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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a remote control system for controlling a
plurality of electric equipment in controlled stations provided away or
distant from a control station, and more particularly to a system for
remotely controlling in conformity with respective states of the plurality
of electric equipment or states therebetween.
The remote control system is used in the case where equipment located away
from each other are coupled by transmission paths, whereby a first piece
of equipment controls other pieces of equipment. The first piece of
equipment to perform a control operation is on the equipment side where an
operator or a monitoring person is present. Such equipment is generally
called a control station, a master station, or a master, etc. On the other
hand, the other equipment to be controlled is called a controlled station,
a slave station, or a remote, etc. which is on the side of the unattended
side. The control station and the controlled stations are coupled by
transmission paths, so that equipment such as equipment to be controlled,
or equipment to be monitored, etc. within the controlled stations from the
control station through the transmission paths can be controlled.
As the system of transmitting a control signal from the control station to
the controlled stations through the transmission paths, there is the
system of mainly coding information to transmit the coded information in a
time divisional manner. In addition, there are systems for dividing
frequency and for transmitting the divided frequencies. These systems
directly transmit information by means of cables, and the like.
Thus, controlled stations to which the control signal is inputted operate
or control equipment specified by the control signal.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to provide a remote control system in
which a plurality of electric equipment are controlled according to a
priority rank of control operation determined on the basis of respective
power dissipations thereof to prevent the interruption of the entire
system when a specific electric equipment is operated.
A remote control system according to this invention is directed to a remote
control system adapted to control a plurality of electric equipments
installed on the side of uncontrolled stations on the basis of a control
signal transmitted from the side of the control station through a
communication system, wherein the remote control system comprises priority
rank determination means provided on the side of the controlled stations
and for determining a priority rank to operate the plurality of electric
equipments on the basis of power dissipations of the respective electric
equipment, and control means provided on the side of the controlled
stations, wherein when the control signal for operating any one of the
plurality of electric equipments each connected through a control bus is
inputted, the control means outputs, to the control line, an operating
signal for operating electric equipment on the basis of the determined
priority rank to control the operation thereof.
In this invention, since an approach is employed to determine in advance a
priority rank of the control operation on the basis of respective power
dissipations of a plurality of electric equipments to control the
plurality of electric equipments on the basis of the priority rank thus
determined, it is possible to judge as to whether or not a specific
electric equipment is operable without allowing a current to actually flow
in the specific electric equipment on the basis of a control signal from
the side of the control station to operate it. The interruption of the
operation of the entirety of the system based on the operation of a
specific electric equipment can be prevented. Further, since it is
possible to judge in advance whether or not the operation in a specific
electric equipment is proper to prevent the operation of an interrupter,
the supervisory control of the system can be always maintained.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a typical remote
control system,
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the outline of the configuration of an
embodiment according to this invention,
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an actual configuration of the embodiment
according to this invention,
FIG. 4A is a priority rank determination flowchart of the operating
flowchart of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, and
FIG. 4B is an electric equipment operating flowchart of the operating
flowchart of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
(1) General description
Prior to describing preferred embodiments according to the present
invention, a typical remote control system will be first described to
facilitate a better understanding of this invention.
An example thereof is shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the remote
control system is such that an indoor wire 5 is installed within the home
and used as a home bus for passing signals. Various electric equipment 31
and 32 to 3n are connected to the indoor wire 5 through a plurality of
interface units 31a and 32a to 3na, respectively. Further, a
telecontroller 16 for automatically receiving a control signal transmitted
through a telephone line 6 from the external is connected to the indoor
wire 5. Thus, a home controller 17 carries out an ON/OFF control of
various electric equipment 31 and 32 to 3n on the basis of a control
signal received by the telecontroller 16.
Further, the interface units 31a and 32a to 32na detect current values
delivered to various electric equipment 31 and 32 to 3n caused to be in an
ON state on the basis of the control of the home controller 17, thereby to
limit the operation of the electric equipment 31 (or 32 to 3n) placed in
the ON state when the current value thus detected is above a predetermined
value.
