JP2000030163A - Current sensor unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a high convenient current sensor unit which can be set without any necessity of special construction as a life action sensor by using a plug to be connected with an electric socket, a jack to be connected with the plug of an appliance product, and a current sensor as adaptors. SOLUTION: A current sensor unit 2A is constituted of an adaptor which is provided with a plug 5A to be connected with an electric socket 24A, a jack 5B to be connected with a plug 33 of an appliance product 23A, a current sensor 2X, a connector 5C for connecting the sensor signal of the current sensor 2X with the outside, and a case 5D. Therefore, the current sensor unit 2A can detect the presence or absence of currents I1 running through the appliance product 23A only by connecting the electric socket 24A with the appliance product 23A. Thus, the life action of an aged person living alone can be detected, and convenience can be improved by unnecessitating any construction for arranging the sensor without being constrained by the setting place of the sensor.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a current sensor unit for detecting the presence or absence of a living activity of a resident by a change in current flowing through a home electric appliance, and more particularly to a current sensor that can be installed without requiring special construction. About the unit.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art With the tendency to become a nuclear family, the number of elderly people living alone is increasing, and in order to confirm the safety of such elderly people, living activities are performed in a house (for example, water is used within a predetermined time). If a living activity sensor of an elderly person cannot be detected by this sensor, an abnormality is notified to a report destination such as a family member, acquaintance or a specialized center via a communication line. Abnormality reporting devices for reporting are known.

As a living activity sensor used in such a device, for example, a sensor for detecting the opening and closing of a water tap or a sensor for detecting a water flow, which is easy to detect an elderly person's living activity, is used. When the tap is not used (for example, the state in which no water flows out of the faucet continues for more than a predetermined time), it is determined that there is an abnormality in the living behavior of the elderly because no signal is detected from the sensor.

[0004]

When a living activity sensor for detecting opening and closing of a water flow or a faucet is installed in an existing water supply, construction for attaching the sensor to a water pipe or a faucet is required, and an abnormality notification device is introduced. And the problem that construction is troublesome.

Further, a wiring for extracting a signal (for example, an electric signal) detected by the living activity sensor needs to have a waterproof structure to prevent water from entering.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a highly convenient current sensor unit that can be installed as a living activity sensor without requiring any special construction. is there.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a current sensor unit according to the present invention detects a change in a current flowing through a home appliance to determine whether a resident has a living activity. , An adapter includes a plug connected to an electric outlet, a jack connected to a plug of a home electric appliance, and a current sensor.

Further, the current sensor unit according to the present invention is a current sensor unit which determines the presence or absence of a living activity of a resident by detecting a change in a current flowing through a home appliance, wherein a plug connected to an electrical outlet is provided. A jack to connect to the plug of home appliances, a current sensor,
An adapter is used as the detection means for determining whether or not the resident has a living activity based on the signal detected by the current sensor.

A current sensor unit according to the present invention includes a living activity sensor for detecting a living activity of a resident (an elderly person living alone), a plug connected to an electrical outlet using a current sensor for detecting a current flowing through a home appliance. Since the jack connected to the plug of the home appliance and the current sensor are used as adapters, a change in the current flowing through the home appliance can be detected only by connecting the home appliance and the electrical outlet.

By connecting this current sensor unit to home appliances such as a television, an electric rice cooker, an air conditioner, a vacuum cleaner and a microwave oven, it is possible to detect the living behavior of an elderly person living alone.

Further, since no construction is required for connecting the current sensor unit, connection with newly purchased home electric appliances,
Connection to frequently used home appliances, which differs depending on the living pattern of the resident (single elderly), does not require construction.

In the current sensor unit according to the present invention, detection means for judging the presence or absence of the living activity of the resident based on the signal detected by the current sensor is added to the adapter, so that the presence or absence of the living activity is detected by the sensor unit. Can be determined.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a main part of a living activity confirmation / notification device to which a current sensor unit according to the present invention is applied. In FIG. 1, a living activity confirmation / notification device 1 includes current sensor units 2A and 2B, a detection unit 3 and a notification unit 4, and performs a positive living activity of a resident (for example, an elderly person living alone) in a house.
If a change in the currents I1, I2 (= finite value or 0) flowing through the home appliances 23A, 23B within a predetermined time is detected as the sensor signals S1, S2 using the current sensor units 2A, 2B, the resident's life Judge that the behavior is normal. on the other hand,
If a change in the currents I1, I2 (= finite value or 0) cannot be detected within the predetermined time, the living behavior of the resident is determined to be abnormal, and the notification is sent to the notification destinations 31A to 31N via the notification means 4, Notify that the resident has abnormal living behavior.

