JP3514156B2 - Remote control device - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a remote control device and a display control method for a dot matrix display section, and more particularly, to a remote control device having a plurality of operation modes to enable setting operation of multiple items. The present invention relates to improvement of display control technology of a display unit of the remote control device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, in the field of hot water supply devices, many devices provided with a remote control device for remotely operating the hot water supply device are provided.

By the way, in this kind of remote control device, multifunctionalization has been advanced in recent years, and a remote control function provided in a conventional remote control device (for example, setting change of hot water supply temperature or setting of hot water amount and hot water temperature of a bathtub). In addition to various remote control functions such as changing and reheating the bath), a hot water filling function to reserve the hot water filling time in the bathtub, a hot water warming function in the bathtub, a voice message output function, and a water heater There is provided a remote control device that realizes various functions such as a communication / call function with another remote control device connected to the remote control device.

That is, in this type of remote control device, the number of items to be set / operated (for example, volume setting of voice messages, setting of bath warming time, etc.) increases as the device becomes multifunctional, and The information to be displayed on the display unit tends to increase as the number of setting / operating items increases.

For this reason, in recent remote control devices, various setting operations are performed separately from the normal operation mode so that various items can be set using a limited number of operation switches. It is suggested that the product has its own operation mode (setting mode) (depending on the model, it may have multiple operation modes such as maintenance operation mode in addition to the above setting mode), depending on the items to be operated. These operation modes are switched appropriately.

Here, one example of such a remote control device is shown in FIG.
4 shows. A remote control device a shown in FIG. 14 is a remote control device for remote operation of a hot water supply device (specifically, a remote control device for a bath installed in a bathroom), and includes a plurality of operation switches b, b ,. A main part is provided with a display section c for displaying various information such as the hot water supply temperature. Particularly, in the remote controller of the illustrated example, the display section c includes a seven-segment fluorescent display tube d, d and indicator lights e, e. It has and.

In such a remote control device, the items that can be displayed by the indicator lights e, e are usually fixed (in the illustrated example, fixed to "priority" and "combustion"), and the display mode there is also fixed. Is limited to about "lighting", "blinking" and "extinguishing" of the lamp, so that the various information described above is mainly displayed by the fluorescent display tubes d, d.

That is, since the remote control device of the illustrated example can display numbers and symbols that can be represented by 7 segments on the fluorescent display tubes d, d, normally (under the normal operation mode), hot water is supplied using two-digit numbers. While displaying the temperature,
If it is necessary to display items other than the hot water supply temperature in other operation modes or when a failure occurs, replace the items that can be operated in other operation modes and error displays with two-digit numbers or symbols. It is displayed.

That is, in the conventional remote controller,
When the information to be displayed on the display section c increases, a separate display section is provided for the increased information, or all of the added information is displayed with numbers or symbols.

[0010]

However, such a conventional remote control device has the problems listed below, and its improvement has been desired.

That is, in the above conventional remote control device,
When trying to display a lot of information on the display unit, most of the information is replaced with numbers and symbols, so it becomes difficult for the user to intuitively recognize the displayed contents, and as the number of displayed items increases There was a problem that usability became poor.

Therefore, the display replaced with such numbers or symbols cannot sufficiently cope with the multifunctionalization of the remote control device, and the restriction of the display prevents the multifunctionalization of the remote control device. There was a problem that

Regarding this point, it may be possible to solve the above problem by adopting a liquid crystal panel in the display section, but in the case of a liquid crystal display, the display is difficult to see unless a backlight is used in a dim environment. However, even if a backlight is used, it is sufficient to use only the backlight when it is used in a steamy environment such as a bathroom, such as a remote controller for a water heater. There was also a problem that the displayed contents could not be confirmed.

The present invention has been made in view of the above conventional problems, and its purpose is mainly to effectively use the display portion of the remote control device to display more information in an easily recognizable manner. It is an object of the present invention to provide a remote control device with high operability that can be achieved, and thereby to further promote the multifunctionalization of the remote control device.

[0015]

In order to achieve the above object, a remote control device according to claim 1 of the present invention includes an operation switch for remotely controlling a controlled device and an operating state of the controlled device. In a remote control device including a display unit that displays various information such as the operation status of the operation switches, a predetermined operation switch among the operation switches is
Set the operation mode of the remote control unit to the normal operation mode and other operation modes.
Used as a mode selector switch to switch to work mode
In addition, the display section consists of a self-luminous element.
It is composed of a dot matrix and the display contents are set arbitrarily
Dot matrix display that can be fixed and specific items fixed
There is a lighting display section consisting of multiple
The items that can be operated with the remote control device are
Higher rank operations that can be operated under the above normal operation modes
Possible items and lower-level modules that can be operated under other operating modes
It is classified as an operable item of the
For the items that can be operated,
Items that can be operated by assigning indicator lights to individual indicator lights
Listed more and currently selected operation
Possible items are displayed according to the lighting status of the above indicator lights,
Individual operable items belonging to the above lower ranks are
Another operation mode is selected by the mode switch
Selectable list display on the dot matrix display section
It is characterized by being done.

That is, in the invention of claim 1, a specific operation switch among various operation switches provided in the remote control device is used as a mode changeover switch for switching the operation mode of the remote control device. In the present invention, the items that can be operated by the remote control device
However, with a higher rank that can be operated under normal operation mode, etc.
It is classified into the lower rank that can be operated under the operation mode of
Operable items of higher ranks operate normally depending on the rank
In the mode, it will be displayed as a list by the lit display section.
In addition, the operable items of lower rank are
Is displayed in a list on the dot matrix display section. It should be noted that the "list display" shown here is a display in which the operable items can be intuitively recognized using letters and numbers, and is displayed on numbers and the like as in conventional remote control devices. Indirect display by replacement is not included (the same applies below). As a result, the operator of the remote control device can easily select the item he / she wants to change the setting according to this list display.

Moreover, the operable items of the lower rank are displayed.
Since the display unit to be configured is composed of a dot matrix, the display content on the display unit can be freely set and changed, so that, for example, even if a new function is added to the remote control device and the number of operation items increases By simply adding the operated items to the list display on the dot matrix, it becomes possible to easily cope with the change without changing the hardware of the remote control device.

