FR2680592A1 - REMOTE CONTROL SYSTEM. - Google Patents

Abstract

In a remote control system for controlling household appliances by means of an IC card and a public telephone, any loss or modification of the control information can be prevented and a high degree of security can be achieved even when using public telephone lines. The public telephone (1) transmits the control information via the public telephone line (11) to the home terminal device (12) after the control information has been encrypted by means of the integrated circuit card (10). The home terminal device (12) receives and decrypts the encrypted control information and controls the home appliances (19-22) based on the decrypted control information.

Description

The present invention relates to a remote control system

  for controlling household appliances, e.g. a bath heater and an audiovisual device, using

  a Lique pub telephone line and an integrated circuit card.

  Recently, a home automation system has been proposed for controlling household appliances by means of an external device. In this case, the control information which includes identification information making it possible to remotely control the household appliances is transmitted from the external L device to household appliances in order to

order Household appliances.

  For example, When using a Licensed telephone as an external terminating device, the Public Telephone Line is used to transmit control information from the external terminating device, and there is a possibility that the identification information contained in the order information is lost or changed, which lowers the security of the

remote control system.

  It is therefore an object of the invention to produce a remote control system which is able to prevent any loss and any modification of control information, for example identification information, so as to provide a high level of safety even when using a line

  telephone pub Lique to transmit Order information.

  Another object of the invention is to produce a remote control system which is able to offer a higher degree

of security.

  A remote control system according to a first aspect of the invention is a remote control system making it possible to remotely control a piece of equipment laced in a first position using an integrated circuit card having a processor. L pub Lic which can accept the integrated circuit card and which is laced in a second position, comprising an encryption means p Laced in the integrated circuit card to encrypt the control information to transmit from the device terminated L, a decryption means p Laced in the second position and used to decipher the control information encrypted by the encryption means and transmitted from the device terminated L, and a control means serving to control L equipment according to the Order information which has been

  deciphered by the deciphering means.

  A remote control system according to a second aspect of the invention is a remote control system te L as above defined, o The device terminated L pub Lic comprises a

  means of verifying whether the state of a p Lura team unity-

  elements may or may not be confirmed, a means serving to display a result of the verification status carried out in the verification means, and a means making it possible to select one of the items of equipment.

RESULT OF THE AUDIT STATUS.

  This is the first aspect of the invention, since all of the control information to be transmitted from the finished device L is coded and is used after being transmitted and decoded on the side of the equipment to be controlled remotely, i It is possible to prevent any loss or modification of

  Order information, which ensures the high degree of security.

  There is a second aspect of the invention, since the information

  Ordering information which is used to order The equipment has been previously stored in the portable storage medium and is read and transmitted from it at the time of use. The order information cannot be detected in The device finished The insta LLé, which ensures The highest

security.

  The following description, intended as i L Lustration of

  The invention aims to give a better understanding of its characteristics and advantages; e L Le is based on the accompanying drawings, by Lesque Ls: FIG. 1 is a functional diagram showing the structure g Loba Le of an embodiment of a remote control system according to the invention; Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the structure of an integrated circuit card of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of a control information format used to control a video device; FIGS. 4 A and 4 B represent a flow diagram which shows the operation of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

  Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the function-

  associated with the remote control of the video device; Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of a control information format used to control bath equipment;

  Figure 7 is a flowchart showing how the

  associated with remote control of bathing equipment; and Figure 8 is a block diagram showing La

structure of the bath heater.

  In Figure 1, we can see The structure of a system

  Remote control Lon is an embodiment of the invention.

  In FIG. 1, the reference number 1 designates a public telephone Lic used as a terminated device L with an integrated circuit card, which comprises a modem 2, a handset 3, a display unit 4 with liquid crystal display, a device 5 for processing coins, a c Lavier 6, a device 7 for reading / writing on a card, and a control unit 8 making it possible to control the units above presented The device 7 for reading / writing on a card performs the operations Reading or writing data relating to a prepaid telephone card 9 or

  an integrated circuit card 10 which has been inserted by Inter-

  middle of a card insertion slot (not shown).

