JP2005136829A - Communication equipment and its program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To mutually utilize remote controllers of terminal equipment such as a sensor for crime prevention and household electric appliances. <P>SOLUTION: The convenience of a user is further enhanced by making the terminal equipment such as a human detection sensor 5 and the household electric appliances such as a washing machine 2 work together and also making remote controllers of each household electric appliance such as a remote controller 11 of an air conditioner 3 work together by a central processor 1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a communication device for a network home appliance that can control a monitoring device or home appliance by a central processing unit that has received communication when an unsteady state occurs in a terminal device, and a home appliance, and a program thereof. Is.

  In recent years, with the increase in theft crimes, the demand for monitoring devices in residences has increased. Conventionally, this type of monitoring device includes a plurality of terminal devices for detecting intruders such as window and door opening / closing sensors and human sensors, and sensor terminal devices such as portable pendant type terminal devices that notify sudden changes in physical condition. It was a combination with a central processing unit.

  In addition, the home appliances such as air conditioners and water heaters can be controlled remotely, temperature control, and operation status can be remotely controlled by the central processing unit in the house, or controlled from the outside via a central processing unit using a mobile phone. Internet appliance systems that can be used are also appearing.

  Some of these central processing units are beginning to appear that combine the control functions of both monitoring devices and Internet home appliance systems. By using the central processing unit as well, there are commercial advantages and convenience for users such as installation. I am trying.

As an example, there has been proposed a method of incorporating a notification device informing a sudden change of a bather in a bath in a remote control device of a water heater (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Usually, multiple remote controllers for water heaters are often installed in bathtubs, kitchens, etc., and these remote control devices are used for reporting terminal devices and for notifications that alert the family by ringing a buzzer upon receiving a report. By serving also as a central processing unit, inconveniences such as newly laying electrical wiring and securing a space for adding a device are prevented.
JP 2001-133040 A

  However, in the conventional configuration, improvement in workability such as signal lines and installation space of the apparatus, and cost merit by sharing the apparatus remain. Therefore, even if the central processing unit is shared, the sensor terminal group as a monitoring device and the networked home appliance system are not being mutually utilized, and there is still room for improving mutual convenience. For example, current home appliances are assumed to be placed in the same room where an air conditioner is installed, even if a remote control is attached, such as a washing machine that does not normally come with a remote control. Since devices and the like are common, it is impossible to start driving or check the driving state at a remote place in the house.

  On the other hand, terminal devices are also equipped with devices that emphasize portability, such as portable pendant type emergency remote controls for the purpose of notifying sudden changes in physical condition, but such emergency remote controls are inherently rare cases such as sudden changes in physical condition There is concern that the degree of utilization is low because it is prepared for.

  Therefore, using the central processing unit that combines the control functions of both the monitoring device and the networked home appliance system, for example, when the original contact such as a sudden change in physical condition such as pressing the button of this emergency remote control for a predetermined time or more The terminal device as a monitoring device can be used as a home appliance by adopting a method such as operating the air conditioner from another room or confirming the end of the washing machine operation by performing operations that can be clearly distinguished. It can also be widely used as a monitor device and a remote control device for remote operation, and the convenience for the user can be further improved.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, in the communication device of the present invention, a plurality of terminal devices that monitor a steady or non-steady state, home appliances, a remote controller that remotely controls home appliances, the terminal devices, and the home appliances And a central processing unit that performs notification when receiving a message indicating that the unsteady state is received, and when a predetermined operation is performed on the remote control, the home appliance to the central processing unit A message indicating non-steady state is transmitted.

  As a result, a terminal device as a monitoring device and a remote control device for remote control of home appliances can be used in a wide range.

  As described above, the communication device and the program thereof according to the present invention can be widely utilized by mutually using the terminal device as the monitoring device and the remote control device of the home appliance, and can further improve the convenience for the user. is there.

  The first invention includes a plurality of terminal devices that monitor a steady or unsteady state, a home appliance, a remote controller that remotely controls the home appliance, a communication means between the terminal device and the home appliance, and the unsteady state. A central processing unit that notifies when a telegram indicating that the remote control is received, and when a predetermined operation is performed on the remote control, a telegram indicating that the central processing unit is unsteady from the home appliance Is sent out. By doing so, the remote control of home appliances in the vicinity can be used as the terminal device of the monitoring device, and the user's sense of security and convenience can be improved.

