JP2006129150A - Device controller and remote control system using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device controller and remote control system which remotely control a plurality of electric appliances at low cost and suppress cost increase and upsizing of an electric appliance being a control target. <P>SOLUTION: In this remote control system for remotely controlling electric appliances, a remote controller 5 inputs control information for the electric appliances from a communication terminal 1 through the Internet network 2 and transmits the control information to a device controller 6 by radio. A plurality of electric appliances are connectable to the device controller 6, and each electric appliance is provided with a control method setting part 21 that can switch a control method between collective control and individual control. When received control information is collective control information, the operations of electric appliances with collective control set as a control method are collectively controlled. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a device control apparatus used for remotely controlling an electric device such as a home appliance. The present invention also relates to a remote control system using the device control apparatus.

  For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a remote control system that remotely controls home appliances (home appliances) by operating a computer equipped with a browser that can be connected to the Internet network.

  In the following Patent Document 1, when device control is executed on a Web browser of a computer connected to the Internet network, control information data corresponding to the device control is sent to the Web server unit via the Internet network. Then, the control information data is transmitted by wireless communication from the Web server unit to the electric appliances each having an antenna, a wireless communication unit, and the like, whereby the electric appliance is remotely controlled.

  A configuration is also conceivable in which a wireless communication device including an antenna, a wireless communication unit, and the like is taken out of an electrical appliance, and a device control device having a function as the wireless communication device is connected to each electrical appliance.

JP 2002-44749 A

  However, if the wireless communication device is taken out of the electrical device and the device control device having the function as the wireless communication device is connected to each electrical device, the device control device is equal to the number of electrical devices that perform remote control. It becomes necessary.

  In addition, when a wireless communication device including an antenna, a wireless communication unit, and the like is incorporated into each of the electrical appliances to be controlled as in the remote control system of Patent Document 1, each of the electrical appliances becomes expensive and the wireless The size is increased due to the storage of the communication device.

  In addition, when trying to remotely control a plurality of electrical appliances, the user needs to input the contents to be controlled to the computer for each electrical appliance, so the operability in performing remote control is sufficient. Absent.

  In view of the above points, the present invention can remotely control a plurality of electric devices at a low cost, and can control a cost increase and an increase in size of an electric device to be controlled, and a remote using the same An object is to provide a control system.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a device control apparatus that can realize control of a plurality of electric devices with a simple operation, and a remote control system using the device control device.

  In order to achieve the above object, an apparatus control apparatus according to the present invention is an apparatus control apparatus used in a remote control system that performs remote control of an electric apparatus, and control information for controlling the electric apparatus via the Internet network. Transmitting / receiving means for receiving the control information by wireless communication from a device that inputs the information from an external terminal, and a device connection unit comprising n (n is an integer of 2 or more) connection terminals capable of individually connecting electrical devices; The control means for controlling the operation of the electrical device connected to each connection terminal based on the control information, and the control method for the electrical device connected to each connection terminal are designated as the first control method or the second control method for each connection terminal. Control method setting means that can be set as a control method, and when the control information is collective control information for collectively controlling the operation of electrical equipment, the control means Law and performs the operation control of all the target electrical equipment connected to the connection terminal of the second control method.

  Since the device control apparatus can transmit a control signal to a plurality of electric devices, it is not necessary to provide a device control device for each electric device to be remotely controlled, and the electric device to be remotely controlled. Even if the number of devices increases, remote control can be realized simply by connecting a new electrical device with a device control device that has already been installed, so that an increase in cost can be suppressed.

  In addition, since the device control apparatus includes transmission / reception means for receiving control information, it is not necessary to provide a wireless communication device or the like for performing wireless communication on the electric device side to be controlled. Therefore, an increase in cost and an increase in size of the electrical device to be controlled are suppressed.

  When collective control information is given from an external terminal, the control means performs operation control for all the electrical devices connected to the connection terminals of the second control method. Compared to the case where the operations are individually controlled, the number of operations on an external terminal is reduced, and the operability is improved.

  Moreover, since the setting switching of the 1st control method and the 2nd control method in a control method is possible for every connection terminal, the freedom degree of the setting of a control method increases.

  Further, for example, in the device control apparatus, when the control information is the collective control information, the control unit is configured to connect the electric device in which the set control method is connected to the connection terminal of the first control method. It is better to exclude it from the target of motion control.

  There may be an electric device that causes inconvenience if the operation is controlled by the collective control information. In this case, the control method of the electric device can be set to the first control method. Improved usability.

  In addition, for example, when the control information is individual control information for individually controlling the operation of the electrical device, the control means includes a connection in which the set control method includes at least a connection terminal of the first control method. The operation control may be performed on any one of the electrical devices connected to the terminal.

  More specifically, for example, the operation control is control for turning ON (ON) or OFF (OFF) the operation of an electrical device connected to each connection terminal.

  Further, for example, display means for displaying whether the control method set for each connection terminal is the first control method or the second control method may be further provided.

  Thereby, it becomes possible to easily recognize the control method of the electrical equipment connected to each connection terminal.

  And, for example, when at least one of the electric devices connected to each connection terminal cannot execute the operation according to the operation control, the display means is connected to the electric device that could not execute the operation. After identifying the terminal or the electric device that could not execute the operation, a display indicating an operation control failure may be performed.

  Thereby, it is possible to easily recognize which electrical device is not normally controlled in operation.

  Further, in place of the display means, the display device further includes the same number of display means provided in a one-to-one correspondence with each of the n connection terminals, and each display means has a corresponding connection terminal. When the set control method is the first control method, the first display is performed. On the other hand, when the control method set to the corresponding connection terminal is the second control method, the second display is performed. You may make it perform.

