintenance apparatus which can contactlessly detect the operation states of appliances, and can operate the appliances in response to the operation states of the appliances.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an appliance remote maintenance system which comprises an appliance maintenance apparatus, and a remote diagnosis control apparatus which is communicatable with the appliance maintenance apparatus through a public network to ensure the remote diagnosis control of the appliance maintenance apparatus from a remote place.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an appliance maintenance apparatus and an appliance remote maintenance system which require the operator not to be dispatched to the site where the appliances out of order are installed but can specify the appliances out of order and ignore the damaged appliances from the other normal appliances, thereby enabling the operator to report the failure of the appliances to his or her users as well as making it possible to drastically reduce the cost for the maintenances of these appliances.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided n appliance maintenance apparatus for maintaining a plurality of appliances each including a plurality of light indicators respectively emitting lights showing the operation states of each of the appliances, comprising: light detecting means for detecting the lights emitted from the light indicators.
In the aforesaid appliance maintenance apparatus, the light detecting means may include a plurality of light receiving elements to be respectively positioned in face-to-face and spaced relationship with the light indicators of each of the appliances.
In the aforesaid appliance maintenance apparatus, the lights collectively form light information, and the appliances may have a common reset switch for resetting the operations of the appliances. The aforesaid appliance maintenance apparatus may further comprise judging means for judging whether to operate the reset switch after diagnosing the operation states of the appliances on the basis of the light information detected by the light detecting means, and reset switch operating means for operating the reset switch when the judging means judges to operate the reset switch.
In the aforesaid appliance maintenance apparatus, each of the appliances may include a base plate having one side surface on which the light indicators are provided. The aforesaid appliance maintenance apparatus may further comprise: a housing formed with an opening and accommodating a plurality of the base plates, the light indicators on the one side surface of the base plates being aligned with one another on the opening of the housing, and a front cover plate having an inner surface and positioned to cover the opening of the housing with the inner surface opposing the opening of the housing, the inner surface having a plurality of the light receiving elements provided thereon in face-to-face and spaced relationship with the light indicators.
In the aforesaid appliance maintenance apparatus, the reset switch may be provided on the one side surface of the base plate, and the reset switch operating means may be provided on the inner surface of the front cover plate in face-to-face and spaced relationship with the reset switch.
In the aforesaid appliance maintenance apparatus, the lights collectively form light information, each of the appliances may have a reset switch for resetting the operation of the appliance. The aforesaid appliance maintenance apparatus may further comprise judging means for judging whether to operate the reset switch after diagnosing the operation states of the appliance on the basis of the light information detected by the light detecting means, and reset switch operating means for operating the reset switch when the judging means judges to operate the reset switch.
In the aforesaid appliance maintenance apparatus, each of the appliances may include a base plate h
Saito Toshikazu
Sakurai Kazuya
Suzuki Kazuya
Hoff Marc S.
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Pearne & Gordon LLP
Suarez Felix
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