Also, the operable items of higher ranks are displayed.
Display lamps that fixedly display specific items
Each indicator light has a normal operating mode.
Items that can be operated under
It Therefore, if the user looks at this indicator light,
It is possible to list the items that can be operated under normal operating modes.
it can.

The present invention provides a preferred embodiment thereof.
Operation items above and above
The items that can be created are classified into those that can be operated.
It is characterized by being classified according to the operation frequency.

[0020]

When displaying a list of items that can be operated in this manner, as described in claim 3, among the items that can be operated in the mode, the item currently selected is It is characterized in that it is displayed in a state in which it can be distinguished from other non-selected items. Specifically, for example,
In the case of display with an indicator light, it is possible to visually confirm by blinking the indicator light showing the currently selected item or installing a separate indicator light showing that it is selected,
Further, in the case of the dot matrix display, a method of displaying only the display (character) indicating the selected item in reverse video can be suitably adopted.

The remote controller according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is
The remote control device includes means for storing past operation statuses of the operation switches, prioritizes the selection branches of the list display based on the stored past operation statuses, and selects the selection operation from the list display. It is characterized in that the selection branch is selected based on the priority order.

That is, the remote controller according to claim 4 is a remote controller having a so-called learning function,
The remote control device stores past operation states of the operation switches, and based on the stored past operation states, predetermined predetermined items such as frequently used operation items and previously operated items are stored. According to the procedure of (1), a high priority item is selected, and when selecting an operation item from the list display, a selection branch is selected in accordance with this priority order. As a result, the user of the remote control device can quickly select items that are frequently operated.

The remote controller according to claim 5 is
A remote control device in which a message display function for displaying a predetermined message on the dot matrix display unit is set among the operable items selected under the other operation mode, and the remote control device includes: Dotma
A means for pre-storing a plurality of messages that can be displayed on the trix display portion is provided, and the message display function is called by a predetermined operation of the operation switch,
From the stored plurality of messages to select the desired message, the the selected message Dottoma
It is characterized in that it is displayed on the trix display section.

That is, according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, in the remote control device, under the operation mode other than the normal operation mode (other operation modes), the dot matrix display section can be operated by a predetermined operation of the operation switch. Multiple possible messages are stored. Therefore, this contract
According to the invention of claim 5 , depending on the setting of the message to be stored in the remote control device, the dot of the remote control device
The matrix display section can be used as a destination display board, a message board, and the like when going out, and it is also possible to guide the failure recovery procedure and operation procedure.

According to the remote control device of the fifth aspect ,
As described in claim 6, when a predetermined condition is given to the remote control device, the message related to the condition is displayed.
By displaying the failure recovery procedure related to this condition (that is, failure content) on the display, for example, on condition that the remote control device detects the failure of the device by displaying on the dot matrix display. Is possible. Therefore, according to the present invention, the user can easily and quickly perform failure recovery.

The remote controller according to claim 7 is:
A remote control device in which a message display function for displaying a predetermined message on the dot matrix display unit is set among the operable items selected under the other operation mode, and the remote control device includes: Dotma
A means for rewritably storing a message that can be displayed on the trix display portion is provided, and the message display function can be called and the stored message can be rewritten by a predetermined operation of the operation switch. The message is displayed on the dot matrix display section.

That is, the remote controller according to claim 7 has a function of displaying a message similarly to the remote controller according to claim 5 , but in the case of claim 7 , means for storing the message is provided. Is configured so that the message can be rewritten. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to display, on the dot matrix display unit, a message that needs to be appropriately rewritten, such as the contact information of the person in charge of repairing the remote control device.

Further, the remote controller according to claim 8 is
Among the operable items selected under the other operation modes, a remote control device having a time signal function for notifying arrival of a predetermined time set in advance, wherein the remote control device detects the current time. And a notification means for notifying the arrival of the predetermined time in a audible state based on the detection result of the clock means, and setting the time to be notified by the notification means by a predetermined operation of the operation switch. Is performed.

That is, according to the invention of claim 8 , the remote control device notifies the clock means for detecting the present time and the notifying means for notifying the arrival of the predetermined time based on the detection result of the clock means. As described above, the time setting of the time signal function can be performed by a predetermined operation of the operation switch under an operation mode (other operation mode) other than the normal operation mode. That is, in recent remote control devices, there are provided remote control devices that display the time on the dot matrix display unit and that are capable of outputting various notification sounds such as voice messages and alarm sounds. However, since a remote control device having a time signal function is not provided, the present invention uses these to realize the time signal function.

The remote controller according to claim 9 is:
Within the operational matters selected under the other operation mode, Dottoma information managed by the remote control device
A remote control device having an information management function to be displayed on a trix display unit, the remote control device comprising information for database construction for managing predetermined information and hardware for activating the software. It is characterized in that the predetermined information managed by the information management means is appropriately selected and displayed on the dot matrix display section by a predetermined operation of the operation switch.

[0032] That is, the configuration in the this claim 9, remote control device, to take advantage of the remote control device as an information management tool, and Sofutouea for database construction which manages predetermined information and hardware to start the software As described above, information management using this information management means can be performed by a predetermined operation of the operation switch under an operation mode (other operation mode) other than the normal operation mode. It is configured. As in the invention of the invention also the ninth aspect of the claim 9, Recently, binding although information management tool that is compact is provided as represented by the electronic organizer, which the remote control device Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a remote control device that can be used for purposes other than remote control of a controlled device by combining them.

[0033]

[0034]

[0035]

[0036]

[0037]

[0038]

[0039]

[0040]

[0041]

[0042]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, a case where a remote control device according to the present invention is used as a remote control device for a water heater will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 shows the appearance of a remote control device 1 according to the present invention. The remote control device 1 is a remote control device for remotely controlling a hot water supply device (not shown), and includes a plurality of operation switches 2 (21 to 28) and various operating conditions of the hot water supply device and operating conditions of the operation switch 2. A display section 3 for displaying information is provided as a main section. In addition, the display unit 3 includes a dot matrix display unit 31 that displays the display content by a dot matrix and a lighting display unit 32 that displays information by blinking a display lamp.