  The Lic 1 pub telephone with the structure shown above is connected to a remote Remote 12 device which is installed in a house, via a public telephone line 11 The domestic L terminal device 12 includes a modem 13, a unit 14 display to crista L Liquid, a Lavier c, a Card read / write device 16, a control unit 16 used to control The above-presented units, a decoder D used to decode The reception signa L, and an encoder E used to code The signa L of emission The device 16 of Read / write on card has The same function as The device 7 of Read / write

on card.

  The finished domestic device 12 is connected to a domestic telephone set 18 and to other devices, for example a fax machine 19, a television receiver 20, a video device 21 and a unit 22 for controlling hot water supply. , for Le bain, which are intended to be controlled remotely. FIG. 2 shows the structure of the integrated circuit card 10 in detail. The integrated circuit card comprises a central processing unit (CPU) 31 serving to control the operation g Loba L, a contact part 32 serving to establish Read an electrical contact with the card read / write device, a read-only memory (ROM) 33 used to memorize a control program for the CPU 31, a coding program used for coding information, etc., a random access memory (RAM) 34 used to temporarily store Information, a non-volatile memory 35, for example Le an electrically erasable programmable read only memory Le (EEPROM), used to store various items of information, a Lavier 36 used to introduce various items of information, and a L 37 liquid crystal display unit for displaying input information, output information, etc. The non-volatile memory 35 includes a zone 38 intended to store identification information or numbers forming a password making it possible to identify particular persons, a zone 39 serving to store a List of numbers of private telephone sets that can be ordered remotely, a zone 40 used to store a coding code used for coding information, a zone 41 used to store a list of household appliances which can be controlled, a zone 42 used to store classification classification data control respectively associated with the appliances, a zone 43 serving to store control information elements serving to control the respective household appliances, and

  an area 44 used to store other information.

  FIG. 3 represents the format of control information used to control the video device 21, for example Le, the format consisting of data elements d 1 to d 5 respectively indicating the name of the subscriber, L ' information re Lative on cassette, Information re Lative on cana L,

  Start time information and End time information.

  The order information can be entered in advance using the Lavier 36 and the L Liquid 37 crista display unit and be recorded (stored) in Zone 43 of the memory

  remanent 35, relative to respective household appliances.

  In the case where an integrated circuit card is used which does not have a Lavier or a liquid crystal display unit, it is possible to introduce the ordering information and the Save to the integrated circuit card using the

  Lic 1 pub telephone or domestic L terminated device 12.

  We will then explain, in relation to the flowchart presented in Figures 4 A and 4 B, The operations carried out When using the structure indicated above First of all, The user reads whether a piece of coin must be inserted into a coin insertion slot (not shown), if a prepaid telephone card 9 is to be inserted into a card insertion slot (not shown), or else if a credit card integrated circuit 10 must be inserted into the card insertion slot, according to the instructions displayed on the display unit 9 of the Lic 1 pub telephone At this time, if a coin has been inserted, or else The card at prepayment 9, The process relating to an ordinary telephone conversation will take place. In the case where an integrated circuit card 10 has been inserted, the pub telephone Lic 1 checks whether or not the integrated circuit card 10 inserted is justified by calling L to a mutual validation instruction L Le A At this time, if The telephone ad Lic 1 fails to determine that The card is going Lab Le, i L displays an error message (eg "THE CARD CANNOT BE USED") on Display unit 4, returns The card with integrated circuit 10 inserted in the card insertion slot, then displays the initial image on the display unit 4 after having noted that the integrated circuit card 10 has been removed from the insertion slot

Map.