  This is also because it is possible to easily recognize the control method of the electrical equipment connected to each connection terminal. Furthermore, since the display means is provided corresponding to the connection terminals on a one-to-one basis, the visibility of the control method for each connection terminal is very high.

  And, for example, when at least one of the electrical devices connected to each connection terminal cannot execute the operation according to the operation control, the electrical device that could not execute the operation corresponds to the connection terminal to which the electrical device was connected. The display means may perform the third display.

  Thereby, it is possible to easily recognize which electrical device is not normally controlled in operation. In addition, since the display means is provided corresponding to the connection terminals on a one-to-one basis, the visibility of the operation control failure for each connection terminal is very high.

  In order to achieve the above object, a remote control system according to the present invention is a remote control system that performs remote control of an electrical device, and includes a remote control device and any one of the device control devices described above. The remote control device includes communication means for inputting the control information from the external terminal via the Internet network, and transmission / reception means for wirelessly transmitting the control information to the device control device. Features.

  As described above, if a remote control system is configured using the device control apparatus according to the present invention, a plurality of electrical devices can be remotely controlled at a low cost, and an increase in cost and an increase in size of the controlled electrical device are suppressed. be able to. In addition, control for a plurality of electrical devices can be realized with a simple operation.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a remote control system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(Figure 1: Outline of the system)
In FIG. 1, a communication terminal (external terminal) 1 is a mobile phone equipped with a browser that can be connected to the Internet 2, a personal digital assistant, a personal computer, and the like, and is an air conditioner (a control target of this remote control system) Hereinafter, control information for controlling home appliances 7 such as an “air conditioner”, a rice cooker, a refrigerator, a heating cooker, and a lighting fixture is operated by a user operating an input unit (not shown) of the communication terminal 1. Input is possible.

  The remote control device 5 is connected to an ISP (Internet service provider) 3 via a communication network 4, and the ISP 3 is connected to the Internet network 2. Therefore, the control information input to the communication terminal 1 is given to the remote control device 5 via the Internet network 2, ISP 3 and communication network 4.

  The device control device 6 is connected to the remote control device 5 through wireless communication such as a wireless local area network (LAN) or Bluetooth, and is connected to the home appliance 7 that is a control target. I do. A plurality of home appliances 7 can be connected to the device control device 6, and the device control device 6 can individually control all the connected home appliances 7. The remote control system according to the present embodiment is roughly composed of a remote control device 5 and a device control device 6.

  The device control device 6 includes a wireless communication unit 10 that performs bidirectional communication with the remote control device 5 via a wireless local area network (LAN), a wireless communication control unit 11 that controls communication by the wireless communication unit 10, A device connection unit 8 capable of connecting a plurality of home appliances 7, a device control unit 9 for outputting a control signal to each home appliance 7 connected to the device connection unit 8 via the device connection unit 8, and a connected home appliance Individual control (first control method) or control method for each home appliance 7 connected to the input I / F unit 13 and the device connection unit 8 used to input control information and status information of each device 7 A control method setting unit 21 set to collective control (second control method), a display unit 22 for displaying the type of control method (individual control or collective control) set by the control method setting unit 21, and a device Connection of home appliance 7 to connection 8 Status, control information and status information of each home appliance 7 connected to the device connection unit 8, information on the type of control method set by the control method setting unit 21, display contents of the display unit 22, and various control programs A storage unit 12 composed of a memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), a device control unit 9, a storage unit 12, an input I / F unit 13, a control method setting unit 21, a display unit 22, and a wireless communication control unit 11 A system control unit 14 that generally controls the operation is schematically configured.

  The remote control device 5 performs two-way communication with the device control device 6 to transmit and receive (transmit / receive) the control information and status information, and a wireless that controls communication by the wireless communication unit 15. A communication control unit 16, a display unit 17 for displaying the operation state of the remote control device 5, an Internet communication unit 18 connected to the communication network 4 and performing two-way communication with the communication terminal 1 via the communication network 4; , A storage unit 19 including a memory such as a ROM for storing the control information of the home appliance 7 and various control programs such as Web server control, a wireless communication control unit 16, a display unit 17, an Internet communication unit 18, and a storage unit 19 The system control unit 20 controls the overall operation of the system.

  Control information for controlling the home electric appliance 7 input by operating the communication terminal 1 is supplied to the Internet communication unit (communication means) 18 via the Internet network 2, ISP 3, and communication network 4. The control information supplied to the Internet communication unit 18 is decoded by the system control unit 20 and stored in the storage unit 19, and wirelessly transmitted to the device control apparatus 6 by the wireless communication unit 15 under the control of the wireless communication control unit 16. Sent. The wireless communication control unit 16 and the wireless communication unit 15 when performing the wireless transmission have a function as a transmission / reception unit (or transmission unit).

  The control information transmitted from the wireless communication unit 15 is received by the wireless communication unit 10 and supplied to the system control unit 14 via the wireless communication control unit 11. The wireless communication unit 10 and the wireless communication control unit 11 when receiving this control information have a function as transmission / reception means (or reception means). Although details will be described later, the system control unit 14 decodes the supplied control information, compares the state information of the home appliance 7 stored in the storage unit 12 with the control information, and supplies the supplied control information. When the control information is control information that changes the state of the home appliance 7, the control signal that changes the state of the home appliance 7 is connected to the device control unit 9 and the device connection unit 8 to which the home appliance 7 to be controlled is connected. The device control unit 9 is controlled so as to be transmitted to the home electric appliance 7 to be controlled.