The remote control device shown in FIG. 1 (a) is
1 shows a remote control device (hereinafter referred to as a kitchen remote control) 1a installed in a place other than a bathroom such as a kitchen.
The remote control device shown in (b) is a remote control device (hereinafter referred to as a bath remote control) 1b installed in a bathroom. Although the remote control devices 1a and 1b differ in the type of the operation switch 2 and the display form on the display unit 3 as shown due to the difference in the installation location, the basic configuration as the remote control device is almost the same. Therefore, in the following description, unless otherwise indicated, the kitchen remote controller 1a and the bath remote controller 1b are described as common items.

Further, these remote control devices 1a, 1b
By providing a communication function (not shown), it is possible to send and receive data such as the operating status of the water heater and the setting information in the remote control devices 1a and 1b to each other. It has a call function that allows the user to call the kitchen remote controller 1a from the side. Since the communication / call function between the remote control devices 1a and 1b is already realized in the conventional remote control device, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Although not shown, each of these remote control devices 1 is provided with at least a microcomputer (hereinafter referred to as a microcomputer), which processes various remote operation commands input by the operation switch 2 by the microcomputer. , Processing of data sent from the water heater or other remote control device, and further various settings of the remote control device 1 itself (for example, time setting and selective setting of sound source (electronic sound, melody, voice, etc.) of notification function) Further, the display setting processing of the display unit 3 is performed. Therefore, the remote control device 1 according to the present embodiment is provided with a plurality of operation modes (specifically, at least a normal operation mode and a setting mode) in order to perform these processes with the limited operation switches 2. Each of these operation modes is configured to be switched by a switch operation described later.

Therefore, inside the remote control device 1, in addition to the microcomputer, a device for realizing at least the above-mentioned functions is provided. Specifically, for example, although not shown, it is provided with a communication interface connected to the above-mentioned microcomputer, a clock means for time display, and a notification means such as a voice synthesizer as a sound source of the notification function. A display setting unit (not shown) for setting specific display contents on the display unit 3 based on the signal output from the microcomputer is provided.

Incidentally, these remote control devices 1a, 1b
Specifically, the following switches are provided as the operation switch 2. That is, each of the remote control devices 1a and 1b described above.
The common switches are a running on / off switch 21 for switching between running on / off, an up switch 22 for raising and lowering a hot water supply set temperature (desired temperature for hot water supply set by a remote controller), and a down switch. 23
And automatic bath operation (automatically fills the bathtub)
And a setting switch 25 for performing an operation of shifting the operation mode of the remote control device 1 from the normal mode to another operation mode (user setting mode or the like).

In addition to these operation switches, the bath remote controller 1b has a repulsion switch 26 for reheating the hot water in the bathtub and a call switch 27 for calling the kitchen remote controller 1a by using the above-mentioned call function. And a priority switch 28 for giving priority to the bath remote controller 1b. In the figure, reference numeral 4 denotes a speaker which is also used as a microphone for realizing the above-mentioned call function.

The display section 3 is mainly provided with a dot matrix display section 31 composed of self-luminous elements and a lighting display section 32 whose display content is fixed, and these displays are displayed by the microcomputer. It is configured to be controllable.

More specifically, the dot matrix display unit 31 has 32 dots vertically and 78 dots horizontally (32 ×
A fluorescent tube dot matrix of 78 dots) is preferably adopted. In this dot matrix display unit 31, each dot portion is composed of a self-luminous element, and the self-luminous element composing each dot is turned on without using a backlight or the like as in a conventional liquid crystal display. And a figure can be expressed (see symbol a in FIG. 1 (a), symbol a indicates "hot water supply"), and the specific display contents are image processing for storing data for image processing. Data storage unit 51, a character code storage unit 52 that stores a character code of a character to be displayed on the dot matrix display unit 31, and a font data storage unit 5 that stores font data corresponding to the character code.
3 is set based on various data stored in FIG.
1).

In this embodiment, a video RAM capable of reading and writing image data is used as the image processing data storage unit 51, and a character RAM capable of reading and writing character codes is used as the character code storage unit 52. To be As the font data storage unit 53, a read-only font ROM 52a in which predetermined font data necessary for display as the display unit 3 of the remote control device is stored and a font RAM 52b in which new font data can be written are used. To be

Then, the dot matrix display section 31
When operating as a display unit 3 of the remote control device, on the dot matrix display unit 31 based on image data (data for displaying a display screen as the display unit of the remote control device) stored in advance in the video RAM 51. A predetermined screen (display screen of the remote control device) is displayed on. At this time, the various characters displayed on the predetermined screen are based on the predetermined character code stored in advance in the character RAM 52 and the font ROM 5 is used.
It is displayed on the screen as a predetermined font by the font data stored in 3a.

In this embodiment, the font data storage unit 53 includes the font ROM 53a and the font RAM 53.
Although the configuration including b is shown, as described above, only the font data stored in the font ROM 53a is used as long as the remote control device displays normally (the font RAM 53b will be described later). .

On the other hand, the lighting display section 32 includes a plurality of display lamps 33, which are controlled to be turned on / off by the microcomputer.
It is composed of 34. Specifically, this indicator light 33,
A fluorescent display tube or a light emitting diode is preferably used as 34, and a specific item is displayed by turning on / off these indicator lights 33, 34. That is,
For example, taking the kitchen remote controller 1a shown in FIG. 1 (a) as an example, among the indicators 33 of the lighting display unit 32, "hot water supply",
When the display lamps 33a to 33c representing "reservation" and "clock" are turned on, a list of items that can be operated in the normal operation mode is displayed, and the display lamp 34 provided beside each display is displayed. When is lit, the currently selected item (that is, the item for which setting operation is currently possible) among the above operable items is displayed (in the example of FIG. 1 (a),
"Hot water supply" is selected, indicating that the setting of the hot water supply temperature can be changed at present.

Now, a concrete display mode on the display unit 3 in the remote control device 1 configured as described above will be described.

First, in the remote controller 1 of this embodiment,
Since the display unit 3 can perform display in two modes of matrix display and blinking display, the display contents are set for each of the display units 31 and 32 performing these displays as follows. To be done.

