GB2183377A - Remote control of electrical appliances - Google Patents

Abstract

The system comprises a portable hand-held infra-red (or sonic or ultrasonic) transmitter unit 10, a "plug-in" interface adaptor unit 16 for converting between infra-red and mains modulated electrical signals, and a receiver adaptor unit 16 capable of switching power or signals to an electrical appliance 12. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Remote control of electrical appliances The invention relates to an improvement in a means of remote control for electrical appliances whereby two existing methods are brought together in a novel device which greatly increases the practical use of each technology individually.

The two existing methods are (i) infra red light beam communication as is common place for control of domestic television sets and video recorders etc., which permits a user arbitrarily positioned in a room to control certain functions of electrical appliance -such as television channel selection,volumecontrol,onloffetc.withinthat room. (Figure 1 relates where 10 is a hand held infra red transmitter, producing an appropriate coded signal beam 1 1,to effect control of electrical appliance 12 within Room A.

(ii) communication via electrical mains wiring employs control information to modulate a low voltagehighfrequencycarriersignalwhich issuperim posed via capacitive ortransformercoupling tech- niques on the AC mains distribution network within a premises.

This signal is conducted throughoutthe entire in stallation and can be monitored and decoded to cause controlling action for an appliance which may be located in a room separatefromwherethe initial control signal originated. (Figure 2 relates where a control panel 14, permanently connected to the mains electricity supply 15, causes a particular electrical appliance 12, situated in any room, to be controlled. 13 represents standard electricity supply outlets and 17 is conventional plug connection forthe particularappliance 12.

Each appliance must contain electronic decoding circuitry to detectthe superimposed mains borne control signal.

The first method hastheadvantagethattheuseris not constrained to beata particular point within a room to gain control ofthe appliance (he must simply be in possession of a portable hand held transmitter unit) but the disadvantage that appliances in other rooms cannot be controlled because of the inherent restriction based on the use of modulated light beams.

Method (ii) has the advantage of enabling app lances to be controlled in other rooms at will but has the disadvantage that some form of wall mounted key panel our similar unit must be positioned at some point within the room, from where control actions are initiated by the user thugs removing the flexibility of user location provided by method (i).

The aim of the invention is to retain the advantages of each individual approach whilst overcoming their disadvantages in a unit which may be readily plugged into a normal electricity mains outlet socket. In addition special electrical installation is obviated.

The invention therefore describes a unit suitable for plugging into a conventional type of mains outlet socket; having the function of receiving an invisible infra red coded signal from a transmitter and converting this signal form to a high frequency modulated carrier signal which is superimposed on the mains power line via the plug connections.

(Note that otherforms of in put signal such as visible light, acoustic, ultrasonic etc. may be used to replace the infra red medium.) The advantage of the invention being to allow remote control of items within a premises using the existing mains wiring of those premises but allowing the operator to be anywhere positioned within the premises without being constrained by the use of a transmitter unit physically connected to the mains electrical system.

The invention can be more ably described with reference to figure 3 where an operator locked in Room B may use a hand held controller 10 from anywhere within the room to direct a chosen coded infra red beam 11 to be detected by the novel device 16 plug- gedintoaconventional mains poweroutlet The novel device converts this beam signal into one suit ablefortransmissionviathemainswiring 15 around the premises, and detector plugs 17, positioned arbitrarily at the discretion of the user, each monitor the coded signal. The appropriate detector plug acknowledges receipt of an individual code by causing the particular mains appliance 12 associated with the detector plug to be controlled.Obviously other detector plugs receiving the coded signal will not identify with this particular code and will therefore fail to respond.

The design is such that a number of the novel devices 16 can be employed (one to each room say) such that every room is capable ofsupporting conversion ofthe infra red beam onto the mains signalling path by means of the hand held transmitter. Thus the chosen appliance anywhere within the premises can be controlled by the operator who is equally ableto be sited anywhere within those premises.

Indeed a number of separately coded novel devices together with use of separately coded infrared transmitter units can be employed in a multi channel environ ment whereby operator A may control a given appliance simultaneously with operator B controlling an alternative appliance.

Provided a multi channel facility is also built into the detector plug for each appliance then operator A and operator B can also gain control overthesame appliance. Priority existing as a function oftime or as a function of some pre-arranged circuit protocol.

In relatively complex arrangements of this type, merit exists in the ability to confirm control actions back to the operator or simply to provide him with a means of monitoring the status of appliances currently activated as the result of previous control command operations.

In this situation the novel device also incorporates a "reverse channel" which detects an incoming mains modulated signal and converts this signal for infra red transmission into a particular room for detection by the hand held unit or even a further novel device.

In this arrangement the associated detector plugs 17 and hand held transmitter units 10 also have re- verse channels associated with any particular control circuitry. As an example the hand held unit may be capable of receiving the echoed signal and of indi- cating the status of the appliance concerned. It may also provide a scan status mode to enable update of the current statusfor all devices quickly. Equally the detecting plug may, following a command control or status request code, echo.appliance status for a short duration sufficientto enable a given hand held controllerto be updated.