  That is, the system control unit 14 and the device control unit 9 generate a control signal for the home appliance 7 based on the control information input from the communication terminal 1, and connect the generated control signal to the device via the device connection unit 8. By outputting to each household electrical appliance 7 connected to the part 8, it functions as a control means for controlling the operation of those household electrical appliances 7. A plurality of home appliances 7 can be connected to the device connection unit 8, and the control signal is transmitted to each of the connected home appliances 7.

  The state information of the home appliance 7 stored in the storage unit 12 is transmitted to the remote control device 5 using the wireless communication control unit 11 and the wireless communication unit 10, and the communication network 4, ISP 3, and Internet are transmitted from the Internet communication unit 18. The data is supplied to the communication terminal 1 via the network 2. That is, the communication terminal 1 can browse the status information of the home appliance 7. Here, the state information of the home appliance 7 is information indicating what home appliance is currently connected to the device control device 6 and the state of each connected home appliance, and a specific example will be given later.

(Fig. 2: Specific usage example)
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a specific usage example of the remote control system of FIG. 2, the same components as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted. A remote control device 5 operating as a Web server that can communicate with the communication terminal 1 via the Internet network 2, ISP 3, and communication network 4 is provided indoors. In addition, a device control device 6 is installed in a room different from the room in which the remote control device 5 is installed, and an air conditioner 7a, an air conditioner 7b, and a refrigerator 7c are installed.

  The air conditioner 7a, the air conditioner 7b, and the refrigerator 7c are household appliances to be controlled that are remotely controlled in the remote control system. In other words, each of the air conditioner 7a, the air conditioner 7b, and the refrigerator 7c embodies each of the plurality of home appliances 7 shown in FIG. The air conditioner 7a, the air conditioner 7b, and the refrigerator 7c are connected to the device connection unit 8 of the device control device 6 via the connection cable 23, respectively.

  For example, when performing remote control to turn on the operation of the air conditioner 7a, control information indicating the content of “turn on the operation of the air conditioner 7a” is remotely transmitted from the communication terminal 1 via the Internet network 2 or the like. It transmits to the control apparatus 5. Control information transmitted from the communication terminal 1 is generated according to a communication protocol in the Internet network 2. The control information received by the remote control device 5 is wirelessly transmitted from the remote control device 5 to the device control device 6, and a control signal for turning on the air conditioner 7a connected to the device connection unit 8 via the cable 23 is sent to the air conditioner 7a. Is transmitted.

(Figure 3; Details of equipment connection)
Next, details of the device connection unit 8, the control method setting unit 21, and the display unit 22 included in the device control apparatus 6 will be described. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for showing details of the device connection unit 8, the control method setting unit 21, and the display unit 22.

  As shown in the figure, the device connection unit 8 is composed of a total of six connection terminals 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d, 8e and 8f. One home electric appliance 7 can be connected to each of the connection terminals 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d, 8e and 8f.

  The control method setting unit 21 includes a total of six setting switches 21a, 21b, 21c, 21d, 21e, and 21f. The setting switches 21a, 21b, 21c, 21d, 21e and 21f are provided in one-to-one correspondence with the connection terminals 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d, 8e and 8f, respectively. By operating the setting switches 21a, 21b, 21c, 21d, 21e and 21f, the control method of the home electric appliance 7 connected to the corresponding connection terminals 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d, 8e and 8f is separately and individually It can be switched to control (first control method) or collective control (second control method).

  The display unit 22 includes a total of six setting display lamps 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d, 22e, and 22f. The setting display lamps 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d, 22e and 22f are provided in one-to-one correspondence with the connection terminals 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d, 8e and 8f, respectively, and are connected to the connection terminals (8a to 8f). Whether the set control method is individual control (first control method) or collective control (second control method) is displayed.

  Note that “6” given as the number of connection terminals constituting the device connection unit 8 and the number of setting switches and setting display lamps corresponding thereto is an example, and an arbitrary number (integer) of 2 or more is shown. It can be adopted.

  In the following description, it is assumed that the air conditioner 7a, the air conditioner 7b, and the refrigerator 7c in FIG. 2 are connected to the connection terminals 8a, 8b, and 8c, respectively, and the home appliance 7 is not connected to the other connection terminals 8d, 8e, and 8f. To do. Accordingly, the connection cable 23 in FIG. 2 is connected to each of the connection terminals 8a, 8b, and 8c. The following description will be given assuming that the setting switches 21a, 21b, and 21c are set to “collective control”, “collective control”, and “individual control”, respectively. That is, the control methods of the air conditioner 7a, the air conditioner 7b, and the refrigerator 7c connected to the connection terminals 8a, 8b, and 8c are “collective control”, “collective control”, and “individual control”, respectively.

  Further, for simplification of description, the following description will be made ignoring the presence of the connection terminals 8d, 8e, and 8f, but their functions, configurations, and operations are the same as those of the connection terminals 8a, 8b, and 8c. Similarly, the following description will be made ignoring the presence of the setting switches 21d, 21e, and 21f, but their functions, configurations, and operations are the same as those of the setting switches 21a, 21b, and 21c. Similarly, the following description will be made ignoring the presence of the setting display lamps 22d, 22e, and 22f, but their functions, configurations, and operations are the same as those of the setting display lamps 22a, 22b, and 22c.

  Control information for individually controlling the operation (such as ON / OFF of operation) of the air conditioner 7a, the air conditioner 7b, and the refrigerator 7c can be input to the communication terminal 1. This control information for individual control is referred to as “individual control information”. That is, regardless of whether the control method set for the connection terminals 8a, 8b and 8c is “collective control” or “individual control”, the operation of the air conditioner 7a, the air conditioner 7b and the refrigerator 7c according to the individual control information ( Operation ON / OFF, etc.) are individually controlled.