The operation of the conventional system constructed above will now be
described. Initially, a control signal for operating a specific piece of
equipment 31 (or 32 to 3n) within the home is transmitted through the
telephone line 6. The control signal thus transmitted is automatically
received by the telecontroller 16. This telecontroller 16 transforms the
control signal to a system packet to output it to the home controller 17.
On the basis of the system packet, the home controller 17 carries out an
ON/OFF control of the specific electric equipment 31 (or 32 to 3n). In the
ON control of the electric equipment 31 (or 32 to 3n), the home controller
17 detects the value of a current flowing in the electric equipment 31 (or
32 to 3n) to limit the ON operation of the electric equipment 31 (or 32 to
3n) when the detected current value is above a predetermined value. In
this way, occurrance of an accident due to an overcurrent flowing in the
electric equipment 31 (or 32 to 3n) having a large load current is
prevented.
In the control operation of the remote control system, in the case where
the number of electric equipment 31 and 32 to 3n subject to control is
increased, the time required for transmitting current detection results of
respective electric equipment 31 and 32 to 3n from the interface units 31a
and 32a to 3na to the telecontroller 16 (or the home controller 17) is
prolonged. Prior to limiting the ON operation of the electric equipment 31
and 32 to 3n, an interrupter such as NFB, etc. is operated. As a result,
the entire system is placed in a stopped state.
Further, an inrush current (rush current) based on the transient
characteristic when respective electric equipment 31 and 32 to 3n are
powered is produced. As a result, this inrush current is superimposed on
an ordinary current (a rated current at the time of an ordinary operation)
of other electric equipment 31 and 32 to 3n which have been already
operated, and then exceeds a predetermined current value. Thus, there may
occur instances where the entire system is placed in a stopped state.
(2) Description of an embodiment of the invention
A preferred embodiment of this invention will be described with reference
to FIGS. 2, 3, 4A and 4B.
As shown as an overview diagram of this embodiment, a remote control system
according to this embodiment includes a plurality of electric equipment 3
supplied with power, an indoor wiring 5 on the side of controlled stations
and operative in accordance with an operating signal transmitted from a
home bus or line 4, control means 1 for transmitting an operating signal
from the home bus 4 in accordance with a control signal transmitted from
the side of a control station (not shown) through a communication system
to control the plurality of electric equipment 3, and a priority rank
determination means 2 for determining an operating priority rank of
respective electric equipment 3 controlled by the control means 1 on the
basis of respective power dissipations of the plurality of electric
equipment 3.
An actual configuration of this embodiment is shown in a block form in FIG.
3. In this figure, the remote control system according to this embodiment
includes a control unit 1 for controlling a plurality of electric
equipment 31 and 32 to 3n connected to indoor wiring 5 as one of the home
buses installed within the home on the side of controlled stations through
a plurality of interface units 31a and 32a to 3na on the basis of a
control signal transmitted from the side of the control station through
the telephone line 6, and a priority rank determination unit 2 for
determining a priority rank for allowing the control unit 1 to operate the
electric equipment 31 and 32 to 3n.
The control unit 1 comprises a modulator/demodulator 11 for automatically
receiving a control signal inputted from the telephone line 6 to
demodulate the received control signal, and to modulate a signal
transmitted to the control station which has transmitted an external
control signal, a computational control unit 12 for controlling the
electric equipment 31 and 32 to 3n on the basis of the demodulated control
signal, a ROM 13 in which a control operational program for the
computational control unit 12 is stored, and a RAM 14 into which data
indicative of a priority rank determined by the priority rank
determination unit 2, and data indicative of respective inrush current
values of the electric equipment 31 and 32 to 3n, an ordinary current
value (a rated current value in an ordinary operating state), addresses,
kind, state, and the like are stored.
On the basis of the above-mentioned configuration, the operation of this
embodiment will be separately described in connection with the priority
rank determination operation (Item 1) and the control operation with
reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B (Item 2).
1 The priority rank determination operation of the priority rank
determination unit 2.
On the premise for allowing the entire system to be operative, the control
unit 1 causes a plurality of electric equipment 31 and 32 to 3n subject to
control to be individually powered through the indoor wiring 5 (step 11).
