EP1772004A2

EP1772004A2 - System for telecontrol of electronic controllers for devices controlled by such electronic controllers

Info

Publication number: EP1772004A2
Application number: EP05761122A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Salvatore Merlo
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-07-29
Filing date: 2005-07-20
Publication date: 2007-04-11
Also published as: ITMI20041555A1; WO2006010553A2; WO2006010553A3; WO2006010553A8

Abstract

A telecontrol system for electronic controllers, for devices controlled by the controllers, comprising at least one microphone/speaker unit (1) adapted to receive acoustic signals emitted by a telephone unit (5) of the customer that uses the electronic controller (4), the microphone/speaker unit (1) being connected to at least one microcontroller (3) of the controller, for communication with the microcontroller, the telephone unit (5) of the customer being connected, when necessary, to a telephone unit of a technical support station (6), which is controlled by a computer (7), in order to send the acoustic signals to the customer telephone unit (5), the customer telephone unit being arrangeable closer to the microphone/speaker unit (1) for the transmission of the acoustic signals.

Description

SYSTEM FOR TELECONTROL OF ELECTRONIC CONTROLLERS FOR DEVICES CONTROLLED BY SUCH ELECTRONIC CONTROLLERS Technical Field

The present invention relates to a system for telecontrol of electronic controllers used in devices controlled by such electronic controllers. More particularly, the invention relates to a system for telecontrol, remote calibration and remote management of electronic controllers that allows to control remotely such electronic controllers without the need to resort to a dedicated telephone line. Background Art

As is known, many devices are currently monitored and controlled remotely by electronic controllers, which are designed to supervise all the functions of the device and to ensure its operation in any operating condition.

In case of a malfunction of the device, in which the malfunction is related to the electronic controller or arises from the need to calibrate it, the customer usually is absolutely unable to act on such controller and therefore is forced to resort to the technical support of a specialized technician, who may sometimes be hundreds of kilometers away.

In this situation, the operator of the technical support center is therefore forced to move from the site of the support center in order to reach the site of the customer who is experiencing a problem with his controller.

This trip entails a considerable expenditure of time, which is detrimental to the swiftness of the intervention, which is one of the most important factors in ensuring good technical support and also increases considerably the cost of the intervention.

However, since the operator of the support service usually cannot charge the costs entailed by the distance between him and the customer, these costs normally must be borne by the operator of the maintenance service, with evident problems.

Currently existing systems for telecontrol of electronic controllers usually use a dedicated telephone line, which is installed in order to allow control of the device. However, this solution entails the need to have a telephone line that is conceived exclusively to control the device and also requires the use of additional devices, for example a modem, which increase its cost. If a cellular telephone is used, the situation does not change, since the customer has to activate a cellular telephone line exclusively for the device and purchase a cellular telephone, which must be installed on board the device, and is therefore required to perform all the operations for maintenance of said telephone line, i.e., to top-up the cellular telephone card, recharge the batteries of the telephone, and so forth.

As can be noted, even this solution, which uses a cellular telephone, is not ideal as regards the simplicity and low cost of use on the part of the customer. Disclosure of the Invention

The aim of the present invention is to provide a system for telecontrol of electronic controllers for devices that mount said electronic controllers on board, which allows to control said electronic controllers remotely, without the need for a dedicated telephone line.

Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a system for telecontrol of electronic controllers that allows the operator of the support service to query remotely the electronic controller without having to go on site to perform maintenance interventions.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a system for telecontrol of electronic controllers that allows to perform both extraordinary maintenance and preset periodic maintenance on the electronic controller directly installed at the customer's site. Another object of the present invention is to provide a system for telecontrol of electronic controllers that is highly reliable, relatively simple to manufacture, and at competitive costs.