  Note that the operations of the air conditioners 7a and 7b connected to the connection terminals 8a and 8b for which “collective control” is set as the control method may not be controlled by the individual control information. That is, when the control information sent from the communication terminal 1 is individual control information, any of the home appliances connected to the connection terminal including at least the connection terminal 8c of the individual control (first control method) is set as the control method. Operation control is performed for one of them.

  Further, in the communication terminal 1, all the household electrical appliances (that is, the air conditioners 7a and 7b) connected to the connection terminals (that is, the connection terminals 8a and 8b) of which the set control method is the collective control (second control method). It is also possible to input control information for collectively controlling the operations (ON / OFF of operation, etc.). The control information for collectively controlling is referred to as “collective control information”.

  That is, for example, control information (collective control information) for collectively turning on the operation of the air conditioners 7 a and 7 b can be input to the communication terminal 1. When the input is made, a control signal for turning on each operation is transmitted to each of the air conditioners 7a and 7b, and both the air conditioners 7a and 7b are turned on.

  In addition, when the operation of the air conditioner 7a is already ON when the “collective control information” is transmitted (for example, when the cooling operation is performed), the operation of the air conditioner 7a is turned ON. Are not transmitted (however, they can be transmitted). When the “collective control information” is transmitted, if the operation of the air conditioner 7b is already ON, a control signal for turning on the operation is not transmitted to the air conditioner 7b (however, it is transmitted). It ’s okay.)

  Further, for example, control information (collective control information) for collectively turning off the operation of the air conditioners 7 a and 7 b can be input to the communication terminal 1. When the input is made, a control signal for turning off each operation is transmitted to each of the air conditioners 7a and 7b, and the operation of both the air conditioners 7a and 7b is turned off.

  However, even when the “collective control information” as described above is input to the communication terminal 1, the operation (ON / OFF of operation, etc.) of the refrigerator 7 c connected to the connection terminal 8 c is not affected. That is, the refrigerator 7c connected to the connection terminal 8c for which the set control method is individual control is excluded from the operation control target.

  For example, when the operation of the refrigerator 7c is ON, even when “collective control information” for turning the operation OFF is input, the refrigerator 7c maintains the operation ON, and when the operation of the refrigerator 7c is OFF, Even if “collective control information” for turning on the operation is input, the refrigerator 7c keeps the operation off.

  Each of the setting display lamps 22a to 22c is composed of, for example, two-color light emitting diodes (LEDs), and the control method set for the corresponding connection terminals 8a to 8c is individual control (first control method). Emits green light (performs the first display), and emits red light when the control method set for the corresponding connection terminals 8a to 8c is batch control (second control method) (displays the second display). Do). In the case of the above example, the control methods set in the connection terminals 8a, 8b, and 8c are “collective control”, “collective control”, and “individual control”, respectively. Therefore, the setting display lamps 22a, 22b, and 22c are Each emits red, red, and green light.

  By the display of the setting display lamps 22a to 22c, it is possible to easily recognize the control method of the home appliances 7a to 7c connected to the connection terminals 8a to 8c.

  Further, it corresponds to a case where the home appliance 7 whose operation is to be controlled by the control signal sent from the device control unit 9 is not normally controlled due to a failure of the home appliance 7 or the device control device 6 or a communication failure of the control signal. The setting display lamps 22a to 22c display an operation control failure.

  For example, individual control information for turning on the operation of the air conditioner 7a is transmitted to the device control device 6, and the device control unit 9 transmits a control signal for turning on the operation to the air conditioner 7a via the connection terminal 8a. If the operation of the air conditioner 7a is not turned on despite being (or trying to transmit), the setting display lamp 22a performs blinking display (third display). This blinking display indicates a certain state of operation control (operation control failure). The same applies to the setting display lamps 22b and 22c.

  That is, when at least one of the home appliances (air conditioners 7a, 7b and refrigerator 7c) connected to each connection terminal (8a-8c) has not been able to execute an operation according to the control signal (operation control by the control means) The setting display lamps (22a to 22c) corresponding to the connection terminals (8a to 8c) to which the household electrical appliance that could not perform the operation is displayed blinking (third display) indicating an operation control failure.

  By the blinking display of the setting display lamps 22a to 22c, it is possible to easily recognize which home appliance is not normally controlled. In addition, when the home appliances 7 such as the air conditioner 7 a change their own operation in accordance with a control signal sent from the device control unit 9, the change contents are transmitted to the device control unit 9.

(LCD panel replacement)
Further, the setting display lamps 22a to 22c may be replaced with, for example, one liquid crystal panel (not shown). In this case, the liquid crystal panel displays whether the control method set for each of the connection terminals 8a to 8c is individual control (first control method) or collective control (second control method). This display is preferably performed for each of the connection terminals 8a to 8c.

  And when at least one of the home appliances (air conditioners 7a, 7b and refrigerator 7c) connected to each connection terminal (8a-8c) has not been able to execute the operation according to the control signal (operation control by the control means), The connection terminals (8a to 8c) to which the home appliances that could not perform the operation are connected, or the home appliances that could not execute the operation are specified, and the contents indicating the operation control failure are displayed on the liquid crystal panel. Display it.

  For example, when only the air conditioner 7a cannot execute the operation according to the control signal, the display “connection terminal 8a, operation control failure” or “air conditioner 7a, operation control failure” may be displayed on the liquid crystal panel.