  On the contrary, if it is determined that the integrated circuit card is going to Lab Le, The pub telephone Lic 1 executes a Read instruction in order to Read the card processing information in the internal memory 35 of the integrated circuit card 10 Then, if The telephone telephone Lic 1 determines that The card is not justified (if for example The Processing information is not stored there) thanks to the data constituting The response to the Reading instruction, i L undertakes a card ejection operation At this moment, if it is determined that the information on the card is justified, the telephone telephone Lic 1 checks whether the card inserted is a card used as a prepayment card ( first case), a card used to order household appliances (second case), or a card which can be used as a prepayment card and as an order card (third case), depending on the information of card processing which has been seen in the integrated circuit card 10 If this is the first case, The process Relative to an ordinary telephone conversation, as

  this performed in the event of insertion of a part, at Place.

  If it is the second case, The order process for household appliances below presented at Place Finally, if it is the third case, The pub telephone Lic displays a menu (for example The

  "CONVERSATION: 1, ORDERING HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES: 2 MAKE YOUR OWN

  SELECTION USING THE KEYBOARD ") on the display unit 4, and

  therefore ask the user to make his choice. Thus, the user

  sator acts on Le c Lavier 6 se Lon The instruction.

  At this time, if The talk operation has been selected (eg The "1" key has been pressed), The process Linked to an ordinary telephone conversation will take place and, if The home appliance control operation has has been selected (eg Le, Key "2" has been pressed), The process Linked to La

  order of household appliances takes place.

  When the process linked to the ordering of household appliances takes place, the pub telephone Lic 1 requests, via the display unit 4, the user to enter a password. The user enters a password known to him in response to this request, using the keyboard The public telephone 1 transmits the password entered to the integrated circuit card 10 by means of a password collation instruction When 'it received the password, the integrated circuit card 10 assembles the password received with the password stored in memory 35 and transmits the result of the collation to the public telephone 1 At this moment, if the non-coincidence of the words of

  pass is detected, card eject operation takes place.

  If password coincidence is detected, the

  public telephone 1 displays, on the display unit 4, an instruction

  tion asking to enter the home phone number where the user wants to apply their order Then the user

  acts on the keypad 6 to enter the predefined telephone number

  finished When it determines that the input operation has been completely carried out, the public telephone 1 reads the list of telephone numbers in the memory 35 of the integrated circuit card 10 using the read instruction and checks whether the phone number entered by the user is present on the list or not If the entered phone number is not found in the list, an instruction to enter another phone number is produced, and a process similar to

the one described above takes place.

  If the telephone number entered by the user is present on the list, the public telephone 1 requests the home terminal device 12 via the public telephone line 11 so as to allow the line to be used and to allow the 'validation process mutual relating to the integrated circuit card 10 takes place In response to this request, the home terminal device 12 verifies whether the mutual validation relating to the integrated circuit card 10 has been obtained with a validation instruction Then, the home terminal device 12 codes the result of the verification using its own algorithm and its own coding keys and transmits the

  coded result on public telephone 1.

  When it has received the coded data from the dispo-

  If the home terminal 12, the public telephone 1 transmits to the integrated circuit card 10 a decoding instruction to which the received data are attached (coded data) and waits for the decoded data to be supplied by the integrated circuit card If the decoded data indicate an incorrect relationship, the public telephone 1 determines that there is no mutual validation between the home terminal device 12 and the circuit card

  integrated 10 and performs the card ejection operation.

  If the decoded data supplied by the integrated circuit card 10 indicates a valid relationship, the public telephone 1 reads the list of household appliances which can be controlled which is saved in the memory 35 of the integrated circuit card 10 using a read instruction and displays the list on the unit

display 4.

  At this time, if the user acts on the keyboard 6 to enter the number (ID 1 to ID 4) of a device to be controlled, the public telephone 1 determines a device number (for example "1111" for the control of the video device 21 or "2222" for the control of the hot water supply control unit 22) which corresponds to the appliance number entered in the list of household appliances which can be controlled which has been read

  in the integrated circuit card 10, it reads the class data-

  control of the devices and the card-specific data which are stored in the memory 35 of the integrated circuit card 10 according to a read instruction, and it transmits the above data elements to the circuit card integrated 10 to

using a coding instruction.