  According to a second aspect, in the first aspect, the predetermined operation on the remote controller is a case where a plurality of buttons are pressed simultaneously. By doing so, it is possible to make a non-stationary notification even by pressing a plurality of buttons at the same time by pressing a hand on the remote control, and it can be operated reliably even in the case of sudden changes in physical condition.

  According to a third invention, in the first invention, the content of the notification is made by an audio means such as generating a warning sound such as a buzzer or reproducing an audio message in the central processing unit. By doing so, it becomes possible to reliably notify the householder of an unsteady state such as an abnormal physical condition.

  In a fourth aspect based on the first aspect, the contents of the notification are based on external reporting means for transmitting a message to a previously registered external telephone number or mail address. By doing so, it is possible to reliably communicate an unsteady state such as an abnormality in physical condition even when another householder has gone out.

  5th invention is equipped with the central processing unit which performs the communication means with the some terminal device which monitors a steady or unsteady state, household appliances, the said terminal device, and the said household appliances, The said central processing unit is the said The home appliances registered in advance are operated when receiving a telegram notifying an unsteady state from a plurality of terminal devices. In this way, it can be applied to the effect that the air conditioner is operated only in the place where the house is present, or that the home appliance is energized when there is an intruder and the user is away from home.

  6th invention is the some terminal equipment provided with the monitoring means which monitors a steady or unsteady state, the alerting | reporting means by sounding at the time of the said non-steady state, several household appliances, the said terminal equipment, and the said household appliances, A central processing unit that performs the communication means, and when the central processing unit receives a message from the plurality of home appliances notifying a change in state such as operation end, the notification means of the terminal device A telegram that makes a different notification is sent. In this way, it is possible to grasp the driving state even when the householder is not near the home appliance by notifying the end of the washing machine or the like with a tone different from that in the unsteady case.

  7th invention is equipped with the central processing unit which performs the communication means with the some terminal device which monitors a steady or unsteady state, a some household appliance, and the said terminal device and the said household appliance, The said central processing device However, according to the contents of the message from the terminal device, a control message for performing control such as operation and stop is sent to the preset home appliance. This makes it possible to use the terminal of a nearby monitoring device as a remote control for home appliances or to be used as a monitoring device for home appliances, further improving user convenience and enabling efficient automatic driving. It becomes.

  An eighth invention is the notification-type terminal device according to the seventh invention, wherein the terminal device sends a message to the central processing unit indicating that the terminal device is unsteady by an operation such as a button press by a carrier, and the central processing unit A control telegram for controlling the operation and stop of the home electric appliance set in advance when receiving the telegram content indicating a predetermined operation such as performing an operation of continuing the button press for a predetermined frequency or a predetermined time or more. I am trying to send it out. This ensures that the user does not have to worry about the difference between the operation in an unsteady state such as a sudden change in physical condition and the operation in controlling the original home appliance without having to make a mistake. It can be executed.

  According to a ninth aspect, in the seventh aspect, the terminal device is a human sensor that detects the approach or movement of a person, and receives a message indicating that the central processing unit has detected a person over a predetermined time. When there is no such message, a control telegram for stopping a predetermined home appliance is transmitted. In this way, it is possible to efficiently control the home appliance such as stopping the air conditioner in a room where there is no occupant.

  According to a tenth aspect, in the seventh aspect, the terminal device is a human sensor that detects the approach or movement of a person, and receives a message indicating that the central processing unit has detected a person exceeding a predetermined frequency. Control message for operating a predetermined home appliance is sent out. By doing so, it becomes possible to efficiently control the home appliance such as automatically driving the air conditioner in the room where the householder has started to use, and the convenience for the user can also be improved.