  Also by the display on the liquid crystal panel, it is possible to easily recognize the control method of the home appliances 7a to 7c connected to the connection terminals 8a to 8c, and easily recognize which home appliance is not controlled normally. can do. However, it is preferable to adopt a setting display lamp from the viewpoint of cost and visibility.

(Multiple device control devices)
It is also possible to provide a plurality of device control devices 6 corresponding to one remote control device 5. Each of the plurality of device control devices 6 exchanges control information and status information of the home appliance 7 by performing wireless communication with the corresponding one remote control device 5.

  In this case, a device number is designated in advance for each device control device 6 by operating the input I / F unit 13 of each device control device 6. The device number is stored in the storage unit 12 of each device control device 6 and can be viewed on the communication terminal 1 via the remote control device 5, and the device number is designated on the communication terminal 1. By inputting the control information for controlling the home electric appliance 7 in the above, it becomes possible to control the home electric appliance 7 connected to each of the appliance control devices 6. In this case, the device number is included in the control information and given to the device control device 6.

  Further, when the home appliances 7 connected to the plurality of device control devices 6 can be distinguished without specifying the device number, the communication terminal 1 can input control information without being aware of the device number. For example, when only the air conditioner 7a is connected to the first device control device 6 and only the refrigerator 7c is connected to the second device control device 6, the communication terminal 1 controls the air conditioner 7a. This is because it is determined that the control information for the home appliance (air conditioner 7a) connected to the first device control device 6 is necessarily input.

(Fig. 4; Operation flowchart)
Next, a method in which the device control device 6 receives control information from the communication terminal 1 and transmits a control signal to the home appliance 7 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  Hereinafter, each home appliance (such as an air conditioner 7a) connected to the device connection unit 8 (such as the connection terminal 8a) may be referred to as a “connection device”. Further, home appliances (such as an air conditioner 7a) connected to connection terminals (such as the connection terminal 8a) whose set control method is “collective control” may be referred to as “collective control connection devices”.

  When the control information input to the communication terminal 1 is collective control information, the device control apparatus 6 performs steps S1 to S7, and if the control information is individual control information, the device control apparatus 6 performs steps S8 to S12.

  First, in step S1, the system control unit 14 waits for some control information transmitted from the communication terminal 1 to be sent from the remote control device 5 via the wireless communication unit 10 or the like. When any control information is sent, the system control unit 14 determines whether or not the sent control information is batch control information. If the control information is collective control information (Y in step S1), the process proceeds to step S2 described later, whereas if it is individual control information (N in step S1), the process proceeds to step S8 described later.

  In step S <b> 2, the system control unit 14 obtains information on the connection state of the home appliance 7 with respect to the device connection unit 8 and information on the control method set in the device connection unit 8 (information on the control method set for each connection terminal). Read from the storage unit 12. Subsequently, in step S3, the system control unit 14 determines whether there is at least one collective control connection device in the connection devices based on the content read in step S2.

  If there is no collective control connection device (N in step S3), this operation flow is terminated. If even one collective control connection device exists (Y in step S3), the process proceeds to step S4 described later. To do.

  In step S4, a process of comparing the status information of the collective control connection device with the control information sent in step S1 is performed, and the process proceeds to step S5 described later. The status information of the collective control connection device refers to the information stored in the storage unit 12. When there are a plurality of collective control connection devices, a comparison process with the status information of each collective control connection device is performed.

  In step S5, the comparison process in step S4 is evaluated. Specifically, it is determined whether the control information sent in step S1 changes the current state (state information) of the collective control connection device. If the current state of at least one collective control connection device is to be changed (Y in step S5), the process proceeds to step S6 described later, while changing the current state of all the collective control connection devices. If not (N in Step S5), the operation flow is terminated.

  In step S6, a control signal is transmitted to the collective control connection device whose state is changed by the collective control information sent in step S1. Thereby, the collective control connection apparatus which received the control signal changes a state based on the received control signal. At this time, the control signal may be transmitted also to the collective control connection device whose state is not changed according to the collective control information sent in step S1. Even if the control signal is received, there is no problem because the state is not changed after all.

  In step S7 which moves after finishing step S6, the status information of the collective control connection device stored in the storage unit 12 is updated with the information after transmitting the control signal in step S6.

  Next, the process of steps S8 to S12 executed when the individual control information is sent to the device control apparatus 6 will be described. In step S8 which shifts from step S1, it is determined whether the control information sent in step S1 is for the home appliance 7 connected to its own device connection unit 8 to be controlled.

  For example, two devices including a first device control device 6 to which only an air conditioner 7a is connected and a second device control device 6 to which only a refrigerator 7c is connected to one remote control device 5. In the case where the control device 6 is provided, if control information for controlling the air conditioner 7a is input to the communication terminal 1, the determination result in step S8 is positive in the first device control device 6 (Y in step S8). In step S9, which will be described later, the determination result in step S8 is negative in the second device control apparatus 6 (N in step S8), and this operation flow ends.

  When only one device control device 6 is provided for one remote control device 5, the determination result in step S8 is always affirmative.

  In step S9, the status information of the connected device is compared with the control information sent in step S1, and the process proceeds to step S10 described later. The state information of the connected device refers to the information stored in the storage unit 12. When there are a plurality of connected devices, a comparison process with the status information of each connected device is performed.

  In step S10, the comparison process in step S9 is evaluated. Specifically, it is determined whether the control information sent in step S1 changes the current state (operation) of the connected device, and the control information changes the current state of the connected device. If there is any (Y in Step S10), the process proceeds to Step S11 described later. On the other hand, if there is no change in the current state of the connected device (N in Step S10), this operation flow ends.

