JP2004278927A - Remote control with television function - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve problems that an operational condition of a hot water supply device is checked only through first information and convenience is poor in a remote control having a remote control function capable of remotely operating the hot water supply device and a television function of watching a television broadcasting, and capable of switchingly displaying first information on remote control operation and operational condition of the hot water supply device with second information on television broadcasting reception on one display means. <P>SOLUTION: The remote control has an auxiliary display means 51 to display the operation of a hot water supply device out of first information on a means separate from the display means 5 when the hot water supply device is remotely operated by the remote control function. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a remote controller with a television function that is installed on a wall surface of a kitchen or a bathroom, for example, and that can remotely control a water heater that is set outdoors, and a television function that allows a user to watch television broadcasts in a kitchen or a bathroom.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In order to remotely control the operation of the hot water supply device, a remote controller having a display unit capable of displaying information on the remote operation and the operation status of the hot water supply device is installed on the wall surface of the kitchen or bathroom. In addition, a small liquid crystal television is often installed on a wall surface so that a television broadcast can be watched in a kitchen or a bathroom. In this case, if the remote control and the television are separately provided, there is a problem that the wall surface becomes narrow and the appearance is impaired.
[0003]
For this reason, a television function is added to a remote control provided with a display unit which is a color liquid crystal panel, and the display unit switches and displays first information relating to remote operation and operation status of the water heater and second information relating to television broadcasting. 2. Description of the Related Art A remote control with a television function (hereinafter, referred to as “remote control”) that can be used is known (Patent Document 1).
[0004]
In this case, a single control means is provided on the main body of the remote control, and the control means performs input processing of a power switch and a display means, display of first information on the display means serving as a remote control function, and remote control of the water heater. , And input / output processing to a television control means for realizing the television function. When receiving the signal from the control means, the television control means receives the television broadcast via the television receiver and switches the display on the display means from the first information to the second information which is the television broadcast.
[0005]
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-4211 (for example, paragraph number 0011)
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the above, in order to confirm the operation state of the hot water supply device after remotely operating the hot water supply device, the first information must be displayed on the display means. For this reason, for example, when watching a television broadcast after remotely operating the water heater, in order to check the operation status of the water heater, the user temporarily stops watching the television broadcast and temporarily changes the display of the display means to the first information. It is necessary to perform a return operation, which is troublesome and inconvenient for the user.
[0007]
In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a remote controller with a television function that can easily confirm the operation state of a water heater and is convenient for a user.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, a remote control with a television function of the present invention has a remote control function for remotely controlling a water heater and a television function for watching television broadcasts, and first information relating to the remote operation and operation status of the water heater. And a remote control with a display function capable of switching and displaying the second information relating to the reception of the television broadcast, wherein when the water heater is remotely operated by the remote control function, the first information relating to the operation of the water heater is: An auxiliary display means for displaying separately from the display means is provided.
[0009]
According to the present invention, since the auxiliary display means is provided, even when the second information is displayed on the display means, the information on the operation of the hot water supply device can be viewed on the auxiliary display means, and the display means is changed to the first information. No switching operation is required, and convenience for the user is improved.
[0010]
In this case, the information displayed on the auxiliary control means may be to confirm the operation state of the water heater.
[0011]
It should be noted that the auxiliary display means may be an LED which is turned on or off in accordance with the operation state of the water heater, or a liquid crystal panel smaller than the display means.
[0012]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a remote control main body of a remote control with a television function, which is installed on a wall surface of a kitchen or a bathroom. The remote control main unit 1 includes a remote control module 3 for remotely controlling the water heater 2 set outdoors and realizing a remote control function and a TV module 4 for realizing a TV function for watching TV broadcasts in a kitchen or a bathroom. Independently built in.
[0013]
The remote control main body 1 is provided with one display means 5, and two speakers 6 for audio output are provided on both lower sides of the display means 5. The display means 5 is composed of a color liquid crystal panel provided with a backlight having a known structure. As described later, the display means 5 relates to first information relating to remote operation and operation status of the water heater 2 and to television broadcasting. The information can be switched and displayed.