  The eleventh invention is a program for causing a computer to execute at least one means of the communication device according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects. In this way, since it is a program, a part or all of the information equipment of the present invention can be easily realized using a microcomputer or the like, and the program can be recorded on a recording medium or distributed using a communication line. This makes it easy to distribute the program.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a communication device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 1 in FIG. 1 is a central processing unit that controls the entire communication device of the present invention, and the washing machine 2 and the air conditioner 3 are examples of network home appliances that transmit and receive messages about control commands and driving states with the central processing unit 1. . An open / close sensor 4 that detects the opening and closing of windows and doors, a human sensor 5 that detects the approach and movement of people, and an emergency remote control device (hereinafter referred to as a pendant 6) that is carried by elderly people and reports to the householder when there is a sudden change in physical condition. These are examples of terminal devices each constituted by a security device or an emergency notification sensor as a monitoring device. 7 is an out-of-home line composed of an Internet network or a public telephone line for reporting outside the house when the house is out, etc., and 8 is a notification mail or report from the central processing unit 1 when an intruder is detected. A mobile phone that receives calls. The mobile phone 8 may be another communication device such as a general subscriber phone such as a personal computer at work or an acquaintance.

  FIG. 2 is a top perspective view showing an example of a house in which the terminal device and home appliance of FIG. 1 are attached. 2 to 6 show the terminal device and home appliance of FIG. 13 is at home, and the householder 12 carries the pendant 6. The open / close sensor 4 detects the opening / closing of the window 10 and transmits / receives a message to / from the central processing unit 1. In addition, each terminal device and household electrical appliance also transmit / receive a message to / from the central processing unit 1 as indicated by the dashed arrows in FIG. The remote control 11 for remote control attached to the air conditioner 3 can transmit a message only to the controller of the air conditioner 3 as shown by a one-dot chain line in FIG.

  FIG. 3 is an example of a block diagram showing a schematic configuration diagram of the central processing unit 1 and the human sensor 5 constituting the communication device shown in FIG. The central processing unit 1 shown in FIG. 3 is composed of a microcomputer and its peripheral circuits, and controls the control unit 21 to control the entire apparatus. The display operation is composed of a liquid crystal for confirming the operating state of the householder, an LED and a switch operated by the householder. The communication means 20 that communicates with the means 18, the human sensor 5 and the open / close sensor 4, and when the communication means 20 receives a message indicating an unsteady state from the human sensor 5 or the open / close sensor 4, a notification sound or a warning message is output. Informing means 19 consisting of a buzzer or speaker that blows, a modem or the Internet for calling or sending e-mails to a mobile phone of a householder, a landline of work, a personal computer, etc. when the householder is out The external reporting means 22 is composed of a circuit or the like.

  Next, the human sensor 5 of FIG. 3 includes a control unit 24 configured by a microcomputer and its peripheral circuits to control the entire apparatus, and a communication unit 23 for transmitting and receiving a non-stationary message and the like with the communication unit 20 of the central processing unit 1. , An infrared sensor that detects the approach and movement of a person by infrared rays, and a monitoring means 25 configured by a detection circuit thereof, and a notification that sounds a buzzer sound when the monitoring means 25 detects an intruder or by a message from the central processing unit 1 Consists of means 26. The content of the notification may be by sound means (not shown) such as generating a warning sound such as a buzzer or reproducing a voice message in the central processing unit. Further, the notification means 26 may be configured not to be provided depending on the application.

  Further, the configuration of other terminal devices such as the open / close sensor 4 not shown in FIG. 3 can be the same as the configuration of the human sensor 5 of FIG. 3, and the monitoring means 25 in this case is not limited to the infrared sensor, and the door open / close What is necessary is just to comprise using optimal sensors, such as a magnetic sensor using the magnet suitable for detecting this.

  In the present invention, each terminal device and household electrical appliance can communicate with each other via the central processing unit 1, and since the remote controller 11 can also communicate with each other via the air conditioner 3 and the central processing unit 1, these terminal devices and household electrical appliances, A user's convenience can be improved by incorporating a program for mutually using a remote controller or the like into the central processing unit 1.

  Hereinafter, examples of mutual use will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 replaces each terminal device as a monitoring device using a home appliance remote control, and substitutes for the pendant 6 for notifying a sudden change in physical condition using the remote control 11 of the air conditioner 3 of FIG. .