  In step S11, a control signal is transmitted to the connected device whose state is changed by the control information sent in step S1. Thereby, the connection apparatus which received the control signal changes a state based on the received control signal.

  In step S12 which moves after finishing step S11, the status information of the connected device stored in the storage unit 12 is updated with the information after transmitting the control signal in step S11.

(Figure 5: Communication terminal display screen and system operation explanation)
The operation on the communication terminal 1 and the operation of the remote control system will be described more specifically with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 showing the display screens of the communication terminal 1 and the flowchart of FIG. As described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, one device control device 6 is provided for one remote control device 5, and connection terminals 8a, 8b and 8c of the device control device 6 are provided. It is assumed that an air conditioner 7a, an air conditioner 7b, and a refrigerator 7c (see FIG. 2) are connected to each. In the following description, it is assumed that the setting switches 21a and 21b are connected to the “collective control” side, and the setting switch 21c is connected to the “individual control” side. In addition, for simplification of description, the description will be made ignoring the presence of the connection terminals 8d, 8e, and 8f.

  By performing a predetermined operation on the communication terminal 1, the display screen of the communication terminal 1 becomes a display screen D <b> 1 for controlling the home appliance 7 or viewing the state of the home appliance 7. On the display screen D1, characters of an air conditioner a, an air conditioner b and a refrigerator (corresponding to the air conditioner 7a, the air conditioner 7b and the refrigerator 7c in FIG. “Batch control” is displayed. The display screen D1 shows a state where the air conditioner a (corresponding to the air conditioner 7a in FIG. 2) is selected.

  When individually controlling the operation of the home appliance 7 connected to the device control device 6, for example, when the operation of the air conditioner 7a is turned on by remote control, the air conditioner a is selected as in the display screen D1. Then, a determination key (not shown) of the communication terminal 1 is pressed. In response to this pressing, the display screen D1 transitions to the display screen D2. The current state of the air conditioner 7a is displayed on the display screen D2. Specifically, as shown in the drawing, in the current air conditioner 7a, the operation is OFF and the operation mode is cooling (that is, the cooling operation is not performed), the set temperature is 27.0 ° C., and the air conditioner It is displayed that the temperature of the room in which the air conditioner 7a detected by 7a is installed is 30.0 ° C.

  Then, the item “Driving” is selected in the state of the display screen D2, and “OFF” is changed to “ON” by performing a predetermined key operation on the communication terminal 1 (the display screen changes from D2 to D3). ), And press the enter key (not shown).

  As a result, one piece of control information (individual control information) “turn on the air conditioner 7a to be turned on” is transmitted from the communication terminal 1 to the remote control device 5 via the Internet network 2 and the like, and further, the wireless communication unit 15 and This is given to the system control unit 14 via the wireless communication unit 10 or the like.

  The operation in the device control apparatus 6 in this case will be described with reference to FIG. First, since the control information is not collective control information, the determination in step S1 is negative and the process proceeds to step S8. Further, since there is only one device control device 6, the process proceeds to step S9. As described above, since the current state of the air conditioner 7a is “operation is OFF” (see the display screen D2 in FIG. 5), the control information indicating the content of “turn on the operation of the air conditioner 7a” is Then, the determination result in step S10 is affirmed.

  As a result, a control signal indicating the content of “turn on operation” is transmitted to the air conditioner 7a (step S11), and the operation of the air conditioner 7a is turned on (since the operation mode is cooling, the cooling operation is turned on). . Thereafter, a part of the state information of the air conditioner 7a stored in the storage unit 12 “operation: OFF” is updated to “operation: ON” (step S12).

  Note that “operation”, “operation mode”, and the like on the display screen D2 are all state information of the air conditioner 7a stored in the storage unit 12 of the device control device 6, and the other of the air conditioner 7b and the refrigerator 7c connected to the other. It is recorded in the storage unit 12 together with the state information. In addition, information on the display screen D <b> 1 that “current control targets are the air conditioner a (air conditioner 7 a), the air conditioner b (air conditioner 7 b), and the refrigerator” is also stored in the storage unit 12 of the device control device 6 as the state information of the home appliance 7. It is remembered.

  On the other hand, when collectively controlling the operation of the air conditioner 7a and the air conditioner 7b as the collective control connection devices, for example, when turning on the operation of the air conditioner 7a and the air conditioner 7b collectively, “collective control” on the display screen D1. Is selected, and a determination key (not shown) of the communication terminal 1 is pressed. In response to this pressing, the display screen D1 transitions to the display screen D4. On the display screen D4, an item “ON” and an item “OFF” are displayed. As shown in the figure, the item “ON” is selected and a determination key (not shown) is pressed again.

  As a result, one piece of control information (collective control information) indicating the content of “turn on the operation of the collective control connection devices collectively” is transmitted from the communication terminal 1 to the remote control device 5 via the Internet network 2 or the like. Further, it is given to the system control unit 14 via the wireless communication unit 15 and the wireless communication unit 10.

  The operation in the device control apparatus 6 in this case will be described with reference to FIG. First, since the control information is collective control information, the determination in step S1 is affirmative, and the process proceeds to step S3 via step S2. Since the air conditioner 7a and the air conditioner 7b are collective control connection devices, the determination result in step S3 is affirmative and the process proceeds to step S4. If the current operation of the air conditioner 7a is OFF and the operation of the air conditioner 7b is OFF, the collective control information changes the current state of the two connected devices. Accordingly, the determination result of step S5 is affirmative, and the process proceeds to step S6.