[0014]
On the front surface of the remote control main body 1, a circular setting change switch 71 for changing a setting such as a hot water temperature of the hot water supply device 2 is provided between the two speakers 6, and the changed setting is provided in a central portion thereof. It has a deciding unit 71a for enabling. By the way, in the remote controller 1 having the remote control function and the television function, it is preferable that the switch for the remote control function and the switch for the television function are easily distinguished by the user. In the present embodiment, a remote control power switch 3a to be described later is disposed on the left side, and a television power switch 4a to be described later is disposed symmetrically about the setting change switch 71 on the right side. In this case, display means such as an LED may be provided on the remote control power switch 3a and the television power switch 4a so that the start and stop of the remote control module 3 and the television module 4 can be displayed.
[0015]
In addition, below the remote control power switch 3a, an automatic switch 72 and a reheating switch 73 for instructing automatic hot water filling and reheating of the bathtub are provided, and the received TV broadcast is transmitted below the TV power switch 4a. A channel switch 74 for switching and a volume switch 75 for changing the volume of audio output from the speaker 6 are provided.
[0016]
The hot water supply device 2 set outdoors has a known structure, has a heat exchanger having a heating source such as a gas burner, and has a water supply pipe for supplying clean water to the heat exchanger and a hot water supply pipe communicating with a hot water supply point. And are connected. The operation of the hot water supply device 2 such as adjustment of the heating amount of the gas burner is controlled by a control unit 21 provided in the main body of the hot water supply device 2.
[0017]
As shown in FIG. 2, the remote control module 3 is provided with first control means 31 and image processing means 32 which are CPUs. The first control means 31 communicates with the control unit 21 of the water heater 2. Then, the first information is displayed on the display means 5 and the water heater 2 is remotely operated. The image processing unit 32 outputs an image of the first information to the display unit 5 based on a signal from the first control unit 31. The first information includes a set hot water supply temperature of the hot water supply device 2 regarding an operation state of the hot water supply device 2, a set temperature at the time of additional heating, a hot water supply amount at the time of automatic hot water filling, and the like. For example, the set hot water supply temperature can be changed by the setting change switch 71 in a state where the first information is displayed on the display means 5, and becomes effective when the determination part 71a at the center thereof is pressed. In this case, the activated hot water supply temperature is output to the control unit 21 by the first control means 31, and the operation of the hot water supply apparatus 2 is controlled based on the output.
[0018]
Further, for example, when the automatic switch 72 is pressed to instruct the automatic filling of the bathtub, the first control means 31 recognizes this, and the control means 31 instructs the control unit 21 to execute the automatic filling and set the amount of hot water. Is output, and a display such as "automatic hot water filling" is displayed on the display means 5 as the first information. LEDs 72a and 73a are incorporated in the automatic switch 72 and the additional heating switch 73, and are turned on while “automatic hot water filling” or “additional heating” is being performed. The remote control module 3 is also provided with a voice control means 33, which outputs first information on the operation of the water heater 2 based on the output from the first control means 31 from the speaker 6 as remote control voice. it can.
[0019]
In the present embodiment, in order to prevent the life of the backlight from being shortened and to prevent wasteful power consumption, in a state where only the remote control module 3 is activated and the first information is displayed on the display means 5, If the remote control of the water heater 2 is not performed through the first information within the predetermined time, the backlight is turned off once. The backlight is turned on again by pressing the remote control power switch 3a.
[0020]
By the way, if the first information must be always displayed on the display means 5 in order to confirm the operation state of the hot water supply device 2 after the remote control of the hot water supply device 2, the convenience for the user is poor. In the present embodiment, an auxiliary display unit 51 including a plurality of LEDs 51a is provided below the display unit 5. In this case, the auxiliary display means 51 displays only information for which the user needs to confirm the operation state of the water heater 2. In the present embodiment, whether the gas burner is burning normally, whether hot water is supplied to the bathtub, or the operation of the hot water supply device is reserved for a timer, the remote controller 1 can preferentially remotely control the hot water supply device. Is displayed.
[0021]
This makes it easy to check the operation status of the gas burner. For example, when the user is watching a television broadcast, the display on the display means 5 is switched from the second information to the first information to check the operation status of the gas burner. It is not necessary to perform the operation described above, and the convenience for the user is improved. Further, in a state where the backlight of the display means 5 is turned off, for example, when the reheating switch 73 is pressed to instruct the reheating, the operation status of the gas burner can be confirmed on the auxiliary display screen 51, so that there is no need to turn on the backlight. In addition, useless power consumption is prevented.
