Communications: electrical – Selective – Monitoring in addition to control
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-13
2003-04-08
Zimmerman, Brian (Department: 2635)
Communications: electrical
Selective
Monitoring in addition to control
C340S003100, C340S003300, C340S870030, C340S870030, C340S870030, C340S870030
Reexamination Certificate
active
06545587
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a bidirectional remote control system for controlling a device by using a bidirectional remote controller, the bidirectional remote controller, and the device controlled by the bidirectional remote controller. More specifically, the invention relates to those capable of downloading information about the operating state of the remote-controlled device (hereinafter referred to as “device information”) or the like into the remote controller.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As an example of a prior art bidirectional remote control system, there is a system in which a bidirectional communication line is disposed between a remote controller and a device controlled by the remote controller, whereby information about the operating state of the remote-controlled device is downloaded into the remote controller for display.
For example, Japanese Published Patent Application No. Hei. 1-115298 discloses such a bidirectional remote control system. In this prior art, information about the operating state of a device controlled by a bidirectional remote controller is output from the device to the remote controller, and the operating state is displayed on the remote controller, whereby the operator can confirm the operating state on the remote controller.
Hereinafter, the prior art bidirectional remote control system will be described with reference to FIG.
9
.
FIG. 9
is a block diagram illustrating the prior art bidirectional remote control system. In
FIG. 9
, reference numeral
91
designates a bidirectional remote controller, and this remote controller
91
comprises a selection unit
911
, a display unit
912
, a central processing unit (CPU)
913
, and a bidirectional communication unit
914
. Reference numeral
92
designates a device controlled by the bidirectional remote controller
91
(hereinafter, referred to simply as “a controlled device”), and this device
92
comprises a bidirectional communication unit
921
and a controlled device body
922
.
A description is given of the operation of the bidirectional remote control system.
First of all, transmission of a command from the bidirectional remote controller
91
to the controlled device
92
, such as an air conditioner, is carried out in the same manner as in an ordinary remote control system.
To be specific, when the operator selects a command by the selecting unit
911
, the selected command is sent from the selecting unit
911
to the CPU
913
, and the CPU
913
instructs the bidirectional communication unit
914
to send an operation request signal corresponding to the command. Receiving this instruction, the bidirectional communication unit
914
sends the operation request signal to the controlled device
92
.
The controlled device
92
receives the operation request signal by the bidirectional communication unit
921
, and the bidirectional communication unit
921
outputs the operation request signal to the controlled device body
922
. Receiving the operation request signal, the controlled device body
922
performs an operation specified by the operation request signal, thereby completing a course of operation. Information relating to the operating state of the controlled device
92
, for example, the temperature of the air conditioner in this case, is downloaded from the controlled device
92
to the bidirectional remote controller
91
, in the following manner.
Initially, the controlled device body
922
of the controlled device
92
outputs the operating state information to the bidirectional communication unit
921
, periodically, or when the operating state changes. On receipt of the operating state information, the bidirectional communication unit
921
sends the information to the bidirectional remote controller
91
.
The bidirectional remote controller
91
receives the operating state information by the bidirectional communication unit
914
, and outputs it to the CPU
913
. Next, the CPU
913
outputs the operating state information to the display unit
912
, and the display unit
912
displays the operating state information. For example, when the controlled device
92
is an air conditioner, the bidirectional remote controller
91
receives information such as “temperature—+27° C.”, “operating mode—cooling”, and “air quantity—strong”, and displays the information on the display unit
912
. Thereby, the operator can confirm the operating state of the controlled device
92
, by the bidirectional remote controller
91
, in a place distant from the device
92
.
However, the prior art bidirectional remote control system has the following drawbacks.
In the controlled device body
922
of the controlled device
92
, the set information, i.e., the information set for the controlled device, is volatile and, furthermore, it is not portable, i.e., information which has been set once cannot be carried and reused for another device.
More specifically, in the prior art bidirectional remote control system, although the operator can confirm the operating state of the controlled device
92
by the bidirectional remote controller
91
, when the power to the controlled device
92
is turned off, the operating state and the setting state of the controlled device
92
are reset.
As described above, the operating state and the setting state of the controlled device
92
are volatile and reset when the power to the controlled device
92
is turned off. Therefore, when the power is turned on again, the operating state or the setting state must be set again by using the bidirectional remote controller
91
or the like.
Furthermore, when the user wants to use the same device as that used at home, with the same setting as that at home, in a place where he/she has gone on a travel or the like, the use must set the device again, and this is troublesome. Thus, the setting information of the controlled device is not only volatile but non-portable.
Furthermore, when changing the setting state of the controlled device
92
, the bidirectional remote controller
91
and the controlled device
92
must be connected by wire or wireless to set the change in the online state, and this operation is very complicated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a bidirectional remote control system in which it is not necessary to perform setting again, with respect to the same device controlled by the bidirectional remote controller.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a bidirectional remote control system in which the setting of the remote-controlled device can be changed independently at the bidirectional remote controller side and, furthermore, a plurality of changes can be made at the same time.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description that follows. The detailed description and specific embodiments described are provided only for illustration since various additions and modifications within the scope of the invention will be apparent to those of skill in the art from the detailed description.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bidirectional remote control system comprising a bidirectional remote controller and a device remote-controlled by the bidirectional remote controller, wherein the remote-controlled device comprises: a device information storage unit for storing device information of the remote-controlled device; a bidirectional communication unit for sending the device information stored in the device information storage unit to the bidirectional remote controller, or receiving the device information sent from the bidirectional remote controller; a controlled device body for receiving an operation request signal from the bidirectional communication unit and performing an operation according to the operation request signal; and the bidirectional remote controller comprises: a device information storage unit for storing the device information of the remote-controlled device; a bidirectional communication unit for receiving the device infor
Hatakeyama Takeshi
Kitao Mitsuru
Kurosaki Toshihiko
Moriguchi Ken-ichi
DaLencourt Yves
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Parkhurst & Wendel L.L.P.
Zimmerman Brian
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