  As a result, a control signal indicating the content of “turn on operation” is transmitted to the air conditioner 7a (step S6), and the operation of the air conditioner 7a is turned on (since the operation mode is cooling, the cooling operation is turned on). ) And a control signal indicating the content of “turn on operation” is transmitted to the air conditioner 7b, and the operation of the air conditioner 7b is turned on. Thereafter, a part of the state information of the air conditioner 7a stored in the storage unit 12 “operation: OFF” is updated to “operation: ON” and a part of the state information of the air conditioner 7b “operation: OFF” is updated to “operation”. : "Is updated to" ON "(step S7).

  Note that when the collective control information indicating the content of “turn on the collective control connection device operation collectively” is sent to the device control device 6, the operation of the air conditioner 7a and the air conditioner 7b is OFF and ON, respectively. Even in some cases, since the state of at least one collective control connection device is changed by the collective control information, the determination result in step S5 is affirmative and the process proceeds to step S6.

  If it is desired to turn off the operation of the air conditioner 7a and the air conditioner 7b all at once, the item “OFF” in the state of the display screen D4 may be selected and a decision key (not shown) may be pressed.

  In this way, if the control method of the home appliances 7 for which the operation (operation ON / OFF, etc.) is to be controlled collectively is set to the collective control by operating the setting switch (setting switch 21a, etc.), the communication terminal 1 By simply inputting one control information (collective control information), operations (such as ON / OFF of operation) of those home appliances can be controlled collectively. As a result, the number of operations of the communication terminal 1 is reduced and the operability of the communication terminal 1 is improved as compared with the case of individually controlling the operation of the household electrical appliance (ON / OFF of driving, etc.).

  For home appliances, such as the refrigerator 7c, where there is little need to stop the operation in a normal use state and the operation is stopped in synchronization with the collective control connection device, the control method is set as individual control. Just keep it. Thereby, the refrigerator 7c is not influenced by the input of the “collective control information”.

(Comparison with the device control device of FIG. 7)
Note that the device control device 6 may be modified as in the device control device 100 shown in FIG. In the device control apparatus 100, a device connection unit for connecting home appliances is composed of an A connection unit 101 and a B connection unit 102, and the home appliances connected to the A connection unit 101 are collectively controlled connection devices. The home appliance connected to the B connection unit 102 is a connected device that is not affected by the collective control information. Up to four home appliances can be connected to the A connection unit 101, and up to two home appliances can be connected to the B connection unit 102.

  If the air conditioners 7a and 7b are connected to the A connection portion 101 of the device control apparatus 100 and the refrigerator 7c is connected to the B connection portion 102, the refrigerator 7c is collectively controlled while improving the operability of the communication terminal 1. Can be excluded.

  However, in the device control apparatus 100, the control method (collective control or individual control) of the home appliances 7 is limited depending on the connection location, and it is not possible to answer a request for controlling the five home appliances collectively. On the other hand, in the device control apparatus 6, the above-mentioned request can be answered by operating the setting switch 21a or the like, and the control method of the connected device can be easily changed. Therefore, it is desirable to adopt the configuration of the device control device 6.

  Further, since the device control device 6 is provided with the display unit 22 (setting display lamp 22a and the like), the control method of each connected device can be easily recognized as described above, and each connected device can be It is also possible to easily recognize whether the control is normally performed.

(Figure 6: Same household appliances)
Next, when the home appliances 7 connected to the appliance connection unit 8 of the appliance control device 6 are all the same (same model) home appliances, the operation on the communication device 1 and the operation of the remote control system will be described. This will be described with reference to FIG. Now, one device control device 6 is provided for one remote control device 5, and three air conditioners (not shown) are connected to the device connection unit 8 of the device control device 6. And Then, by operating the setting switch 21a and the like, it is assumed that all three air conditioner control methods are “collective control”.

  Although these three air conditioners are the same (same model) household electrical appliance, the device control device 6 recognizes each of the three air conditioners as an air conditioner a, an air conditioner b, and an air conditioner c. Information for making such a distinction is given to the system control unit 14 by operating the input I / F unit 13 when connecting three air conditioners to the device connection unit 8.

  Further, it is assumed that the operation of all three air conditioners is currently OFF and the operation mode of all three air conditioners is “cooling”. Further, it is assumed that the set temperatures of the air conditioner a, the air conditioner b, and the air conditioner c are 27.0 ° C., 28.0 ° C., and 26.0 ° C., respectively, and the indoor temperatures detected by the air conditioner a, the air conditioner b, and the air conditioner c, respectively. Are 30.0 ° C., 32.0 ° C. and 31.0 ° C., respectively.

  When such three air conditioners are connected, by performing a predetermined operation on the communication terminal 1, the display screen of the communication terminal 1 is for controlling the home appliance 7 or viewing the state of the home appliance 7 The display screen D11 is displayed. On the display screen D11, characters “air conditioner a”, “air conditioner b”, and “air conditioner c”, which are home appliances to be controlled, are displayed from the top, and characters “collective control” are displayed at the bottom. The display screen D11 shows a state where the air conditioner a is selected.

  When individually controlling the operation of the air conditioner a connected to the device control device 6, for example, when the operation of the air conditioner a is turned on by remote control, the air conditioner a is selected as shown in the display screen D11. Then, a determination key (not shown) of the communication terminal 1 is pressed. In response to this pressing, the display screen D11 transitions to the display screen D12. The current state of the air conditioner a is displayed on the display screen D12. Specifically, for example, as shown (display screen D12 in FIG. 6), in the air conditioner a, the operation is OFF and the operation mode is cooling (that is, the cooling operation is not performed), and the set temperature is 27. That the temperature of the room in which the air conditioner a detected by the air conditioner a is 30.0 ° C. is displayed.