[0022]
The TV module 4 is provided with a second control means 41 which is a CPU, and the second control means 41 is a television broadcast which is second information received by a television receiver 42 connected to a television antenna (not shown). Is displayed on the display means 5 and the television sound is output from the speaker 6. The second information includes a television selection screen for selecting a desired television broadcast from a plurality of television broadcasts, in addition to the television broadcast, and can be selected by the channel switch 74. In this case, at the beginning when the second information is displayed on the display means 5, a television selection screen for selecting a television image is displayed on-screen, and the desired television image can be selected by operating the channel switch 74. The television selection screen is deleted if the operation of the channel switch 74 is not performed for a predetermined time.
[0023]
The first control means 31 of the remote control module 3 and the second control means 41 of the television module 4 are communicably connected so as to mutually confirm the operation status. The TV module 4 receives the output from the second control unit 41 and displays the first information displayed on the display unit 5 according to the control status of the first control unit 31 and the second control unit 41 by mutual communication. A selector 43 for switching between the second information and a mixing means 44 for mixing remote control sound and television sound and outputting the mixed sound from the speaker 6 are provided. The display module 5, the driver 45 for controlling the driving of the display module 5, and the speaker 6 are provided in the television module 4.
[0024]
In the present embodiment, a remote control power switch 3a and a television power switch 4a for activating the remote control module 3 and the television module 4, respectively, are provided on the front surface of the remote control main body 1, respectively. In this case, the remote control power switch 3a and the television power switch 4a serve as a power switch for activating the display means 5 when the display means 5 is not activated. In this case, the power supply E is in a state of being introduced from the household outlet into each of the power supply circuits of the remote control module 3 and the television module 4, and when the remote control module 3 or the television module 4 is activated, the first control means 31 or The display means 5 is activated by the second control means 41.
[0025]
Switching between the first information and the second information during the activation of the display means 5 is performed by pressing one of the remote control power switch 3a and the television power switch 4a, and the remote control power switch 3a and the television power switch 4a are It serves as a changeover switch for switching the selector 43. When the television module 4 is stopped by pressing the television power switch 4a, the second control unit 41 switches the selector 43 to a state where the first information is displayed on the display unit 5.
[0026]
Thus, even if the remote control module 3 fails for some reason, the television module 4 is activated by pressing the television power supply 4 a and the second information is displayed on the display means 5 by switching the selector 43 by the second control means 41. At the same time, the television sound is output from the speaker 6, so that the television broadcast can be watched. In addition, since the remote control module 3 and the television module 4 are incorporated independently of each other, when one of the modules fails, it is easy to specify the location of the failure, and furthermore, the failed module is simply replaced. As a result, the repair cost in case of failure can be reduced. Further, for example, when the television power switch 4a is turned on, the second information is immediately displayed on the display means 5, so that the operation procedure for watching the television is small and the convenience of the user is good.
[0027]
In the present embodiment, when only the TV module 4 is activated and the second information is displayed on the display unit 5 and an operation such as a channel change is not performed within a predetermined time, the TV module 4 and the display unit 5 is turned OFF. As a result, the life of the backlight is prevented from being shortened, and wasteful power consumption is prevented. When the remote control module 3 and the television module 4 are activated and the operation for changing the channel or the like is not performed within a predetermined time while the second information is displayed on the display unit 5, the television module 4 is turned off. The display on the display means 5 is switched from the second information to the first information.
[0028]
Next, with reference to FIG. 3, an operation of the remote controller 1 with a television function according to the present embodiment will be described. When the remote control power switch 3a is pressed to remotely control the water heater 2 from the remote control OFF state (S11), the remote control module 3 is activated and turned on, and the display means 5 is activated via the driver 45 to be turned on. become. In this case, since the selector 43 is in a state where the first information can be displayed on the display means 5, the first information corresponding to the output from the image processing means 32 is displayed on the display means 5, and at the same time, via the mixing means 44. Remote control sound is output from the speaker 6. The television module 4 is off. When the remote control power switch 3a is pressed again from the ON state of the remote control module 3 (S12), the remote control module 3 and the display unit 5 return to the OFF state.