  Then, when it has received the coded data from the integrated circuit card 10, the public telephone 1 transfers the received data as they are to the home terminal device 12 via the public telephone line 11 When it receives the data, the home terminal device 12 recognizes the number of the device, the ordering data for device orders and the card-specific data by decoding the data received using its own algorithm and its own keys. decoding, in the decoder D. Once the recognition of the data received has been carried out,

  the home terminal device 12 determines the degree of

  mandability of the corresponding device (for example if the user

  the device may or may not control the device or if it can only detect the status of the device) according to the device ordering classification data and the card-specific data which have been recognized using its own data, it codes the data indicating the completion of the recognition operation and the result of the determination carried out in the encoder E, then it

  transmits the coded data to the public telephone 1.

  On receiving the coded data, the public telephone 1 causes the integrated circuit card 10 to decode the data received using the decoding instruction and it determines the recognition result on the basis of the data obtained in

  response to the decoding instruction If the result of recon-

  birth is correct, payphone 1 asks the user-

  sator to select the operating elements, by displaying them on the display unit 4, as a function of the readability degree degree data which have been transmitted from the home terminal device 12 At this time, if the degree of controllability data indicate that only the state of the device can be detected, a corresponding process is carried out and, if the degree of controllability data indicates that the device can also be controlled, then the choice offered between controlling the device and the simple detection of its state is

  displayed on the display unit 4.

  t At this time, if the user indicates by means of the keyboard 6 that the device is controlled, a process takes place according to

  the flowchart presented in Figure 5.

  FIG. 5 represents a flow diagram according to which the control and programming of the video device 21 are carried out. Thus, as described above, when the user indicates, using the keyboard, that the household appliance, in this example, the video device 21 is controlled, the operation of selecting a video programming is carried out Then, The public telephone 1 transmits a request for transmission of the status of the video device to the home terminal device 12 A On receipt of this instruction, The home terminal device 12 monitors the status of the video device 21 and transmits to the telephone

public 1 State data.

  When it has received the status data of the video device 21 from the home terminal device 12, the public telephone 1 displays the status of the video device 21 on the display unit 4 as a function of the status data , i L determines whether or not the video device 21 can be used, for example Le if a

  cassette which is or is not in p Lace and if The power switch

  electrical indication is closed or not, then, if the video device 21 cannot be used, i displays it on the display unit 4 The end of the control process and performs the

card ejection process.

  If it is determined that the video device 21 can be used following the control carried out, the public telephone reads the control information from the video device 21, which has the format given in FIG. 3 and is saved in the memory of the integrated circuit card 10, using a read instruction and it specifies the recording schedule of the video device 21 by transmitting the information necessary for this programming to the home terminal device 12 via the public telephone line 11 in information function of

command read.

  In this case, the public telephone 1 begins by coding the information necessary for programming, then it transmits the coded information to the home terminal device 12, and the home terminal device 12 decodes the information received and controls the video device 21 on The basis of decoded information. It is also possible to directly code the control information read in the memory 35 of the integrated circuit card 10, to transmit the coded control information to the home terminal device 12 and to decode the information coded therein. Domestic 12 so

control The video device 21.

  Once all of the control operations are completed, the pub telephone Lic 1 records the data indicating the process of the operation in the memory 35 of the integrated circuit card 10 using the write instruction and performs the process. card ejection after determining that The operator is performing a specified operation, e.g. The key

  card ejection has been activated.

  In the process presented above, the operation specification data made by the user and produced on the telephone side of the Lic 1 telephone are coded each time and are transmitted to the finished device at home 12 via the telephone line. Lic 11 The data relating to the Status of the Operation which are transmitted from the domestic terminated device 12 are coded by The domestic terminated device 12 and are transmitted to the public telephone Lic 1 via the Public telephone line Lique 11 At this time , The licensed telephone Lic 1 ensures that the integrated circuit card 10 decodes the data transmitted and i L uti Reads the decoded data for the following processing. Thus, even if the public telephone line is used in the remote control system, any loss or modification of the control information can be prevented and a high degree of security can be obtained by coding all the information. control (not only the control information recorded in the integrated circuit card, but also the other control information) which is transmitted from the pub telephone Lic, to the decoding of the coded information on the side of the device terminated the domestic and Use of Information thus coded for

order the household appliance.