  In FIG. 4, when a button on the remote control is operated (S0), a message indicating the control content is transmitted to the air conditioner 3 (S1). In the air conditioner 3, it is determined whether it is a registered operation that can be processed such as temperature setting change or operation start / end or unregistered operation (S 2). If the operation content cannot be processed, it is determined as an emergency call and the central processing is performed. A notification message is transmitted to the device 1 (S3). The central processing unit 1 sends a message such as “Emergency call! Look at the situation!” To inform the householder (S4). When the external report is set, the central processing unit 1 sends a notification mail to the cellular phone 8 of the householder or makes a notification call. (S5) After. An ACK message is returned to the air conditioner 3 (S6). If it is determined in S2 that the operation is registered such as temperature setting, it is executed (S7).

  In addition, the operation when the air conditioner 3 sends an emergency call message to the central processing unit 1 in S2 in FIG. 4 is performed when three or more buttons are pressed at the same time, in addition to the determination as to whether or not the operation is an unregistered operation. It is also effective to use the predetermined case. In remote control etc., operation such as simultaneous pressing only in special cases to prevent operation mistakes such as preventing accidental recording with video is used, and in the case of sudden change in physical condition, operation such as losing calm and grabbing remote control is considered Therefore, it is particularly effective to set it so that an emergency call is determined when a plurality of buttons are operated simultaneously.

  The air conditioner 3 may be configured to relay the button operation contents on the remote controller to the central processing unit 1 as it is, and the determination step of S2 is performed on the central processing unit 1 side.

  Next, an example in which the end of driving is notified in the washing machine 2 that does not include a remote controller using a human sensor or the like will be described with reference to FIG. When the operation is finished in the washing machine 2 (S11), a message notifying the end is transmitted to and received from the central processing unit 1 (S12). Next, the central processing unit 1 sends a message to the effect that a melody for terminating the operation of the home appliance is played to a terminal device having a sounding means such as a buzzer such as the human sensor 9 (S12). The human sensor 9 reproduces a melody such as “Polo loan” to notify the householder that there has been a change in the state of operation of the home appliance (S13), and returns an ACK message to the central processing unit 1 (S14). . At this time, the melody is configured such that the human sensor 9 reproduces a timbre different from that in the case of detecting an intruder or the like.

  Note that the terminal device that reproduces the melody is not limited to the human sensor 9 but may be the open / close sensor 4 having other sounding means, or a plurality of terminal devices or all terminal devices may be notified by the broadcast. You may go.

  In addition, by using the human sensor as a sensing device such as an air conditioner, it is possible to efficiently operate the home appliance. For example, in FIG. 2, the human sensor 5 can detect the movement of a person in a room in which the air conditioner 3 is installed and the movement of the person, and accordingly, a telegram that detects the person from the human sensor 5 to the central processing unit 1 at a predetermined time. If it is not obtained, the central processing unit 1 determines that there are no householders, and sends an operation stop message to the air conditioner 3.

  On the other hand, when a message indicating that a person has been detected at a predetermined frequency or more is sent from the human sensor 5, the central processing unit 1 determines that the house has newly started to use the room and the central processing unit 1 starts operating the air conditioner 3. Send a message. In this way, the user can save time and effort to operate the air conditioner 3 to improve convenience, and it is possible to efficiently drive while preventing forgetting to turn off.

  In addition, when the housekeeper is away or at night, the human sensor 5 or the open / close sensor 4 is set to “outing warning mode” or the like that shifts during detection. When an intruder or the like is detected, the central processing unit 1 receives a message from the human sensor 5, and then moves the home appliance by sending a message to drive the home appliance, pretending to be an intruder It can also be used as a threatening method.

  Further, the pendant 6 can be used in place of a remote controller such as the air conditioner 3. Since the remote controller 11 is usually placed in a room where the air conditioner 3 is installed, the central processing unit 1 operates and stops the air conditioner 3 when receiving a telegram with a predetermined operation from the pendant 6 carried by the householder 12. With this configuration, it is possible to remotely control the air conditioner 3 from another room, which further improves user convenience.

