Communications: electrical – Continuously variable indicating – With meter reading
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-29
2001-10-02
Crosland, Donnie L. (Department: 2736)
Communications: electrical
Continuously variable indicating
With meter reading
C340S315000, C340S315000, C340S505000, C340S514000, C340S506000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06297746
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for centrally controlling a plurality of various types of electrical apparatuses such as lighting apparatuses, air conditioners, television sets, and the like by radio communication.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the prevalence of various convenient and inexpensive electrical apparatuses, many houses or offices currently contain air conditioners, electric stoves and other heating apparatuses, various cooking apparatuses, television sets, cassette recorders with radios, videocassette recorders, stereo sets and other audio-visual apparatuses, as well as many other electrical apparatuses. However, it is natural to want to individually control these electrical apparatuses. Even if a remote controller or the like is provided, one must go to a place where each apparatus is situated to perform control with a dedicated controller. As the number of electrical apparatuses is increasing, for example, more time is required for turning on the power of each electrical apparatus, setting an operation timer, and turning off the power of unnecessary electrical apparatus, and the number of remote controllers is also increased.
In the circumstances, a home automation system for controlling a multiplicity of electrical apparatuses in a centralized manner has been proposed.
On the other hand, a security system is realized in which in order to monitor security in houses or offices, various sensors are installed indoors and outdoors to perform remote centralized control of smoke or flame detectors, invader detectors, and the like.
In the ordinary centralized control system, however, since control signals are directly exchanged between a control object or electrical apparatus and a centralized control device, the electrical apparatus to be incorporated in the system must be provided beforehand with an exclusive system circuit. Therefore, general-purpose electrical apparatuses need to be changed in design when they are incorporated in the system. Furthermore, the apparatuses for the system need to be provided with the exclusive circuits, which unavoidably increases the apparatus cost.
On the other hand, a case where an electrical apparatus purchaser does not want to introduce its system and just wants to have an intrinsic function of the electrical apparatus or a case where the purchaser has already introduce a different type of system is also assumed. In this case, the exclusive function of the electrical apparatus for the system is unnecessary for the purchaser, and the electrical apparatus whose price is set high because of its adaptation to the system may not be attractive.
Moreover, in the centralized control system, an installation type computer device or the like is usually used to carry out control. When control conditions/contents are changed, it is necessary to go to a predetermined place where a controlling computer is installed, and perform processing at that place. For example, when the control object or electrical apparatus is a rice cooker, a washing machine, a lighting apparatus, an air conditioner, or another so-called home electrical product, a television set or a videocassette recorder, the control conditions may be changed daily. Therefore, it is troublesome to go to the controlling computer installation site every time change is required. For the centralized control of various types of electrical apparatuses, control items are limited, and the use of a system cannot be realized.
In the aforementioned security system or the like, when the system is introduced, installation work, wiring work, or another large-scale work is necessary for sensors, communication devices or the like, and installation cost often becomes high. Therefore, system introduction is not considered until a new building needs to be constructed, which causes a problem that it is difficult to popularize the system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been developed to solve the aforementioned problems, and an object thereof is to provide an centralized apparatus control system in which change of a control object or electrical apparatus is minimized, so that cost is lowered and introduction is facilitated.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a centralized apparatus control system which is low in cost and easy to introduce and which can control not only electrical apparatuses applicable to the system but also electrical apparatuses not-applicable to the system.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a centralized control device optimum for the system, and a terminal device for an apparatus to be controlled.
To attain these objects, the present invention is provided with the following characteristics.
The present invention provides a system for controlling a plurality of electrical apparatuses in a centralized manner comprising a centralized apparatus control device and controlled apparatus terminal devices. The controlled apparatus terminal devices are registered in the centralized apparatus control device, and disposed for the plurality of electrical apparatuses to be controlled, respectively. Radio communication is performed between the centralized apparatus control device and the controlled apparatus terminal device registered in the centralized apparatus control device, so that the corresponding electrical apparatus is controlled via the controlled apparatus terminal device.
As described above, in the present invention, instead of directly performing radio communication between each electrical apparatus and the centralized apparatus control device, the controlled apparatus terminal device is interposed between the electrical apparatus and the centralized apparatus control device, so that the radio communication is performed between the centralized control device and the terminal device. Therefore, the control object or electrical apparatus does not require a radio transmitter/receiver device, and need only be provided with a function by which data can be transmitted/received to and from the controlled apparatus terminal device. Therefore, a structure for the system is simplified, a rise in the manufacturing cost of the electrical apparatus for the system is suppressed, and a difference in cost from an electrical apparatus not-applicable to the system can be minimized.
Moreover, the controlled apparatus terminal device may only exchange data with the electrical apparatus in a predetermined method, and can be mounted on any type of electrical apparatus. A system user can arbitrarily select a necessary electrical apparatus and incorporate it in the system by connecting the separately prepared controlled apparatus terminal device to the apparatus.
Furthermore, the controlled apparatus terminal device can be inexpensive when it is constituted of a function of performing radio communication with the centralized apparatus control device and a function of exchanging predetermined data with the electrical apparatus. Additionally, the radio communication does not need to be performed between various types of electrical apparatuses and the centralized apparatus control device. If a frequency band specifying small electrical power is used in the radio communication, permission needs to be obtained only for the controlled apparatus terminal device and the centralized apparatus control device as indoor radio stations.
Moreover, in the present invention, the controlled apparatus terminal device for use in the system may be provided with a transmitter/receiver for transmitting a state signal of the corresponding electrical apparatus to the centralized apparatus control device and for receiving a control signal from the centralized apparatus control device, and a terminal controller for generating an apparatus control signal in response to the received control signal to transmit the signal to the corresponding electrical apparatus and for detecting the state of the electrical apparatus to generate the state signal.
The terminal device can control any electrical apparatus regardl
Hamakawa Kouichi
Ishikawa Osamu
Nakazawa Tsutomu
Suzuki Takao
Watanabe Ryouichi
Cantor & Colburn LLP
Crosland Donnie L.
Sanyo Electric Co,. Ltd.
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