  A higher degree of security can be obtained by pre-recording Lab Lement on the integrated circuit card all the control information which is used to control the household appliances, by reading the control information and by transmitting it to the device. finished the domestic when we have to use it, since the order information cannot be

  detected in the installed public phone.

  As described above, according to the embodiment of the invention, a remote control system can be produced in which, even if the public telephone line is used in the remote control system, any leakage or modification of the control information can be prevented and a high degree of security can be obtained by coding all the control information transmitted from the terminal device, decoding and using the coded information on the side of the devices in front

be controlled remotely.

  In addition, a remote control system can be produced in which a higher degree of security can be obtained by recording on the portable recording medium the control information used to control the household appliances, by reading the order information and transmitting it at the time of use, since the order information does not

  cannot be detected in the installed payphone.

  We will now explain in detail L, in relation to FIGS. 6 to 8, a case in Leque L a domestic bath heater is remotely controlled with the embodiment presented above. Figure 6 shows the data format representing

  information 43 (see figure 2) for controlling the bath heater.

  Information 43 contains the data Dl of the name of the user, the data D 2 of the command flag, the information D 3 re Lative in the bath, The data D 4 of the start time of lighting, and The data D 5 of the duration of lighting The data D 2 of the flag of

  orders relate to the presence or absence of the Authorization

  ignition, and information D 3 concerning the bath contains elements of information indicating the presence or absence of gas, the presence or absence of gas leaks, the presence or absence of water , the presence or absence of the ignition operation, the temperature, etc., and these real data elements are transmitted from the heater side. The ignition start time D 4 and the ignition duration D 5 can be introduced in

  using the keypad 10 b on the public telephone 1.

  FIG. 7 represents a flow chart of the operations making it possible to control the domestic bath heater 22 c, in order to give an ignition instruction, and FIG. 8 represents a

  example of a bath heater control system.

  When the bath control has been selected in the menu displayed in FIG. 4, status data relating to the bath heater 22 c, for example the water level, the water temperature, the gas pressure in the gas supply source 22 e, the state of combustion of the gas, the existence of gas leaks, etc., can be detected using various sensors 22 a, 22 b and 22 d and can be obtained from public telephone 1 through

  of the hot water supply control unit 22.

  However, it is only when the presence of the ignition authorization has been detected from the control flag and

  of the user of the integrated circuit card 10, that an instruction

  Ignition can be given to the 22 c heater After the ignition instruction has been given, it is always possible to confirm the status data of the 22 c heater using the

  integrated circuit card 10 in the public telephone 1.

  The control information contained in the integrated circuit card 10 can be entered beforehand via the telephone installed at home 1 In addition, if an integrated circuit card 20 is provided with a keyboard and a display device, it it is possible to enter the control information using the only integrated circuit card The control operation presented above can also be used for the remote control of an air conditioner and a bath in the same way as for

the video device.

  As described above, according to the invention, it is possible to carry out, in a safe, stable and easy manner, the command

  remote from household appliances installed in a particular position

  lière, for example in a house, using a card

  integrated circuit from a remote position.

  With this invention, there is produced a remote control system for controlling equipment to be controlled which is p Laced in a first position by means of an integrated circuit card and a terminal device installed in a second position, the invention being distinguished in that the terminal device comprises a means making it possible to confirm

  the condition of the equipment to be ordered.

  In addition, according to the invention, there is produced a remote control system for controlling equipment to be controlled which is placed in a first position using an integrated circuit card and a terminal device installed in a second position, l invention which is distinguished in that the integrated circuit card comprises a means making it possible to store control information which is used to control

  Equipment to be ordered.