Respective values of inrush currents and ordinary currents of the
plurality of electric equipment 31 and 32 to 3n which have been powered
are detected (step 12). Data indicative of inrush current values and
ordinary current values which have been detected are stored into the RAM
14 along with their addresses (step 13). A judgment is made as to whether
or not data relating to the electric equipment 31 and 32 to 3n which are
to be subject to control are all stored into the RAM 14 (step 14).
When it is judged at the step 14 that data are all stored into the RAM 14,
the priority rank determination unit 2 determines a priority rank of order
of operating the electric equipment 31 and 32 to 3n in order of the
magnitudes of respective stored inrush current values (step 15).
On the other hand, when it is judged at the step 14 that data are not all
stored into the RAM 14, the control operation returns to the step 11 to
allow the remaining electric piece or pieces of electric equipment 31 and
32 to 3n to be individually powered to repeatedly carry out the
above-mentioned operation (steps 11 to 14).
2 The control operation with respect to electric equipment 31 and 32 to 3n
of the control unit 1.
In the state where data of inrush current values, and ordinary current
values, etc. of the electric equipment 31 and 32 to 3n are stored into the
RAM 14 and data indicative of the determined priority rank is stored into
the RAM 14, the control unit 1 initiates the control operation with
respect to respective electric equipment 31 and 32 to 3n.
In the case where a control signal is transmitted from the telephone line 6
under the above-mentioned state, this control signal is automatically
incoming to the modulator/demodulator 11 and inputted thereto (step 21).
The modulator/demodulator 11 converts a modulated control signal to a
control signal of serial pulses. The control signal of serial pulses thus
obtained is converted to two-dimensional information of "0" and "1" by a
serial-to-parallel (S/P) converter (not shown). Then, the control signal
of the two-dimensional information is outputted to the computational
control unit 12.
The conputational control unit 12 to which the control signal of the
two-dimensional information has been inputted reads out, from the RAM 14,
data of ordinary current values in the electric equipment in an ON state
of all the electric equipment 31 and 32 to 3n which are subject to control
within the home to determine the total sum of ordinary current values to
compute a current marginal value by subtracting the sum total of the
ordinary current values from a threshold (step 22). Further, when a
plurality of electric equipment 31 (or 32 to 3n) which are subject to the
control signal are placed in an ON state, the computational control unit
12 judges as to whether the inrush current value and the ordinary current
value of the electric equipment 31 (or 32 to 3n) are in conformity with
the above-mentioned marginal value (step 23).
When it is judged that they are in conformity with the current marginal
value, the computational control unit 12 controls a plurality of electric
equipment 31 (or 32 to 3n) which are subject to the control signal so that
they are sequentially placed in an ON state on the basis of the priority
rank (step 24). The control for placing the plurality of equipment 31 (or
32 to 3n) in an ON state is carried out by transmitting, from the
computational control unit 12, control data to interface units 31a (or 32a
to 3na) corresponding to respective electric equipment 31 (or 32 to 3n)
through the input/output unit (I/O) 15 and the indoor wiring 5. In the
case where a destination address code specified by the transmitted control
data becomes in correspondence with an address (stored in advance into the
RAM 14) determined in advance, the interface units 31a (or 32a to 3na)
take thereinto control data, thus to control corresponding electric
equipment 31 (or 32 to 3n) on the basis of the control command of the
control data.
The control unit 1 displays or aurally notifies that the respective
electric equipment 31 (or 32a to 3na) which will be sequentially placed
into an ON state on the basis of the priority rank are in an "ON
operating" state (step 25). Such a display or voice notifying is carried
out by modulating a display signal or a voice notifying signal outputted
from the computational control unit 12 into a predetermined transmission
signal at the modulator/demodulator 11 to transmit the modulated display
or voice notifying signal to the control signal transmission side through
the telephone line 6.
When it is judged at the step 23 that the above-mentioned current values
are not in conformity with the current marginal value, the control unit 1
carries out display or voice notifying of "ON disable operation" to effect
the control for allowing the electric equipment 31 (or 32 to 3n) subject
to the control signal to be placed in an ON state cannot be carried out in
the same manner as in the case of "ON operation" (step 231). After display
or voice notifying of "ON disable operation" is carried out, the control
operation returns to the step 22 to compute a current marginal value for a
second time, thus to repeatedly carry out a judgement as to whether or not
the electric equipment 31 (or equipments 32 to 3n) subject to control of
the control signal is or are in conformity with the marginal value.
