Communications: electrical – Continuously variable indicating – With meter reading
Patent
1997-08-20
2000-04-11
Zimmerman, Brian
Communications: electrical
Continuously variable indicating
With meter reading
34082572, 348734, G08C 1900
Patent
active
060492937
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a remote control system, comprising a transmitter and a receiver adapted for wirelessly receiving and processing information from the transmitter.
At present, it is generally known in practice to control equipment remotely, utilizing a wireless communication path between a transmitter to be operated by a user and a receiver coupled to the equipment to be operated, for instance by means of infrared radiation or ultrasonic waves.
In general, the transmitter is powered by one or more batteries which are loaded only when the transmitter is being operated by the user, so that the energy consumption of the transmitter is relatively low. Further, it is normally not complicated to replace these batteries when they are exhausted, precisely because the transmitter is intended to be close at hand.
Normally, the remotely controlled appliance is an electric appliance, for instance a household appliance such as a television set, with the energy supply taking place via the mains. In such cases the energy consumption of the receiver coupled to that appliance hardly plays a role.
However, there are situations where the remotely controlled appliance and the receiver coupled thereto are powered by one or more batteries, without any connection with the mains. An example of such a situation is a remotely controlled blind having a battery-powered receiver. Within the framework of the present application, by a "blind" is meant: a blinding system comprising an assembly of mutually parallel slats, the slats being rotatable about their longitudinal axes in order to cover for instance a window in a variable manner. If the slats extend horizontally, the term "venetian blinds" is also used. If the slats extend vertically, the term "vertical blinds" is also used. Such window-blinding systems are generally known, and the present invention will hereinafter be explained for use in blinds. However, it is explicitly noted that the present invention is not limited to this use.
Since in the case of a remotely controlled blind having a battery-powered receiver, the battery or batteries are disposed in the proximity of the headrail of the blind, which makes it troublesome to replace the battery or batteries, it is then desirable that the necessity for replacing the battery or batteries arise as rarely as possible. It is therefore desirable that the energy consumption of the receiver be as low as possible.
The practical example described serves as an illustration of a general objective of the present invention, i.e. the provision of a receiver of control signals which has a lowest possible energy consumption.
An important difference between the receiver and the transmitter is that it is not known at the receiver end when the transmitter is transmitting. Therefore the receiver must be able to receive signals from the transmitter at all times. Accordingly, the receiver must be standby continuously, i.e. must be in a watching mode. Although in the watching mode the energy consumption of the receiver is relatively low, consumption is not nil, so that the battery discharges slowly but surely.
One way of reducing the energy consumption of the receiver is to switch the receiver ON and OFF periodically. In the ON state, the receiver checks whether signals are coming in from the transmitter. If not, the receiver returns to the OFF state again, where the receiver uses practically no energy.
A remote control system as described in the preamble of claim 1 is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,081,402.
In practice, a plurality of remotely controlled appliances (blinds) may be present in one room. An object of the invention is to provide a system in which these blinds may be controlled individually by only one transmitter unit. More particularly, an object of the invention is to provide a system in which each individual receiver is adapted to learn which command signal is intended for that specific receiver.
A particular object of the invention is to provide a remote control system with a receiver which is particularly energy-saving, and whic
REFERENCES:
patent: 5081402 (1992-01-01), Koleda
patent: 5095308 (1992-03-01), Hewitt
Koot Hermanus Marinus Ignatius
Van Wees Peter
Jeanglaude Jean B.
Zimmerman Brian
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