  FIG. 6 shows an example of the configuration of the pendant 6, 14 is a push button for making an emergency call to notify a sudden change in physical condition, and 15 is a display device such as an LED indicating the power supply state and the state of transmission / reception of electronic messages. As shown in FIG. 6, a pendant for reporting a sudden change in physical condition or the like is generally designed with a large push button 14 that can be reliably pressed even in an emergency such as a sudden change. Therefore, as described above, as a predetermined operation when the pendant 6 is used in place of a remote controller such as the air conditioner 3, an operation of holding the pendant 6 for a time such as "several tens of seconds" The method of “pressing six times or more” is effective because it can be surely distinguished from the operation at the time of sudden change or the like.

  As described above, according to the present invention, a plurality of terminal devices that monitor a steady or non-stationary state, home appliances, a remote controller that remotely operates the home appliances, communication between the terminal devices and the home appliances And a central processing unit that performs notification when receiving a message indicating that the non-stationary state is received, and when a predetermined operation is performed on the remote controller, the home processing device causes the central processing unit to Since it is configured to send a message to the effect, the terminal as a monitoring device can be widely used by mutually using sensors of home appliances and remote control devices for remote operation, further improving user convenience Is.

The block diagram which shows an example of the communication apparatus of Example 1 of this invention. An upper perspective view showing an example of a house where the apparatus is installed Block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of the apparatus Flow chart showing an example of message exchange of the same device Flow chart showing another example of message exchange of the same device External view showing an example of the pendant of the device

Explanation of symbols

1 Central processing unit 2 Washing machine (home appliance)
3 Air conditioners (home appliances)
4 Open / close sensor (terminal equipment)
5 Human sensor (terminal equipment)
6 Pendant (terminal equipment)
7 External network 8 Mobile phone (external communication equipment)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Remote control 19 Notification means 22 External reporting means 25 Monitoring means 26 Communication means

Claims (11)

A plurality of terminal devices that monitor a steady or unsteady state, a home appliance, a remote controller that remotely controls the home appliance, a communication means between the terminal device and the home appliance, and a message that indicates the unsteady state And a central processing unit having a notification unit for performing notification when received, and when a predetermined operation is performed on the remote controller, the home appliance transmits a message indicating non-steady state to the central processing unit Communication device. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined operation on the remote controller is when a plurality of buttons are pressed simultaneously. 2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the content of the notification is by voice means such as generating a warning sound such as a buzzer or reproducing a voice message in the central processing unit. 2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the content of the notification is by external reporting means for sending a message to an external telephone number or mail address registered in advance. A plurality of terminal devices that monitor a steady or unsteady state; a home appliance; and a central processing unit that has a communication means with the terminal device and the home appliance, wherein the central processing unit is connected to the plurality of terminal devices. A communication device that operates the household electrical appliance registered in advance when receiving a telegram notifying an unsteady state. A central processing unit having a monitoring means for monitoring a steady or non-steady state, a plurality of terminal devices having a notification means for sounding at the time of the non-steady state, a home appliance, and a communication means for the terminal device and the home appliance And when the central processing unit receives a message from the plurality of home appliances notifying of a change in state such as the end of operation, a message that causes the notification means of the terminal device to perform a notification different from the unsteady time is transmitted. Communication device. A central processing unit having a plurality of terminal devices that monitor a steady or non-stationary state, home appliances, and communication means for the terminal devices and the home appliances, wherein the central processing unit is a message content from the terminal devices The communication apparatus which sends out the control message | telegram which controls driving | operation, a stop, etc. with respect to the said household appliance set beforehand according to. The terminal device is a notification-type terminal device that sends a message indicating that the terminal device is non-stationary to the central processing unit by an operation such as a button pressing by a carrier, and the central processing unit continues the button pressing for a predetermined frequency or a predetermined time or longer. The communication apparatus according to claim 7, wherein when a message content indicating a predetermined operation such as performing such an operation is received, a control message for performing control such as operation and stop is transmitted to the preset home appliance. When the terminal device is a human sensor that detects the approach or movement of a person and the central processing unit does not receive a message indicating that a person has been detected over a predetermined time, the predetermined home appliance is stopped. The communication apparatus according to claim 7, which transmits a control message. The terminal device is a human sensor that detects the approach and operation of a person, and when the central processing unit receives a message indicating that a person has been detected exceeding a predetermined frequency, a control for operating a predetermined home appliance The communication apparatus according to claim 7, which transmits a telegram. A program for causing a computer to execute at least one means of the communication device according to claim 1.

Images