That is, first, the items displayed on the display unit 3 are, for example, hot water supply temperature and current time.
When the remote control device 1 is in a normal operation mode, it is desired to always display, for example, the remote control device 1
There are some which are sufficient to be displayed only at the time of the setting operation such as a guide screen for the setting operation of. Also, on the other hand,
As mentioned above, the items requiring setting operations on the remote control device tend to increase in recent years, but even in such cases, it is empirically recognized that there is a difference in the operation frequency depending on the type of setting contents. is there.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, in view of the above situation, first, when the remote control device 1 is in the normal operation mode, the above-mentioned constant display is desired on the dot matrix display section 31. Items (eg Figure 1 (a)
In the kitchen remote controller 1a, the hot water supply temperature and the current time are shown in FIG.
(b) The bath remote control 1b displays the current time, bath temperature, bath hot water amount, and hot water supply temperature), while the above setting items are divided into two ranks, a higher rank and a lower rank, depending on the operation frequency. Categorize and classify the operation items of the higher rank among these indicators 3 of the lighting indicator 32.
3 is displayed in a listable state by being assigned to each of the 3 (see FIG. 3), and the operation items of lower ranks that are infrequently operated are displayed as a list (see FIG. 2) on the dot matrix display unit 31. It is set.

In this case, when the operable items of the higher rank and the operable items of the lower rank are simultaneously displayed on the display unit 3 as a list, an operation for selecting an item whose setting is desired to be changed from each list is performed. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the operable items of the higher rank are set and operated under the normal operation mode and are displayed under the normal mode. A configuration is adopted in which the setting operation is performed by shifting to a setting mode different from the operation mode, that is, the operable items of lower ranks are displayed only in the setting mode.

Specifically, in this embodiment, when the setting operation is performed from the operable items of the above-mentioned higher ranks, the operation on / off switch 21 of the remote control device 1 is in the ON state (that is, , In the normal operation mode), while changing the setting from the lower rank operable items, the setting when the operation on / off switch 21 of the remote control device 1 is in the off state The switch 25 is set to request an operation (an operation to shift the operation mode to the setting mode).

Therefore, a specific embodiment of such an operation will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 2 concretely shows the selection operation procedure of the operable items classified into the lower ranks and the display contents of the dot matrix display portion 31 at that time, and the setting operation of the operable items of the lower ranks. First, the user who wants to
After confirming that the off switch 21 is in the off state (see FIG. 2) (if it is in the on state, the switch 21 is pressed again to turn it off), and in that state, the setting switch 25 is depressed once.

As a result, the operation mode of the remote controller 1 is changed from the normal operation mode to the setting mode, and along with this, the dot matrix display section 31 displays a list of operable items under the current operation mode. (Fig. 2
reference). At that time, of the operable items currently displayed in this list, the operable item currently selected is
It is displayed in a state in which it can be distinguished from other operable items not selected. Specifically, the portion displaying the currently selected operable item is highlighted (see “Heat retention time” in FIG. 2) or indicates that the selected operable item is currently selected. A method such as adding another display is adopted.

Therefore, the user operates the up switch 22 and the down switch 23 to select the item he / she wants to set in accordance with the list display on the dot matrix display section 31 (see FIGS. 2A to 2C), and selects this item. Is completed, the setting switch 25
By pressing down once, the screen changes to a specific setting screen (see FIG. 2) for the selected item. In addition,
In this case, although not shown, the selection operation based on the list display may be performed by, for example, providing the remote control device 1 with an additional 8-direction switch, a pointing device, or the like.

When a specific setting screen is displayed, a predetermined operation of the operation switch 2 is performed according to the instruction of the setting screen, and the setting operation is finished. Here,
When the volume setting (displayed as "volume" on the screen shown in the figure) of the voice output function of the remote controller 1 is selected in the list display, the up switch 22 is operated according to the instruction on the screen (volume change screen) in FIG. Also, the down switch 23 is operated to set the volume appropriately.

On the other hand, FIG. 3 shows a selection operation procedure of the operable items classified into the above-mentioned higher ranks and the display state of the lighting display section 32 at that time. The lighting display unit 32 shown in FIG. 3 illustrates the display unit 3 of the bath remote controller 1b.

In this case, the user first confirms that the driving on / off switch 21 is in the ON state (that is, in the normal operation mode). In this state, the lighting display section 32 displays a list of items that can be currently operated, as shown in the left diagram of FIG. Specifically, all of the indicator lights 33, 33, ... Assigned to each operable item are turned on. In the illustrated example, the above-mentioned indicator lamp 3 is provided so that the currently selected item can be distinguished from other items.
Another indicator lamp 34 provided on the left side of 3 is turned on (FIG. 3 shows a state in which "hot water supply temperature" is selected).

Therefore, in the case of selecting the operable item of the higher rank, the user selects the item for which he / she performs the setting operation with reference to the display of the indicator lamps 33 and 34. Specifically, in the example shown in FIG. 3, the operation of selecting the operable items is set to be performed by the setting switch 25, and by continuously pressing the setting switch 25, the lighting display section is displayed. The display of 32 is shown in FIG.
It is configured to sequentially switch to. In this case, for example, when changing the setting of the hot water supply temperature, the setting of the hot water supply temperature is changed by operating the up switch 22 and the down switch 23 while the screen of FIG. 3 is displayed ( Another screen Figure 3
Is the same in ~).

As described above, the remote controller 1 of this embodiment
In, the items that can be set are classified into upper rank and lower rank in advance based on the empirically obtained operation frequency, etc., and a display section dedicated to only the upper ranked operation items is displayed. Since the (lighting display unit 32) is provided and the operation items of the lower ranks are configured to be displayed on the dot matrix display unit 31, the operation items are added as the remote control device 1 becomes multifunctional. Even in such a case, such additional items can be displayed on the dot matrix display unit 31 as lower rank operation items. Therefore, it is possible to easily deal with additional matters only by changing the setting of the dot matrix display section 31 without newly providing a dedicated display section.

Moreover, when the operation mode is changed from the normal operation mode to the setting mode by the predetermined operation of the setting switch 25 and the operation on / off switch 21, the lower rank is displayed on the dot matrix display section 31 accordingly. Since the operable items are displayed in a selectable state in a readable state by characters, the user can intuitively recognize the items that can be operated in the setting mode, and a remote control device with excellent operability can be provided. There is an advantage.