The current sensor units 2A and 2B are connected to the home appliances 23A and 23B, the electrical outlets 24A and 24B, and the detecting means 3 by 2a, 2b and 2c, respectively, and from the electrical outlets 24A and 24B to the home appliances 23A and 23B.
The currents I1, I2 (or 0 values) flowing through the sensor are detected and supplied to the detection means 3 as sensor signals S1, S2. Home appliances 23
A and 23B are intended for the case of two home appliances such as a television and a microwave oven, but may be three or more including home appliances such as an electric rice cooker, an air conditioner and a vacuum cleaner. . Note that the current sensor units are arranged corresponding to the respective home electric appliances to be subjected to current detection.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of the current sensor unit according to the present invention. 2, a current sensor unit 2A includes a plug 5A connected to an electrical outlet 24A, a jack 5B connected to a plug 33 of a home appliance 23A, a current sensor 2X, and a sensor signal of the current sensor 2X (the sensor signal shown in FIG. 1). A connector 5C for connecting the signal S1) to the outside (the detecting means 3 shown in FIG. 1), and a case 5D.
It consists of an adapter consisting of

The current sensor unit 2A inserts the plug 5A into the electrical outlet 24A, and inserts the plug 33 of the home appliance 23A into the jack 5B.
The current I1 flowing through 3A can be detected by the current sensor 2X. In FIG. 2, the plug 5A and the case 5D are connected by a cord, but the cord may be omitted and only two metal pieces of the plug 5A may protrude from the case 5D. Alternatively, the jack 5B may be separated from the case 5D, and the jack 5B and the case 5D may be connected by a cord.

A connector 5C is provided for connecting the sensor signal (sensor signal S1 shown in FIG. 1) from the current sensor 2X to the outside (detection means 3 shown in FIG. 1) by wire, but the connector 5C is used instead of the connector 5C. A wireless transmitter may be provided to transmit the sensor signal wirelessly. When the sensor signal is transmitted by electric power, the connector 5C may be omitted, the electric power conveying means may be provided in the current sensor unit 2A, and the electric power may be transmitted to the detecting means 3 via a power line.

As described above, the current sensor unit 2A
Plug 5 into electrical outlet 24A and home appliance 23A
Since the current I1 flowing through the home electric appliance 23A can be detected simply by connecting with the A and the jack 5B, there is no restriction on the installation location of the sensor, and no work for arranging the sensor is required.

Returning to FIG. 1, the detecting means 3 is composed of various arithmetic means, comparing means, timer, counter, logic means, memory, etc. based on a microprocessor, and the sensor signals supplied from the current sensor units 2A, 2B. The number of changes in S1 and S2 is counted, and if there is a change in the signal within a preset time, it is determined that the resident's living behavior is normal.
Then, the timer and the counter are reset, and the operation of the timer and the counter is restarted.

On the other hand, if the change in the sensor signals S1 and S2 cannot be detected within a preset time,
The living behavior of the resident is determined to be abnormal, and a determination signal H0 indicating that the resident is abnormal is supplied to the notification means 4.

The detecting means 3 sets, for each current sensor unit 2A, 2B, a standard pattern of the resident's living behavior, for example, turning on or off a television or turning on or off a microwave oven approximately every four hours. And a standard pattern for each of the current sensor units 2A and 2B and sensor signals S1 and S1 actually detected from each sensor.
The change in S2 is compared to determine the normal or abnormal living behavior of the resident.

In the memory, a threshold value of a preliminary detection amount is set in a state in which the home electric appliance to be detected by the sensor is stopped, and a threshold value is set between when the device or apparatus is used and when it is not used. Clarify the distinction between sensor signals. For example, the current sensor unit 2A (for detecting the current of the television) sets the threshold value to 1A, and the current sensor unit 2B (for detecting the current of the microwave oven) sets the threshold value to 0A. Note that a means for setting a threshold value may be provided in the current sensor 2X.

The notification means 4 comprises a communication terminal device such as a telephone, and has a line connection function, an automatic dial function, and an automatic response function. 30, transmitting a notification signal T0 for notifying an abnormality to notification destinations 31A to 31N designated in advance via the communication lines L1 to Ln.