Whilst a reasonable amount of artificial intelligence must be in-builtto the component parts ofthe system in such a complex arrangement to detect and return signals using the correct carrier frequencies to the appropriate points, such technology is realistically practicable in terms oftechnique, cost and miniature packaging.

The novel devicespecificallythen is part of such a system which in its simplestform comprises a small unit plugged into a conventional mains outlet socket and is capable of receiving an infra red coded signal and converting this to a high frequency modulated carrier signal for propogation via mains distribution equipment (referenced as circuit 2 of Figure 5).

In its next more complicated form it offers the reverse facility also, enabling detection of a different high frequency modulated carrier signal from the mains power supply and outputting, as a result, an infra red radiated signal (referenced as circuits 1 and 2 of Figure 5).

This second function may also exist usefully on its own as a convertor ofthe high frequency mains modulated carrier signal to an infra red transmission.The novel device in anothervariation of its form may also provide control of one 'local' appliance, connected to the novel device by normal conducting flex. This overcomes any necessary redundancy in mains outlet points, whose function would be otherwise to act only as a carrier of coded information.

(This addition is referenced as circuit 3 in Figure 5).

Figure 4shows the physical form ofthe novel device (although the actual shape may be varied in detail for aesthetic purposes orto suit connection systemswhich differfrom the U.K. standard e.g. round pins or2 pin systems).

In Figure 4, 24 is the body of the device and 22 are the connecting pins which locate in a conventional socket outlet (reference Figure 3).

20 is an infra red window allowing transmission or detection of coded signal.

21 is the optional connecting cable to a locally controlled appliance.

Figure 5shows a block diagram ofthe novel device. The diagram is separated into three horizontal areas marked Circuit 1,2 and 3 capable of supporting the functions described earlier.

Thus the novel device mey incorporate optionally (i) Circuits I,2and3together (ii) Any combination of two ofthe three Circuits or more simply (iii) Circuit 1 or Circuit 2 in isolation.

Asan examplewith respectto Figure 3, item 16in its simplest form incorporates only Circuit 2.

The device can as an alternative be re-specified to actas a converterfor otherforms of signalling e.g.

infra redtechniques could be replaced byvisible light, ultrasonic, acoustic and the like, each in its own right capable of detecting a coded signal of a given form and translating this to the mains electrical system, and in the reverse mode form capable of transmitting this type of signal in response to the mains borne information.

Claims (11)

1. A domestic style mains power distribution adaptor "unit" designedforplugging into normal 13 amp socket outlets, containing an electronic circuit, capable of controlling power to an electrical appliance connected to the adaptor, by means of modulated electrical controlling signals superimposed on the normal electricity conduction system, having additionally an infra-red detector, fixed on the outside of the adaptor body, capable of receiving an infra-red coded light transmission generated locally to the adaptor, and circuitryfortransforming this transmission into a modulated carrier signal for transmission via the conventional mains conduction system.

The form ofthe adaptor being a convenient attractive design in keeping with modern household electri cal appliance adaptors.

2. Said adaptor unit with a removable cover permitting an electricflexfrom an appliance to be per manentlywired to the adaptor, such that the adaptor is dedicated for use with the specific appliance in the samefashionthatan appliance is normallyconnec- ted via a conventional 13 amp style plug.

3. An adaptor as in 1 wherethefrontface containing a normal mains socket connection permitsvar- ious appliances fitted with conventional 13 amp plugsto be plugged in, as desired withoutthe need to rewire the adaptor as would be the case described in2.

4. An adaptor unit as previously described but not having the capability of controlling an appliance connected to the adaptor.

5. An adaptor unit as described in any ofthe previous claims but also containing an infra-red transmitterfixed on the outside ofthe adaptor body such that signals modulated onto the mains, as described previously, are detected by appropriate circuitry and transformed in such a fashion to energisethe infrared transmitter, this projecting an infra-red light beam into the envi ron ment local to the adaptor.

6. An adaptor unit as described in 6 withoutthe capability of controlling an appliance connected to the adaptor and without the means of detecting an infra-red transmission.

7. An adaptor unit as described in 5 where trans- mitted and received mains modulated signals em ploythe same carrier frequency and monitoring circuits are employed to ensure that no transmission occurs when a signal is already being transmitted from a second adaptor.

8. An adaptor unit as claimed in Sphere two carrierfrequencies are used, such that transmission and reception can occur simultaneously.

9. An adaptor unit in any form described previously also containing an audible indicator, capable of emitting a sound when valid signal information has been detected successfully by the adaptorelectronic circuitry.

10. An adaptor unit in any form described previously, designed for use with European, American orotherelectricity mains outlet standards.

11. An adaptor unit as described previously wherein the infra-red sensing and transmitting circuitry is replaced by acoustic, electromagnetic radio, or other forms.