In the present embodiment, in any of the list displays displayed on the dot matrix display section 31 and the lighting display section 32, the items initially selected are the cases shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. Also, the operation item displayed at the head of the plurality of operable items (in the example of FIG. 2, the “heat retention time” shown in the upper left of the list display, and in the example of FIG. Hot water supply temperature "),
Also, in the subsequent selection operation, the selection is made sequentially according to the order of the list display. However, as will be described later, in this point, the operation situation of the selection operation is learned and the list display is initially set. It is preferable to change the selected items and the selection order thereafter.

That is, the list display shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is set in advance in such a manner that the items with the highest operation frequency are empirically displayed in order in each case. The list display may be difficult for some users to use because it slightly varies depending on the user who performs the list. Therefore, the storage area of the microcomputer in the remote control device 1 is provided with an area for storing the operation status of the past selection operation, and the selection branch of the list is prioritized based on the operation status stored in the storage area. It is configured such that the selection branch is selected based on the priority order when the attaching and selecting operations are performed.

Here, regarding the details of the learning function,
Figure 3 shows the case of setting change operation under normal operation mode.
The description will be made with reference to FIG.

First, when the remote control device 1 is initially installed, the above selection is made by continuously operating the setting switch 25 as shown in the left diagram of FIG.
It is configured to change in the order of "slim", "bath temperature", and "bath amount" (initial setting of bath remote control).

Therefore, in this state, for example, in order for the user to change the setting of the "bath temperature", it is originally necessary to continuously press the setting switch 25 twice, but in this embodiment, the memory of the microcomputer is stored. For example, the operation statuses of the past N times of such selection operations (N is appropriately set, but past 6 times in the example of FIG. 4) are stored, and the selection order of the selection branches is arranged according to this operation status. Make a change.

That is, in the case where the past selection operation is as shown in FIG. 4, the previous operation is “Fro temperature”, the last operation is “Fro temperature”, and the previous operation is “Plenty / Warm”, “Floor”. Since "temperature", "plenty / warm", and "bath temperature" are used, the operation frequency in this case is 4 times of "bath temperature", 2 times of "bath / slim", and 0 of "bath water".
The order is times. Therefore, in the above microcomputer, based on this result, the selection order of the selection branches associated with the continuous pressing of the setting switch 25 is changed from the order shown in the left diagram of FIG. 3 to the right diagram of FIG.
Ask them to rearrange in the order of ′.

Therefore, since the user continuously presses the setting switch 25, the items to be selected are changed in the order of “hot water supply temperature”, “bath temperature”, “plenty / warm”, and “bath temperature”. , When the "bath temperature" is selected, the setting switch 25 is pressed once to change the "bath temperature" setting.

As described above, by adding the learning function to the selection operation, the user can quickly select frequently used operation items with a few switch operations, and the convenient remote control device according to his or her preference. Can be

In this case, as the algorithm of the learning function, another algorithm such as giving the highest priority of the previous operation item or raising the priority when the operation is performed twice in succession. It is also possible to use Further, in the above-mentioned example, the operable items are sequentially selected according to the priority order, but in this case, each time the setting switch 25 is pressed, the selected item may fly up and down and become difficult to see. Therefore, for example, a method of changing the selection order performed in the left diagram of FIG. 3 to the reverse order can be adopted. Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the learning function is used for the display on the lighting display unit 32 is shown, but this can be applied to the list display on the dot matrix display unit 31 as a matter of course. .

Next, in the remote controller 1 according to the present invention, an example of items that can be set and operated in the above-described setting mode will be described.

(1) Message display function: In the remote control device 1 of the present embodiment, part of the display unit 3 is composed of a dot matrix capable of freely displaying characters, symbols, etc. A function for displaying a predetermined message by using it is added.

Specifically, this message display function is
Depending on the content of the displayed message, it is roughly divided into a destination display function, a failure recovery procedure display function, and a contact display function, which will be described below. It is displayed as a selection branch of operable items.

More specifically, the destination display function is performed by a preset predetermined message (specifically, FIG.
Message etc.) in the dot matrix display section 3
It is a function displayed in 1. To realize this function,
The remote control device 1 is provided with storage means (not shown) for storing the above-mentioned predetermined message.

Then, the user who uses the destination display function first confirms that the operation on / off switch 21 is in the off state, and operates the setting switch 25 in this state, thereby the remote controller 1 Change the operation mode of to the setting mode.

Then, in this state, a selection branch showing the destination display function is selected from the list display displayed on the dot matrix display section 31 (determined by the setting switch 25).
By doing so, the initial screen (see FIG. 5) showing the destination display function is displayed on the dot matrix display unit 31. After that, the user operates the up switch 22 or the down switch 23 to select the message he / she wants to leave from the messages stored in advance, so that the selected message is continuously displayed on the dot matrix display unit 31. Is displayed in.

Note that the displayed message can be released by requesting a specific switch operation such as the operation on / off switch 21 or by operating any switch other than the up switch 22 and the down switch 23. It can be arbitrarily set such as to be released. The message displayed by the selection operation is preferably stored in the ROM incorporated in the remote control device 1, but the content of the message can be rewritten as appropriate (that is, the message display function can be used to display a message board or a memo). For example, the remote control device 1 may be provided with a simple word processor function, and a message created by the simple word processor may be stored in the RAM).

Next, the failure recovery procedure display function is the same procedure as the destination display function described above, and the ROM of the remote control device 1 is operated.
The function is to display the failure recovery procedure stored in a message as a message. When the operation on / off switch 21 is in the off state, the setting switch 25 is operated to shift to the setting mode.
In this state, the selection branch showing the failure recovery procedure display is selected from the above list display and the dot matrix display section 31 is displayed with the selection branch shown in FIG.
Display the initial screen of the failure recovery procedure display function shown in.

After that, by operating the up switch 22 or the down switch 23, the failure recovery procedure (error code and message indicating the recovery procedure in the illustrated example) is sequentially displayed (see FIG. 6-). This allows the user to easily refer to the failure recovery procedure regardless of whether or not a failure has occurred. Further, in this case, instead of the failure recovery procedure, for example, a simple handling instruction can be displayed as a message.