The reporting means 4 is provided with reporting destinations 31A-31.
N automatically responds to an incoming call from N, followed by a predetermined signal (DTM
F: Upon receiving Dual Tone Multi Frequancy (for example, * 01) or a code, the detecting means 3 is accessed to report the safety of the resident (the elderly living alone).

Although the reporting means 4 and the exchange 30 are connected by the wired communication line L, the reporting means 4 may be provided with a wireless transceiver so as to be connected wirelessly.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a main part of an embodiment of the detecting means of the living activity confirmation / notification device. Note that, in the present embodiment, when there is a change in the sensor signal within a predetermined time from any one of the plurality of sensors shown in FIG.
It is determined that there is no abnormality in the living behavior of the resident.
The current sensor unit 23A will be described by taking a sensor that detects a change in the current flowing through the television as an example.

In FIG. 3, the detecting means 3 comprises a storing means 1
1, signal change detecting means 12, counting means 13, time measuring means 1
4. It has a signal generating means 15. The storage means 11 is constituted by a memory such as a rewritable RAM, and inputs setting information JS from an external input means, and changes the clocking time (predetermined time) TS and the sensor signal S1, which are standard patterns of resident's living behavior. (A predetermined number) NS and a threshold level (threshold) SH (corresponding to a standby current of the television) of the sensor signal S1. If there is no threshold level (threshold) SH, it is set to 0.

The signal change detecting means 12 is constituted by, for example, a retriggerable monomultivibrator, and generates a pulse N having a constant width in response to a change in the sensor signal S1 accompanying turning on / off of a power switch of the television. 13.

The counting means 13 is composed of a counter, counts the pulses N supplied from the signal change detecting means 12, and counts the pulses N to a predetermined number NS set in the storage means 11.
Is exceeded, a reset pulse RO (for example, H level) is supplied to the reset terminals of the counting means 13 and the time counting means 14, and the counting means 13 and the time counting means 14 are reset to start counting and time counting again. When the reset pulse RO is output, the resident (single elderly person) has turned on / off the power switch of the TV a predetermined number of times NS within a predetermined time TS, and thus the resident's living behavior is abnormal. Judge that there is no.

The time counting means 14 comprises, for example, a timer,
A predetermined time Ts set in advance in the storage means 11 is measured. If the reset pulse RO is not supplied from the counting means 13 within the predetermined time Ts, it is determined that there is an abnormality in the living behavior of the resident, and the time signal TO (for example, , H level) to the signal generating means 15.

When the reset pulse RO is supplied from the counting means 13, the time counting means 14 sets a predetermined time Ts.
The timer is reset even during the measurement of the time, and the measurement of the predetermined time TS is started again.

The signal generating means 15 generates a determination signal HO (for example, H level) when the clock signal TO (for example, H level) is supplied from the clock means 14, and sends the determination signal HO to the notifying means shown in FIG. 4

First, an off-hook signal OF for connecting the reporting means 4 to the communication line L is generated as the judgment signal HO.
Subsequently, a dial drive signal DK for transmitting a dial number from the reporting means 4 to the reporting destinations 31A to 31N is generated, and in a state where a communication path of one of the reporting means 4 and the reporting destinations 31A to 31N is formed, A report corresponding to the mode in which the living behavior was determined to be abnormal (in the case of FIG. 3, the power switch of the television is turned on / off), for example, "4 hours (predetermined time T
S) do not watch TV. Please confirm it is. "
Is generated by voice synthesis.

The connection to the report destinations 31A to 31N is executed in advance according to the dialing order to the report destination (report destination 31N in order from the report destination 31A), and when the other party answers, the subsequent report is stopped. The report destinations 31A to 31N
Has an answering machine function and automatically answers incoming calls,
If the subsequent reporting is stopped, a trouble occurs. The reporting destinations 31A to 31N send an acknowledgment signal (for example, a DTMF signal) after answering the incoming call. To do.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing another essential part of a living activity confirmation / notification device to which the current sensor unit according to the present invention is applied. In FIG. 4, the living activity confirmation / notification device 21 includes a current sensor unit 22A and a notification unit 4. The difference between this embodiment and the living activity confirmation / notification apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 is that the current sensor unit 22A is one and the current sensor unit 22A incorporates the detection means 3 shown in FIG. It is a point.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the current sensor unit according to the present invention. 5, a current sensor unit 22A includes a plug 5A connected to an electrical outlet 24A, a jack 5B connected to a plug 33 of a home appliance 23A, a current sensor 2X, and sensor signals of the current sensor 2X (the sensor shown in FIG. 1). Based on the signal S1), the abnormality of the living behavior of the resident (the elderly living alone) is detected,
Detecting means 3 for generating a determination signal HO;
5 for connecting to the outside (notifying means 4 shown in FIG. 4)
C and an adapter composed of a case 5D.