This aim and these and other objects which will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a system for telecontrol, remote calibration and remote management for electronic controllers, for devices controlled by said controllers, which comprises at least one microphone/speaker unit adapted to receive acoustic signals emitted by a telephone set of the customer that uses said electronic controller, said microphone/speaker unit being connected to at least one microcontroller of said controller, for communication with said microcontroller, said telephone set of said customer being connected, when necessary, to a telephone unit of a technical support station, which is controlled by a computer, in order to send said acoustic signals to said customer telephone unit, said customer telephone unit being arrangeable closer to said microphone/speaker unit for the transmission of said acoustic signals. Brief description of the Drawing

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the system according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawing, wherein the only figure is a block diagram of the telecontrol system according to the present invention. Ways of carrying out the Invention

With reference to the figure, the telecontrol system according to the present invention comprises at least one microphone/speaker unit 1 (or other device adapted to receive and emit acoustic signals, for example a piezoelectric buzzer), which is adapted to receive and emit acoustic signals and is connected, by way of amplifier means 2, to a microcontroller, microprocessor or the like 3 in an electronic controller 4. The microphone/speaker unit 1 is adapted to receive acoustic signals from emitter means 5, which are conveniently constituted by a land-line or cellular telephone available to the customer.

The telephone 5 is a normal telephone, which is not expressly dedicated to the electronic controller 4 but uses the normal telephone line of the customer that uses the controller 4 for a device.

The telephone 5 is connected, when a malfunction of the electronic controller 4 occurs, to a technical support station 6, which is provided and controlled conveniently with at least one computer 7 and a telephone line 8, which is adapted to send, over the fixed or cellular telephone network, signal tones to the telephone 5 of the customer, who merely has to place the telephone 5 closer to the microphone/speaker unit 1 , in order to make said unit pick up the acoustic signals emitted, according to an appropriate transmission protocol, by the telephone 8 of the technical support station 6.

The microphone/speaker unit that receives said acoustic signals then sends them, by way of amplifier means 2, to the microcontroller 3 of the controller 4. The acoustic signals constitute data for querying the electronic controller 4, and, after the query, data for adjusting said controller so as to restore preset operating parameters thereof.

The adjustment of the management of the electronic controller 4 for periodic support or extraordinary support operations may therefore be performed by means of a simple telephone line, which the customer normally has available, without dedicating said line to the electronic controller 4, and the customer has the only task, when the call is connected, of placing the fixed or cellular telephone closer to the microphone/speaker unit 1 so that the computer 7 of the technical support station 6 can communicate, over the telephone line, with the microcontroller 3 of the controller 4.

This avoids the need for the technical support service operator to move from his workplace to the site where the electronic controller 4 is located, i.e., at the customer's premises. In practice it has been found that the telecontrol system according to the invention fully achieves the intended aim and objects, since it allows to control remotely, by means of an ordinary telephone line, an electronic controller at the premises of a customer, without having to perform intervention directly on site, ensuring swift and efficient intervention.

The system thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims.

All the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent elements. The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. M2004A001555 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.

Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

1. A system for telecontrol, remote calibration and remote management for electronic controllers, for devices controlled by said controllers, comprising at least one microphone/speaker unit adapted to receive acoustic signals emitted by a telephone set of the customer that uses said electronic controller, said microphone/speaker unit being connected to at least one microcontroller of said controller, for communication with said microcontroller, said telephone set of said customer being connected, when necessary, to a telephone unit of a technical support station, which is controlled by a computer, in order to send said acoustic signals to said customer telephone unit, said customer telephone unit being arrangeable closer to said microphone/speaker unit for the transmission of said acoustic signals.

2. The telecontrol system according to claim 1, characterized in that said customer telephone unit is a land-line telephone.

3. The telecontrol system according to claim 1, characterized in that said customer telephone unit is a cellular telephone.

4. A method for telecontrol of an electronic controller for devices controlled by said electronic controller, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: connecting a technical support station, by means of an ordinary telephone line, to a telephone number of the customer that owns said electronic controller; moving, on the part of said customer, his telephone closer to at least one microphone/speaker unit connected to a microcontroller of said electronic controller, so that said microphone/speaker unit receives acoustic signals emitted by said telephone; sending, on the part of an operator of said technical support station, acoustic signals according to a specific protocol in order to communicate with said microcontroller and perform checks and adjustments of said microcontroller.