Table tap and monitor system using table tap

Details Table tap and monitor system using table tap Table tap and monitor system using table tap

2002-01-29

2003-09-09

Pham, Toan N (Department: 2632)

Communications: electrical

Condition responsive indicating system

Specific condition

C340S636120, C340S656000, C340S315000, C702S062000, C324S538000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06617972

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a warning device for informing an abnormal situation by using a communication line. More particularly, the invention relates to a table tap and a monitor system using a table tap, for monitoring the daily life of the elderly living alone, the handicapped, or the like, and requesting a home help service or the like when it detects an abnormal situation.
BACKGROUND ART
A conventional life monitoring system is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Published Patent Application No. Hei.10-248093. In this system, each of electrical appliances is provided with a device for detecting the operating condition of the appliance, and signals detected by the respective devices are integrally managed by a centralized management means, and a request for home help service or the like is made through telephone line as necessary.
There is another system disclosed in, for example, Japanese Published Patent Application (amended) No. Hei.7-69995. In this system, a water meter and a watt-hour meter are provided with devices for measuring the amounts of consumed water and electricity by the whole household, and an abnormal situation is detected from the use of water and electricity, and a request for a home help service or the like is made through telephone line as necessary.
In the conventional system disclosed in Japanese Published Patent Application No. Hei.10-248093, however, the respective electrical appliances must be modified to add the devices for detecting their operating conditions, and the centralized management means for integrally managing these devices is required. Further, communication lines between the respective devices and the centralized management means are also required. Therefore, when introducing this system, it will be very costly to modify or change the electric appliances which are currently used. Especially, the elderly will be reluctant to change the electrical appliances they are accustomed to use.
On the other hand, in the conventional system disclosed in Japanese Published Patent Application (Amended) No. Hei.7-69995, the water meter and the watt-hour meter require construction work. Further, since information obtained from the use of electricity is only the total of use conditions of all electric appliances, if an appliance whose power consumption varies with time, such as a refrigerator or a kotatsu, is included, it is difficult to detect that an abnormal situation occurs.
The present invention is made to solve the above-described problems and has for its object to provide a table tap and a monitor system using a table tap, for detecting an abnormal situation that occurs on an aged man living alone or the like, using only an inexpensive table tap, without changing his conventional living environment.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a table tap according to claim
1
of the invention is a table tap for detecting the use condition of an electric appliance which is plugged in a socket of the table tap, and this table tap comprises a time measurement means for measuring time; a power detection means for detecting the power consumption of the electric appliance plugged in the socket of the table tap; a judgement means for judging whether the power consumption detected by the power detection means matches a predetermined judgement condition or not, with reference to time information supplied from the time measurement means; and a communication means for communicating with the outside on the basis of the result of the judgement by the judgement means.
Therefore, occurrence of an abnormal situation on an aged man living along or the like can be detected and informed to the outside, using an inexpensive table tap alone, without modifying an electric appliance and a wall socket at home.
According to claim
2
of the invention, the table tap according to claim
1
further comprises a physical latch mechanism for preventing the plug of the electric appliance from being disconnected from the socket of the table tap.
Therefore, occurrence of an abnormal situation on an aged man living along or the like can be detected and informed to the outside, using an inexpensive table tap alone, without modifying an electric appliance and a wall socket at home. Moreover, it is possible to easily prevent malfunction of abnormality detection due to disconnection of the plug of the electric appliance.
A monitor system using a table tap according to claim
3
of the present invention comprises a table tap for detecting the use condition of an electric appliance which is plugged in a socket of the table tap; a base station for monitoring the user of the electric appliance on the basis of the use condition of the electric appliance which is detected by the table tap; and a communication means for notifying the base station of the result of the detection by the table tap, and the table tap comprises a time measurement means for measuring time; a power detection means for detecting the power consumption of the electric appliance plugged in the socket of the table tap; and a judgement means for judging whether the power consumption detected by the power detection means matches a predetermined judgement condition or not, with reference to time information supplied from the time measurement means.
Therefore, occurrence of an abnormal situation on an aged man living along or the like can be detected and informed by using an inexpensive table tap alone. Further, since a monitor device such as a camera is not used, an abnormal situation can be detected without making the user uncomfortable by being monitored.
According to claim
4
of the invention, in the monitor system using a table tap according to claim
3
, the communication means performs bi-directional communication between the table tap and the base station.
Therefore, occurrence of an abnormal situation on an aged man living along or the like can be detected and informed by using an inexpensive table tap alone. Further, since a monitor device such as a camera is not used, an abnormal situation can be detected without making the user uncomfortable by being monitored. Moreover, information from the base station can be transmitted to the table tap side.
According to claim
5
of the invention, in the monitor system using a table tap according to claim
3
, the table tap communicates with the base station when there is no variation in the power consumption detected by the power detection means for more than a predetermined period of time.
Therefore, occurrence of an abnormal situation on an aged man living along or the like can be detected and informed by using an inexpensive table tap alone. Further, since a monitor device such as a camera is not used, an abnormal situation can be detected without making the user uncomfortable by being monitored.
According to claim
6
of the invention, in the monitor system using a table tap according to claim
3
, the table tap communicates with the base station when there is no variation in the power consumption detected by the power detection means within a predetermined period of time.
Therefore, occurrence of an abnormal situation on an aged man living along or the like can be detected and informed by using an inexpensive table tap alone. Further, since a monitor device such as a camera is not used, an abnormal situation can be detected without making the user uncomfortable by being monitored.
According to claim
7
of the invention, in the monitor system using a table tap according to claim
3
, the table tap communicates with the base station when the power detection means cannot detect a predetermined amount of electric power within a predetermined period of time.
Therefore, occurrence of an abnormal situation on an aged man living along or the like can be detected and informed by using an inexpensive table tap alone. Further, since a monitor device such as a camera is not used, an abnormal situation can be detected without making the user uncomfortable by being monitored.
According to claim
8
of the invention, in t

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Table tap and monitor system using table tap does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Table tap and monitor system using table tap, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Table tap and monitor system using table tap will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3029725