The current sensor unit 22A has a plug 5A
Is inserted into the electrical outlet 24A, and the plug 33 of the home appliance 23A is inserted into the jack 5B, so that the current I1 flowing through the home appliance 23A is detected by the current sensor 2X to generate a sensor signal S1, and based on the sensor signal S1, It is possible to determine whether the living behavior of a resident (an elderly person living alone) is normal or abnormal. In FIG. 5, the plug 5
Although the configuration is such that the cord is connected between A and the case 5D, the cord may be omitted and only the two metal pieces of the plug 5A may protrude from the case 5D. Also, the jack 5B is separated from the case 5D, and the jack 5B and the case 5D are separated.
It is good also as composition which connects between D with a cord.

Although the connector 5C is provided for connecting the determination signal H0 from the detection means 3 to the outside (the notification means 4 shown in FIG. 4) by wire, a radio transmitter is provided instead of the connector 5C, and the determination signal H0 is provided. You may be comprised so that HO may be transmitted by radio | wireless. In the case where the determination signal HO is performed by power transfer,
The connector 5C may be omitted, the power transfer means may be provided in the detection means 3, and the power may be transmitted to the notification means 4 via a power line.

As described above, the current sensor unit 22A
Detects the current I1 flowing through the home electric appliance 23A simply by connecting the electric outlet 24A and the electric home appliance 23A with the plug 5A and the jack 5B, and detects the current I1 flowing through the electric home appliance 23A.
Since it is possible to determine the presence or absence of a living activity, the sensor can be made intelligent, the location of the sensor is not restricted, and construction work for arranging the sensor is not required.

[0040]

As described above, the current sensor unit according to the present invention can detect the presence or absence of a current flowing through a home appliance simply by connecting the electrical outlet to the home appliance, thereby enabling the life of an elderly person living alone. Because it can detect behavior, it is not restricted by the location of the sensor,
In addition, it is possible to improve convenience by eliminating the work of arranging the sensors.

Further, since the current sensor unit according to the present invention has a built-in detecting means, it is possible to realize an intelligent sensor unit.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a main part of a living activity confirmation / notification device to which a current sensor unit according to the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of a current sensor unit according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a main part of an embodiment of a detection means of the living activity confirmation / notification device.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of another essential part of a living activity confirmation / notification device to which the current sensor unit according to the present invention is applied;

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of another embodiment of the current sensor unit according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Life action confirmation / report device, 2A, 22A, 2B ... Current sensor unit, 2X ... Current sensor, 3 ... Detection means,
4 ... notification means, 5A ... plug, 5B ... jack, 5C ...
Connector, 5D case, 11 storage means, 12 signal change detection means, 13 counting means, 14 time counting means, 15
... Signal generating means, 23A, 23B ... Home appliances, 24A,
24B: Electric outlet, 31A to 31N: Report destination.

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Masaaki Sakurai 3-3-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Nihon Signal Co., Ltd. (72) Mitsuo Nishimura 3-3-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Nihon Signal Stock Inside the company (72) Inventor Masatoshi Hata 3-3-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Nihon Signal Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Makoto Sunaba 3-3-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo F-term within Nihon Signal Co., Ltd. 5C086 AA22 AA31 AA60 BA01 BA07 CA03 DA02 DA14 EA11 EA13 EA23 EA40 EA41 EA45 FA07 FA20 GA01 5C087 AA02 AA37 BB02 BB18 BB64 DD03 DD24 EE05 EE08 EE12 FF01 FF02 FF10 FF17 GG09 GG18 GG24 GG36 GG48 GG70

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A current sensor unit for detecting the presence or absence of a living activity of a resident by detecting a change in a current flowing through a home appliance, wherein a plug connected to an electric outlet and a jack connected to a plug of the home appliance are provided. And a current sensor, wherein the current sensor is an adapter. 2. A plug connected to an electrical outlet and a jack connected to a plug of the home appliance, wherein the current sensor unit determines whether or not the resident has a living activity by detecting a change in a current flowing through the home appliance. A current sensor, and a detecting means for determining presence or absence of a living activity of a resident based on a signal detected by the current sensor as an adapter.