[0029]
When the television power switch 4a is pressed in order to watch the television broadcast from the remote control OFF state (S13), the television module 4 is activated and turned on, and the display means 5 is activated via the driver 45 to be turned on. In this case, the selector 43 is switched by the second control means 41, the second information is displayed on the display means 5, and the TV sound is output from the speaker 6 via the mixing means 44. The remote control module 3 is in an OFF state. When the television power switch 4a is pressed again from the ON state of the television module 4 (S14), the television module 4 and the display unit 5 return to the OFF state.
[0030]
When the TV power switch 4a is pressed while the remote control module 3 is ON and the TV module 4 is OFF (S15), the TV module 4 is activated and turned ON. In this case, the selector 43 is switched by the second control means 41, the display on the display means 5 is switched from the first information to the second information, and the TV sound and the remote control sound are mixed by the mixing means 44 and the speaker 6 is turned on. Is output. The remote control module 3 is in an ON state.
[0031]
When the remote control module 3 and the television module 4 are ON and the second information is displayed on the display unit 5 and the remote control power switch 3a is pressed (S16), the remote control power switch 3a serves as a changeover switch. The selector 43 is switched by the second control means 41 which has received the output from the first control means 31, the display of the display means 5 is switched from the second information to the first information, and the mixing means 44 controls the television sound and the remote control sound. Are mixed and output from the speaker 6. On the other hand, when the television power switch 4a is pressed (S17), the selector 43 is switched by the second control means 41, the display on the display means 5 is switched from the second information to the first information, and the television module 4 is turned off. Become.
[0032]
When the remote controller power switch 3a is pressed while the television module 4 is in the ON state and the remote controller module 3 is in the OFF state (S18), the remote controller module 3 is activated and turned on. In this case, the selector 43 is switched by the second control means 41 which has received the output from the first control means 31, the display of the display means 5 is switched from the second information to the first information, and the mixing means 44 controls the television sound and the TV sound. Remote control audio is mixed and output from the speaker 6. The television module 4 is in an ON state.
[0033]
When the television power switch 4a is pressed while the remote control module 3 and the television module 4 are ON and the first information is displayed on the display means 5 (S19), the television power switch 4a serves as a changeover switch. The selector 43 is switched by the second control means 41, the display on the display means 5 is switched from the first information to the second information, and the TV sound and the remote control sound are mixed by the mixing means 44 and output from the speaker 6. . On the other hand, when the remote control power switch 3a is pressed (S20), the remote control module 3 is turned off, the selector 43 is switched by the second control means 41, and the display on the display means 5 is switched from the first information to the second information. .
[0034]
In the present embodiment, the auxiliary display means 51 is the LED 51a provided below the display means 5, but is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. A liquid crystal panel 52 may be provided, and “burning”, “high temperature”, and the like are displayed on the liquid crystal panel 52.
[0035]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the remote controller with a television function of the present invention has an effect that the operation state of the hot water supply device can be easily confirmed and the convenience of the user is good.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view of a remote control with a television function of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the inside of the remote control with a television function of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the remote control with a television function of the present invention. 4 is a diagram for explaining auxiliary display means according to another modification.
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 remote control with television function 3 remote control module 31 first control means 4 television module 41 second control means 43 selector 5 display means 51 auxiliary display means

Claims (4)

Display means having a remote control function for remotely controlling the water heater and a television function for watching television broadcasting, and capable of switching and displaying first information relating to remote operation and operation status of the water heater and second information relating to reception of television broadcasting. In the remote control with TV function equipped with
A remote controller with a television function, further comprising auxiliary display means for displaying, of the first information relating to the operation of the water heater when the water heater is remotely operated by the remote controller function, separately from the display means. 2. The remote control with a television function according to claim 1, wherein the information displayed on the auxiliary control means can confirm an operation state of the water heater. The remote controller with a television function according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary display unit is an LED that lights or blinks according to an operation state of the water heater. The remote controller with a television function according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary display unit is a liquid crystal panel smaller than the display unit.

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