(3) Description of other embodiments of this invention
In the above-described embodiment, there is employed an embodiment such
that the priority rank determination unit 2 determines a priority rank in
order of the magnitudes of inrush current values of respective equipments
31 and 32 to 3n. In addition, an arrangement to determine a priority rank
on the basis of the power dissipations of respective electric equipments.
With respect to the power dissipations of respective electric equipments,
in the case of television, video, etc., power dissipations are judged in
terms of the screen size (inch), and in the case of the amplifier, or
airconditioner, etc., power dissipations are determined in terms of the
output (watt). Namely, the magnitudes of inrush current values are
automatically registered by the above-mentioned determined power
dissipations at the time of connection of various electric equipments.
The priority rank determined at the priority rank determination unit 2 may
be determined in consideration of various states or circumstances of the
electric equipments subject to control. For example, an approach may be
employed to take a priority rank of a saved energy mode to detect, with
elapse of time, brightness of the surroundings where electric equipments
are provided to power-adjust brightness of an indoor illumination, or to
power only equipment required in the case of carrying out remote
instruction of sound recording/picture recording.
Further, as the method of determining the priority rank, a method may be
employed such that a user or a person who effects a control through a
telephone line designates in advance an electric equipment of high use
priority to memorize it to carry out an ON/OFF control of the electric
equipments in accordance with the order. In this case, it is required for
making memorization in advance to additionally provide a key pad
permitting an instruction to the computational control unit 12, and a
software for making a memorization into the RAM 14.
In the case where there are electric equipments, etc. intermittently
operating such as an electric refrigerator, or pot, etc., an approach may
be employed to detect ON/OFF or a quantity of changes in time of an
ordinary current as well to calculate power ON timing of new electric
equipment to control it.
While an arrangement may be employed in the above-described embodiment to
control a plurality of electric equipment 31 and 32 to 3n by the control
unit 1, an arrangement may be employed to control the control unit by
telecontroller, home controller, or center controller of automation, etc..
The control of electric equipment 31 and 32 to 3n by the control unit 1 may
include an adjustment operation of a quantity of power supplied in
addition to ON/OFF control of respective electric equipments. For example,
there are enumerated a light control (adjustment of light) of an
illumination device, and a tone control of an amplifier, etc. In this
case, an approach is employed to limit a quantity of power supplied to a
predetermined value without conducting an OFF control, thus to effect a
control.
While an arrangement is employed in the above-described embodiment such
that the control unit 1 individually allows respective electric equipments
31 and 32 to 3n to be actually turned ON to detect inrush current values
and ordinary current values of a plurality of electric equipments 31 and
32 to 3n, an arrangement may be employed to integrate inrush current
values (and ordinary current values) on the basis of kind and/or state
(e.g., screen size, output power, etc.) of respective electric equipments
registered in advance without allowing respective electric equipments to
be actually turned ON, thus to make an estimation. In this case, the
above-mentioned system can be processed on software by the computational
function of the control unit. This can be advantageously attained without
provision of various hardwares such as a current detector, etc..
It is to be noted that while explanation has been given in the
above-described embodiment in connection with the case where electric
equipments 31 and 32 to 3n are provided within the home, electric
equipment provided in building faculties, factories and other places
subject to remote control may be subject to control by the remote control
system of the invention.
While an arrangement is employed in the above-described embodiment such
that the indoor wiring 5 is used as the home bus, an arrangement may be
employed such that a home bus may be provided independently of the indoor
wiring or other house-wiring.
In addition, while an arrangement to transmit a control signal transmitted
from the external through the telephone line is employed in the
above-described embodiment, an arrangement to transmit a control signal by
various communication systems such as INS (Information Network System),
VAN (Value Added Network), or ISDN (Integrated Service Digital Network),
etc. may be employed.
The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing
from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present
embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative
and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the
appended claims rather than by the foregoing description and all changes
which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are
therefore intended to be embraced therein.
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