  In addition, according to this invention, there is produced a remote control system for controlling equipment to be controlled which is placed in a first position using an integrated circuit card and a terminal device installed in a second position, the The invention stands out in that the integrated circuit card includes means for indicating a control element intended for the equipment to be controlled. Of course, those skilled in the art will be able to imagine,

  from the device whose description has just been given to

  title merely illustrative and in no way limitative, various modifications

  Fications and variants outside the scope of the invention.

Claims (10)

  1 remote control system making it possible to remotely control an item of equipment placed in a first position by means of an integrated circuit card having a data processor and a public terminal device which can process the integrated circuit card and which is placed in a second position, characterized in that it comprises: an encryption means (31, 40) disposed in the integrated circuit card (10) and serving to encrypt the control information to be transmitted from the terminal device ( 1); decryption means (8) disposed at the second position and serving to decrypt the control information encrypted by said encryption means (31, 40) and transmitted from the terminal device (1); control means (17) for controlling the equipment (18 to 22) according to the control information deciphered by said decryption means (8).   2 System according to claim 1, characterized in that said public terminal device (1) comprises means (8) for controlling whether the state of a plurality of equipment (18 to 22) can be confirmed or not; means (4) for displaying the result of the control operation performed in said control means (8); and means (6) for selecting one of the pieces of equipment (18 to 22)   depending on the result of the check.   3 System according to claim 1, characterized in that said integrated circuit card (10) comprises means (34) for storing control information relating to said equipment (18 to 22).   4 System according to claim 1, characterized in that said control information comprises information of   initial start-up of the equipment (18 to 22).   System according to claim 1, characterized in that said integrated circuit card (10) comprises means (41, 42) serving to limit the control elements of said equipment (18 to 22) depending on the user.   6 System according to claim 5, characterized in that said limiting means (41, 42) comprises means for detecting among the control elements a control element (42) indicated by the user; means (31, 33) for controlling whether the indicated control element (42) can be authorized to the user; and means (31, 41, 42) for rejecting equipment (18 to 22) to be controlled by the control element (42) when the result of the control performed by the control means (31, 33) is negative for the user.   7 Remote control system enabling remote control of equipment placed in a first position using an integrated circuit card having a data processor and a terminal device which can process the integrated circuit card and which is placed in a second position away from the equipment, characterized in that it comprises:   a transmission means (2, 8) for transmitting information   control option previously recorded in said integrated circuit card (10) and encrypted by the latter, said transmission means (2, 8) being arranged in said terminal device (1), means (13, 17) serving to receive a encrypted control information which has been encrypted by said integrated circuit card (10) and decrypting the encrypted control information so as to obtain decrypted control information; and control means (17) for controlling said equipment (18 to 22) based on the decrypted control information which has been   transmitted by the transmission means (2).   8 System according to claim 7, characterized in that said public terminal device (1) comprises means (8) for controlling whether the state of a plurality of equipment (18 to 22) can be confirmed or not; means (4) for displaying the result of the control performed in said control means (8); and means (6) for selecting one of the pieces of equipment (18 to 22)   depending on the result of the check.   9 System according to claim 7, characterized in that said integrated circuit card (10) comprises means (43) for storing control information relating to said equipment (18 to 22).   System according to claim 7, characterized in that said control information includes information of   initial start-up (44) of the equipment (18 to 22).   11 System according to claim 7, characterized in that said integrated circuit card (10) comprises means (31, 41, 42) serving to limit the control elements of said equipment (18   to 22) depending on the user.   12 System according to claim 11, characterized in that said limiting means (31, 41, 42) comprises means (31) for detecting among the control elements (43) a control element indicated by the user; means (42) for controlling whether the indicated control element can be authorized to the user; and means (31, 42) for rejecting equipment (18 to 22) to be controlled by the control member when the result of the control performed by the control means (42) is negative for the user.