The message indicating the failure recovery procedure is preferably further associated with the failure display function of remote controller 1. That is, although the remote control device 1 is conventionally provided with a configuration that displays an error code indicating a failure state when a failure occurs, in the present embodiment, the display of such an error code is a condition (see FIG. 6).
By operating a predetermined operation switch 2 (for example, the up switch 22) in this state, a failure recovery procedure corresponding to the displayed error code is displayed as a message or voice guide notification is also included (see FIG. 6). Preferably,

As a result, when the remote controller 1 or the like malfunctions and the error code is displayed on the display unit 3, the user can immediately refer to the failure recovery procedure corresponding to the error code from this state. , It becomes possible to perform the failure recovery operation.

Next, the contact display function will be described with reference to FIG. In the remote control device 1 of the present embodiment, for example, when the water heater or the remote control device 1 fails, the user can perform a simple failure recovery operation by using the above failure recovery procedure display function. When it is impossible, the display as shown in FIG. 6 is performed. In such a case, the user needs to contact a service provider such as a water heater installer or a water heater manufacturer, but the contact information of the service provider may not be easily known. is there.

Therefore, in the remote control device 1 of this embodiment, the contact information of the repair company is displayed by the dot matrix display section 3 using the message display function (contact display function).
1 is configured to be displayed.

Specifically, the user who uses this function operates the setting switch 25 to shift to the setting mode when the operation on / off switch 21 is in the off state, as in the destination display function described above. In this state, the selection branch showing the contact display function is selected from the list display to display the initial screen of the contact display function shown in FIG. 7 on the dot matrix display section 31.

On this initial screen, it is possible to select the contact information of the repair company and the display of the contact information. By operating the up switch 22 or the down switch 23 according to this selection branch, the contact information is registered. It is possible to display.

More specifically, when registering a contact, the up switch 22 is operated to perform "contact registration".
Is selected to call the screen shown in FIG. In this screen, each time the setting switch 25 is pressed, the form of the character to be input can be selected in the order of "English (word)""Kana""Number(character)", and any one of these can be selected. By operating the up switch 22 in the selected state, for example, if English is selected, every time the up switch 22 is pressed, "A" to "Z" are sequentially displayed. When confirming the character to be input, the down switch 23 is operated at the selected character, and thereafter, these are repeated to input the contact name, telephone number, and the like.

On the other hand, when selecting the display of the contact information, the down switch 23 is operated while the screen of FIG.
The screen (the screen displaying the contact information input in the procedure described above) is called.

Therefore, when the operator of the water heater performs the operation of registering the contact information when the remote controller 1 is installed, the user can easily display and confirm the contact when the remote controller 1 or the like fails, and the failure occurs. You will be able to request repairs promptly.

(2) Time signal function: Further, the remote control device 1 of the present embodiment is provided with a clock means (not shown) inside so that the time display and hot water supply reservation can be performed like the conventional remote control device. Moreover, as described above, since the notification means such as the voice message and the alarm sound is provided, in the present embodiment, the time signal function using the clock means and the notification means such as the voice message is added. The setting of the function is displayed as a selection branch of the list display under the setting mode.

That is, in the conventional remote control device, the clock means and the notification means such as the voice message are set as mutually independent functions (clock display function, operation content notification function, etc.). The reality was that they were not used in association with each other. Therefore, in the present embodiment, these clock means and notification means are operated in association with each other as a time signal function to effectively use these functions.

The specific setting method of this time signal function is shown in FIG.
As shown in the flowchart of, similar to the first said message display function, luck transference / OFF switch 21 is turned off der
Under this condition, the remote controller 1 is moved to the setting mode by operating the setting switch 25 (step S1 in FIG. 8).

When the remote control device 1 shifts to the setting mode, the dot matrix display section 31 displays a list of selection items of items selectable in the setting mode. At that time, the time signal function is selected (up switch). 22 or the like and operate the setting switch 25 to confirm). As a result, an initial screen for setting the time signal function is displayed on the dot matrix display section 31 (not shown), and it is selected whether or not the setting of the time signal function is enabled on this screen (FIG. 8).
Step S2).

When the setting of the time signal function is selected on the initial screen, a screen for selecting the time at which the time signal is to be sent, the alarm sound, etc. is called up there (FIG. 8).
Step S3). Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 9 (a), several kinds of notification sounds are prepared in advance, and a desired notification sound is selected from among them (in the illustrated example, the voice mode "1" is selected. Then, the notification sound of 2 KHz sounds for the number of times of the current time), and the time of sounding the time signal is set. Regarding the screen for setting the time, since the display unit 3 is formed of a dot matrix in the present embodiment, the time can be set easily by using a figure as shown in FIG. 9B, for example. (In the illustrated example, the case where the hourly signal is set at 12:00 am is shown). At that time, the volume of the notification sound can be set at the same time.

When the time signal function is set in this way, as shown in FIG. 10, inside the remote controller 1, it is judged whether or not the time set by the microcomputer has arrived (see FIG. 10 step S1), when the set time comes, a notification sound selected in advance is output from the notification means (step S2 in FIG. 10).

On the other hand, when the selection of not validating the setting of the time signal function is selected in step S2 of FIG. 8, the setting of the time signal function is canceled and the time signal thereafter is stopped in step S4 of the following FIG.

As described above, by providing the remote control device 1 with the time signal function, it is possible to effectively use the voice output function of the clock function, which has not been effectively used as separate functions until now. Becomes Note that the time signal function can be configured such that the error correction of the internal clock means is automatically performed by connecting the remote control device 1 to a telephone line, for example.

(3) Information management function: Further, since the remote control device 1 of the present embodiment has the dot matrix display section 31 capable of freely displaying characters, figures, etc., on the display section 3,
The display function here and the information management function using the data processing function in the microcomputer inside the remote controller 1 are added, and the setting of this information management function is displayed as a selection branch in the list display under the above setting mode. It

Specifically, this information management function stores software for constructing a database for managing predetermined information in the storage area of the microcomputer, and the microcomputer and the dot are used as hardware for activating the software. The matrix display unit 31 is used. It should be noted that at least software for a simple word processor is attached to the above-mentioned database construction software so that information management in Japanese is possible.

This information management function, similarly to the message display function and the time signal function, selects a selection branch indicating the setting of the information management function from the list display displayed on the dot matrix display section 31 in the setting mode. It is started by selecting, and thereafter, input / output of information is performed by operating the operation switch 2 in accordance with the procedure shown in the database building software (the dot matrix display section 31 is mainly used as an information output destination). Done.

