GB2337830A - Remote control system - Google Patents

Abstract

A national communication and controls system suitable, but not exclusively, for adaptation of coded multifunctional controllers of the type referred to in GB-B-2190769 and GB-B-2282239. Such controllers are capable of running multiple programs suitable to heating, lighting, boiler monitoring, hot water, cooling, pumps, ventilation, all electric systems, air conditioning. The control system would enable fast response time from large numbers of controllers and control parameters adjustment throughout regions or nationally. By issuing coded addresses and coded action commands transmitted over an RF side band or Pager network specific programme parameters may be adjusted. This could also apply to individual addresses of dwellings or to blocks of buildings within specific regions. Action codes can vary dependent on application which may include boiler programs for wet heating systems, fine control of heating system water temperature to reduce C02 emissions and reduce energy costs, increase or decrease of programmed room temperature bringing important benefit in both local and global terms. The address and action codes could also apply to street lighting, shop fascia signs, air conditioning. Adjustment of programs in large numbers or individual controllers for whatever control parameters can be achieved quickly, day or night, over a local or national area, such as fast response to severe weather warning for the prevention of Hypothermia and building fabric protection.

Description

Control System 2337830 1 This invention relates to a communication and

control system, and especially but not exclusively to a computerised system which may be used for controlling temperature and other control parameters.

Historically, indoor environment controls, and in particular boiler-fired wet heating systems, have been monitored or adjusted locally on site. For larger installations with processor-based control equipment, this can also be done remotely via telephone lines and a modem. The information or control parameters required can come from local knowledge or (with the modem) a control policy source.

Microprocessor-based wet heating controllers suitable for adaptation to the present purpose are described and patented in GB-B-2190769 and GB-B 2282239. The content of those documents is incorporated herein by reference. Controllers of this known type, with modem control facility, are available as the Sangamo W series from Schlumberger Electricity, Port Glasgow, PAI 4 5XG, United Kingdom This invention aims to provide a system which does not rely on local knowledge or individual communication via modems and telephones lines. In particular, the invention aims to allow greater control for efficiency, comfort and/or safety in smaller installations, including individual domestic installations. According to a first aspect of the invention, the invention provides a system (including a method and component apparatuses for use in such a method) wherein a building environment control system or other control system includes a programmable controller with a data receiver for the receipt of broadcast data messages, and means for altering parameters of the control programme in accordance with the received messages. Elsewhere in this 2 system, a broadcast station is arranged to broadcast said data messages, for example, in accordance with meteorological data.

The parameters controlled may, for example, comprise on/off timings for one or more zones or appliances, but also temperatures of room or water thermostats and the like.

The broadcast signal may be carried on a low ftequency (LF) or very low frequency (VLF) carrier (for example between 1OkHz and 10OkHz). This enables good reception within buildings, particularly basements and service areas where the controller is located, by ground wave propagation. Alternatively the broadcast signal may be carried on a paging dial-in open access facility.

The broadcast messages may be carried as auxiliary information on a common carrier with primary information such as a national or international time reference signal. The messages may be encoded in spare data fields by the same form of modulation as the time reference signals, or may be modulated differently, for example in a sideband or part thereof. The hardware set-up cost is thereby minimised by use of an existing transmitter, without interfering with conventional audio or TV broadcasts.

The messages may be transmitted at a frequency greater than one per twentyfour hours, for improved flexibility of response. Appropriate messages can be generated every two hours or one hour and so on, according to the capacity of the broadcast channel and the rate of change of the source information. The messages may alternatively be transmitted only in response to exceptional meteorological conditions.

The system may provide means whereby different controllers in different regions can be addressed separately with the same broadcast channel, in order to account for local weather conditions or the like. In particular, each on-site controller can be assigned a particular region code upon installation. Separate messages can then be addressed to controllers in different regions, 3 by including a region code in the message header.

The messages may comprise meteorological information (minimum and maximum temperature, wind speed etc), to be interpreted by each controller individually. Alternatively, meteorological information can be interpreted at a control centre. either by human operators or automatically, to generate commands relating to specific parameters of the control programme (to advance a timer, increase room temperature etc).

It will be appreciated that, by use of a broadcast channel, and particularly a broadcast channel provided primarily for another purpose, a large number of site controllers, even down to the size of individual houses, can be controlled easily and cheaply, to a degree impractical by modem and telephone line links. Using a pager network or a time signal carrier in the LF band permits reception in a wide range of locations, with a compact receiver, such as is today found in pagers and radio synchronised clocks and watches. The cost of establishing a separate transmitter and courier frequency is also avoided. Needless to say, reception of the time reference signals may allow the time clock in the controller to be accurate at all times.

The system in one embodiment employs:

(a) a multi-function controller which will control boilers, pumps, lighting, heating and hot water, ventilation, air conditioning and/or electric systems> in a domestic version; (b)part of the side band of BT's time signal transmitted at Rugby, UK, giving great range and fast response time or paging dial-in modem access facility.

(c) Weather information, on an hourly basis if required, over fifteen or so regions of the UK.

The weather information may be gathered firom public sources, or specially prepared by a meteorological service such as the UK Meteorological Office. The weather information is gathered at a control centre where it is interpreted and appropriate commands for heating controllers in each region are 4 generated and transferred electronically to the transmitter at Rugby or pager network and passed over the air waves.