As a result, the remote controller 1 can be used to manage various types of information such as menus and schedules, and the user can easily obtain these various types of information without leaving the place where the remote controller 1 is installed. Like
It should be noted that this function can be extremely convenient depending on the content of the information to be managed in the present day when the remote control device 1 is often installed outside the bathroom like the kitchen remote controller 1a.

Embodiment 2 The second embodiment of the present invention relates to a display control method of the dot matrix display section 31 in the remote controller shown in the first embodiment, and mainly the display section of the remote controller 1. 31 relates to a display control method used at the time of inspection. The second embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 11 to 13.

That is, the display contents of the dot matrix display section 31 of the remote controller 1 of the present invention are stored in advance in the video RAM 51, the character RAM 52 and the font ROM 53a in a normal state (when various operations of the remote controller 1 are performed). It is controlled based on the data. Therefore, the screen display at that time is the video RAM 5
1. Character RAM 52 and font ROM 53a
It is limited to what can be represented within the range of data stored in.

Therefore, in the first embodiment, a display different from a normal display (for example, an inspection pattern or the like) is displayed when the remote control device 1 (specifically, the dot matrix display unit 31) is inspected. Because I can't
The second embodiment provides a display control method capable of performing a display different from the normal display.

That is, in the second embodiment, as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, an external device (for example, a personal computer) 6 is connected to the remote controller 1, and the video RAM 51 is opened to the outside from the external device 6 to the remote controller 1, and a dot matrix is provided. A signal for dividing the display unit 31 into display blocks for each predetermined unit is transmitted.

As a result, in the remote control device 1, the image processing data stored in the video RAM 51 is released from the display control of the dot matrix display section 31, and the screen of the dot matrix display section 31 is changed by the predetermined unit. Display block (block B shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 13A). In the example shown in FIG.
The dot matrix display unit 31 has vertical 32 dots and horizontal 78
Since it is composed of dots, a block of vertical 8 dots and horizontal 8 dots is preferably used as one unit of the display block (in this case, the blocks at the left and right ends are vertical 8 dots and horizontal 7 dots, respectively). ).

Next, a part of the character code stored in the character RAM 52 is assigned to each of the divided display blocks, and a predetermined character is displayed in each of the display blocks. Specifically, in the case of FIG. 13A, the codes corresponding to “0” to “39” of the ASCII codes stored in the character RAM 52 are assigned to the display blocks, The dot matrix display section 3
In 1 is displayed 40 characters corresponding to this, from "0" to "39".

Therefore, in this case, the unit of the display block is set to be small and the character to be displayed in the display block is set arbitrarily (see, for example, FIG. 13 (b)).
Since a predetermined character can be displayed in each block in a state where the screen of the dot matrix display section 31 is finely divided, it is possible to easily and easily inspect the display state over the entire screen. .

As a modification of this case, for example, a new character code may be written from the external device 6 to the character RAM 52. That is, in this case, the newly written character code can be displayed on each display block of the dot matrix display unit 31.

Furthermore, in this state, the font RA
While writing arbitrary font data to M53b, a part of the character code stored in the character RAM 52 is assigned to the newly written font data, and the assigned character code is displayed in each of the above-mentioned display. By displaying in a block, the above display can be performed in an arbitrary font.

Further, for example, the character RAM 5 mentioned above.
The new character code is written in the empty code portion of the ASCII code stored in No. 2, and a new font (for example, an arbitrary pattern of 8 dots × 8 dots) is written in the font RAM 53b as a font corresponding to this character code. By writing, it becomes possible to display a character having an arbitrary pattern on the dot matrix display section 31.

Furthermore, in this case, the video RAM 51
However, if the image processing data can be directly written from the external device 6, the external device 6 can be used to directly write the data to the video RAM 51. In that case, the newly written data is written. It is also possible to display an arbitrary graphic pattern based on the image processing data.

As described above, according to the display control method of the dot matrix display section 31 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, not only the inspection of the dot matrix display section 31 can be performed easily and finely, but also If, for example, a device capable of receiving teletext is used as the external device 6, the teletext is displayed on the dot matrix display unit 31.
It is also possible to display on.

The above-described embodiment shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to this, and various design changes can be made within the range.

For example, in the above embodiment, the remote control device according to the present invention is used as a remote control device for a water heater, but the present invention is also applicable to remote control devices for devices other than a water heater.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case of using 32 dots × 78 dots as the dot matrix display unit 31 is shown, but the number of dot matrices forming the display unit 31 is not limited to this. It can be changed as appropriate. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the dot matrix display unit 31 is divided into display blocks of a predetermined unit is shown, but the unit setting of the display blocks divided at that time can be changed appropriately.

Of course, the selection branch of the list display displayed on the dot matrix display section 31 and the lighting display section 32 can be appropriately changed according to the function of the remote controller 1.

[0126]

As described in detail above, according to the remote control device of the present invention, the items that can be operated by the remote control device.
However, with a higher rank that can be operated under normal operation mode, etc.
It is classified into the lower rank that can be operated under the operation mode of
Operable items of higher ranks operate normally depending on the rank
In the mode, it will be displayed as a list by the lit display.
In addition, the operable items of lower rank are
Since a list is displayed in the dot matrix display area with,
For example, the items with high operation frequency are ranked in the top rank.
Display on the above-mentioned lighting display section and
Positioning low matters as lower ranks, the above dot matrix
Can be displayed on the monitor display section. Therefore, multiple
Can be operated with a remote control device that includes
It is possible to provide a remote control device capable of easily grasping matters.

Moreover, by using the dot matrix composed of self-luminous elements in the display section, the above list display can be displayed brightly and freely with characters or figures, so that the operation items can be intuitively recognized. On the other hand, it is possible to easily add operation items simply by changing the setting of the matrix display, so operability is high,
Moreover, it is possible to provide a remote control device that can sufficiently cope with future multifunctionalization. Moreover, since it is possible to easily cope with such multi-functionalization, it becomes possible to provide a remote control device having various functions which have not been provided conventionally.

Further, the remote control device prioritizes the selection order of the list display (selection branch) according to the past operation status, so that the frequently used setting items can be quickly selected.

[0129]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view showing an example in which a remote control device according to the present invention is applied to a remote control device for a water heater.
(a) is a remote control device installed in the kitchen, and Fig. 1 (b)
Shows a remote control device installed in the bathroom.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a list display of operable items in the remote control device, and is a diagram showing a display mode on a dot matrix display unit.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a learning function of the remote control device, and is a diagram illustrating a display mode on a display lighting unit.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a storage unit for realizing a learning function in the remote control device.

FIG. 5 is a screen configuration diagram illustrating an operation procedure of a message display function (destination display function) of the remote control device.

FIG. 6 is a screen configuration diagram illustrating an operation procedure of a message display function (fault recovery procedure display function) of the remote control device.

FIG. 7 is a screen configuration diagram illustrating an operation procedure of a message display function (contact display function) of the remote control device.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for setting a time signal function of the remote control device.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the setting contents of the time signal function of the remote control device, FIG. 9 (a) shows an example of settable notification sounds, and FIG. 9 (b) is for setting the time. An example of the screen configuration of is shown.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a time signal function of the remote control device.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a display control method of the dot matrix display unit according to the present invention, and is a diagram illustrating a storage area of various data that activates the dot matrix display.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a connection state of an external device in the display control method of the dot matrix display unit.

13 is a screen configuration diagram for explaining a display mode of the dot matrix display unit by the display control method of the dot matrix display unit, FIG. 13 (a) shows a case where a predetermined character code is shown, and FIG. b) shows the case where an arbitrary code is displayed.

FIG. 14 is a front view showing an external configuration of a conventional remote controller for a water heater.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 remote control device 1a kitchen remote control (remote control device) 1b bathroom remote control (remote control device) 2, 21-28 operation switch 3 display section 31 dot matrix display section 32 lighting display section 51 video RAM (image processing data storage section) 52 character RAM (Character code storage unit) 53a Font ROM (Font data storage unit) 53b Font RAM (Font data storage unit)

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Takehiro Kurihara 93 Edo-machi, Chuo-ku, Kobe-shi, Hyogo In Noritsu Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Kenji Morikawa 93 Edo-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe-shi, Hyogo In Noritsu, Inc. ( 72) Inventor Tomohiko Shirotani, 93, Edo-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe-shi, Hyogo Prefecture (56) References JP-A-9-319492 (JP, A) JP-A-5-76087 (JP, A) JP-A-5 9-233161 (JP, A) JP-A-6-350688 (JP, A) JP-A-7-240974 (JP, A) JP-A-10-134003 (JP, A) JP-A-2-109499 (JP, A) JP 63-30894 (JP, A) JP 4-248592 (JP, A) JP 10-141763 (JP, A) JP 7-280341 (JP, A) JP 9 -14749 (JP, A) JP-A-4-169717 ( P, A) JP flat 5-18602 (JP, A) JitsuHiraku flat 5-55189 (JP, U) JitsuHiraku flat 7-6636 (JP, U) (58 ) investigated the field (Int.Cl. ^7, DB name) G06F 3/02-3/027 H04Q 9/00 G06F 3/14 F23N 5/26 F24H 1/00

Claims (9)

(57) [Claims] 1. A remote control device comprising: an operation switch for remotely controlling a controlled device; and a display unit for displaying various information such as an operating state of the controlled device and an operation status of the operation switch. A predetermined operation switch of the switches is used as a mode changeover switch for switching the operation mode of the remote control device between a normal operation mode and another operation mode, and the display section is composed of a dot matrix including self-luminous elements. The remote controller is provided with a dot-matrix display section that can arbitrarily set display contents and a lighting display section that is composed of a plurality of indicator lights that fixedly display specific items. Operable items of higher rank that can be operated under the normal operation mode and lower run items that can be operated under the other operation mode. The operable lights are categorized into the operable items, and the operable lights are assigned to the operable lights belonging to the higher rank, and the operable lights are displayed in a list by the individual lights, A remote control device, wherein each operable item belonging to a rank is displayed in a list on the dot matrix display section when another operation mode is selected by the mode switch. 2. The operable item of the upper rank and the operable item of the lower rank are classified according to the operation frequency of these operable items. The remote control device described in. 3. The list display displayed on the display unit displays a currently selected item among items operable under the mode in a state in which it can be discriminated from other unselected items. The remote control device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: 4. The remote control device comprises means for storing past operation statuses of the operation switches, prioritizing the selection branches of the list display based on the stored past operation statuses, and selecting from the list display. 4. The remote control device according to claim 3, wherein the selection branch is selected based on the priority when the selection operation is performed. 5. A remote control device in which a message display function of displaying a predetermined message on the dot matrix display unit is set among the operable items selected under the other operation mode, The device is provided with means for pre-storing a plurality of messages that can be displayed on the dot matrix display section, and the message display function is called by a predetermined operation of the operation switch, and among the stored plurality of messages. 2. The remote control device according to claim 1, wherein a desired message is selected from, and the selected message is displayed on the dot matrix display unit. 6. The remote control device according to claim 5, wherein, when a predetermined condition is given to the remote control device, the message related to the condition is displayed on the dot matrix display section. 7. A remote control device in which a message display function of displaying a predetermined message on the dot matrix display unit is set among the operable items selected under the other operation mode, The device is provided with means for rewritably storing a message that can be displayed on the dot matrix display section, and by a predetermined operation of the operation switch, the message display function can be called and the stored message can be rewritten. The remote controller according to claim 1, wherein the rewritten message is displayed on the dot matrix display unit. 8. A remote control device in which a time signal function for notifying arrival of a preset predetermined time is set in the operable items selected under the other operation mode, A clock means for detecting the current time, and a notifying means for notifying the arrival of the predetermined time in a audible state based on the detection result of the clock means, and by the predetermined operation of the operation switch, the notification means The remote control device according to claim 1, wherein the time of notification is set. 9. A remote control device having an information management function for displaying information managed by the remote control device on the dot matrix display unit among the operable items selected under the other operation mode. The remote control device includes an information management unit configured by software for constructing a database for managing predetermined information and hardware for activating the software, and the information management unit is operated by a predetermined operation of the operation switch. 2. The remote control device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined information managed by is properly selected and displayed on the dot matrix display unit.