Specifically designed and coded controllers installed on any number of sites receive this information and adjust their programmes accordingly. The patents GB 2190769 and GB 2282239 mentioned above describe controllers suitable for adapting to this purpose. The skilled reader will readily appreciate the modifications necessary to add a receiver and message decoder, to allow the controller to adapt its behaviour in accordance with the received messages. Compatible message protocols are established for implementation by the transmitter and the receiving stations.

In theory, this mechanism would only take a few minutes to adjust the controllers throughout the regions covered. Further commands can be issued throughout the day and night to adapt to changing conditions.

The system disclosed brings important benefits in local and global terms. For example, district councils in the UK are under pressure to reduce C02 emission from their properties by 30% over the next 10-15 years. They have the opportunity to bulk purchase Gas and Electricity and could supply guaranteed heating whilst saving energy and costs (on average over the year), if they could control it. A sophisticated controller of the known type already mentioned does monitor the boiler output andCUt C02 emission. It can zone control for time and temperature and not heat areas while not in use, cutting cost and energy use. The data messages can be used in addition to these features to improve efficiency further.

In the embodiment described, when the Meteorological Office becomes aware of severe weather, a warning of where and when is passed to the control centre. Commands are then generated so that the heating programmes in the appropriate regions can be adjusted to suit. This information is quickly passed for transmission resulting in a fast response over a w'de area. Th 1 I is action reduces the risk of hypothermia among the old and infirin and helps prevent building fabric damage, burst pipesetc.

In milder weather heating programmes can be reduced by the same 5. mechanism over as wide an area as required and for as long as required. The energy saving potential with this system would go a long way to achieve the targets as stated.

Control is not limited to domestic and institutional heating, but could include street lighting, signs, displays, other commercial applications or any use where nation-wide control would be of benefit. The control information may be based on weather, "lighting up time", prices or whatever. At the same time, regional variations in weather or other information can be accommodated to whatever degree is required. Encryption may be employed to restrict access to the broadcast information on a commercial basis.

The broadcast channel is not limited to the BT Rugby time reference carrier or paging network, and other broadcast channels can be used, whether they be time reference carriers, provided for some other purpose, or dedicated to the heating control function. FM radio stations in the UK and abroad carry Radio Data Systems (RDS) messages for example. In that case, however, a local transmitter must be selected and tuned in, for each installation and reception may require a large antenna. The combination of a national LF broadcast with regional addressing therefore brings important cost, convenience and reliability benefits.

As mentioned above, it would be possible Mi principle for weather information to be transmitted with the time signal or other carrier, to be interpreted by each controller individually. On the other hand, in the embodiment proposed, this processing is eliminated, by transmitting specific controller commands instead of general weather inforniation. Thus, for example, typical commands might comprise a command for a four hour "boost" of heating ontime, in addition to any hours programmed locally. Another command might 6 increase room temperature from 19 to 233'C, or increase it by a certain number of degrees, relative to whatever temperature is set locally. Importantly, in relation to boiler-fired "wet" heating systems, fine control for energy efficiency can be implemented also by controlling parameters such as the temperature of the water in the heating system.

Information on the BT/National Physical Laboratory time signals from the MSF transmitter at Rugby is available from Rugby (VLF) Radio Station. Extracts from the document "MSF Standard Frequency Service" provided by Rugby (VLF) Radio Station and dated August 1994 are attached as Appendix A. Appendix B contains further notes and diagrams describing the 1 00Hz BCD time/date code (now discontinued) and the I Hz BCD time/date code currently transmitted by BT at Rugby on a 60kHz carrier in the LF band. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that either of these types of modulation can be adapted for transmission of messages for environmental control systems in accordance with the invention. Alternatively, a different modulation can be applied on the same or a different carrier. Appendix C. contains further notes on Vodafone Paging Open Access for Dial-in Modems and X25.

7

Claims (7)

CLAIMS.

1. A national communication and control system that employs:

(a) multifunction controllers such as the type described in GB-B-2190769 and GB-B-2282239 with an address coded data receiver for controller identification and a means of altering perameters of control programs in accordance with coded action transmitted over a network (b) part of the side band of an RF transmitter or paging dial-in modem access facility giving great range and fast response time to multiples of sites collectively or individually.

(c) information transmitted on an hourly basis if required, over fifteen or so regions of the UK.

2. A communication and control system as claimed in claim 1. wherein the data transmitted is in the form of, though not necessarily, binary code to identify (addresses) of a particular or particular controllers nationally or individually within a region, and action commands are transmitted (to alter programme perameters) in the form of, though not necessarily, binary codes.

3. A communication and control system as claimed in claim 1. wherein broadcast data signal may be carried on a low frequency or very low frequency RF carrier or a paging open access facility.

4. A communication and control system as claimed in claim 1. wherein the system does not rely on local knowledge or individual communication via modems and telephone lines, in particular the invention aims to allow greater control for efficiency, comfort, reduction of fuel and C02 emissions and/or safety in smaller installations including individual domestic installations.

5. A communication and control system as claimed in claim 1. wherein control programme perameters include heating, lighting, boiler monitoring systems, street lighting, fascia and other signage, electric systems, hot water control, alarms, air conditioning.

6. A communication and control system as claimed in claim 1. wherein the data message may be transmitted greater than one per 24hrs. or appropriate to enable fast response to change of the source information or alternately be transmitted only in response to exceptional conditions.

8

7. A communication and control system as claimed in claim 1. wherein different controllers in different regions can be addressed separately with the same broadcast channel in particular each on-site controller can be assigned a particular regional code upon installation. Separate coded actions can then be addressed to controllers in 5 different regions by including a regional code in the address code.