  Then, the item “Operation” is selected in the state of the display screen D12, and “OFF” is changed to “ON” by performing a predetermined key operation on the communication terminal 1 (the display screen changes from D12 to D13). ), And press the enter key (not shown).

  As a result, one piece of control information “Turn on the operation of the air conditioner a” is transmitted from the communication terminal 1 to the remote control device 5 via the Internet network 2 or the like, and further, the wireless communication unit 15 and the wireless communication unit 10 or the like. Is provided to the system control unit 14 via In this case, the operation in the device control device 6 is performed by changing the item “RUN” from “OFF” to “ON” in the state of the display screen D2 (FIG. 5) and pressing the enter key (not shown). Same as the case. Therefore, a control signal indicating the content of “turn on operation” is transmitted to the air conditioner a (corresponding to the process of step S11 in FIG. 4), and the operation of the air conditioner a is turned on (more specifically, the air conditioner a). Since the operation mode is cooling, the cooling operation of the air conditioner a is turned on).

  On the other hand, when controlling the operations of the air conditioner a, the air conditioner b, and the air conditioner c, all of which are collectively controlled connection devices, for example, when the operations of the air conditioner a, the air conditioner b, and the air conditioner c are collectively turned on. In the display screen D11, the item “collective control” is selected, and the determination key (not shown) of the communication terminal 1 is pressed. In response to this pressing, the display screen D11 transitions to the display screen D14.

  The display screen D14 displays the current overall state of the air conditioner a, the air conditioner b, and the air conditioner c. Specifically, for example, as shown (display screen D14), the operations of the air conditioner a, the air conditioner b, and the air conditioner c are all OFF and the operation mode is all cooling (that is, the cooling operation is not performed). The set temperatures of the air conditioner a, the air conditioner b, and the air conditioner c do not match each other (displayed as “---” as shown), and the indoor temperatures detected by the air conditioner a, the air conditioner b, and the air conditioner c, respectively. Are not coincident with each other ("---" is displayed as shown).

  Then, the item “Driving” is selected in the state of the display screen D14, and “OFF” is changed to “ON” by performing a predetermined key operation on the communication terminal 1 (the display screen changes from D14 to D15). ), And press the enter key (not shown).

  As a result, one piece of control information (collective control information) that “turn on the operation of the collective control connection devices collectively” is transmitted from the communication terminal 1 to the remote control device 5 via the Internet 2 or the like. The information is given to the system control unit 14 via the wireless communication unit 15 and the wireless communication unit 10. The operation in the device control apparatus 6 in this case is the same as when the “ON” item is selected in the state of the display screen D4 and a determination key (not shown) is pressed.

  Therefore, a control signal indicating the content of “turn on operation” is transmitted to each of the air conditioner a, the air conditioner b, and the air conditioner c (corresponding to step S6 in FIG. 4), and the operation of the air conditioner a, the air conditioner b, and the air conditioner c ( More specifically, the cooling operation) is all ON.

  Furthermore, when setting all the set temperatures in the cooling operation of the air conditioner a, the air conditioner b, and the air conditioner c to 25.0 ° C., the item “set temperature” is selected in the display screen D15, and a predetermined key operation is performed on the communication terminal 1. To change the set temperature from “---” to “25.0 ° C.” (the display screen changes from D15 to D16), and presses the enter key (not shown).

  As a result, one piece of control information (collective control information) that “set the set temperatures of the air conditioners that are the collective control connection devices, that is, the air conditioner a, the air conditioner b, and the air conditioner c to 25.0 ° C.” 1 is transmitted to the remote control device 5 through the Internet network 2 and the like, and is further provided to the system control unit 14 through the wireless communication unit 15 and the wireless communication unit 10. The operation in the device control apparatus 6 in this case is the same as when the item “ON” is selected in the state of the display screen D4 and a determination key (not shown) is pressed.

  Therefore, a control signal indicating that “set temperature is 25.0 ° C.” is transmitted to each of air conditioner a, air conditioner b, and air conditioner c (corresponding to step S6 in FIG. 4), and air conditioner a, air conditioner b, and air conditioner are transmitted. All set temperatures of c are 25.0 ° C.

  Thus, when the some household appliances connected as a collective control connection apparatus are the same household appliances, operation | movement of these several household appliances is controllable collectively. That is, it is possible to perform collective control of operations such as batch switching control of operation ON or OFF, or changing various set values (such as the above-described set temperature) collectively. As a result, the number of operations of the communication terminal 1 is reduced compared to the case where the operation of the home appliance is individually controlled, and the operability of the communication terminal 1 is improved.

  In the remote control system configured as described above, the device control device 6 can transmit a control signal to a plurality of home appliances 7, so that each home appliance 7 to be remotely controlled serves as a wireless communication device. It is not necessary to provide a device having the function (this device can transmit a control signal to only one home appliance 7 per unit), and even if the number of home appliances 7 to be remotely controlled increases, it is already installed. Since the remote control can be realized simply by connecting the device control device 6 and the new home appliance 7, the increase in cost can be suppressed.

  In addition, since the wireless communication unit 10 and the wireless communication control unit 11 that perform transmission and reception of control information and the like are provided in the device control device 6, a wireless communication device and the like for performing wireless communication on the home appliance 7 that is a control target There is no need to provide.

<< Other, deformation, etc. >>
In the above-described embodiment, the home appliance 7 is taken as an example of the remote control target. However, the remote control target is not limited to a home electric device such as a home appliance. For example, all electrical devices such as industrial blowers and commercial large-scale freezers can be remotely controlled.

  2 shows an example in which the remote control device 5 and the device control device 6, and the air conditioner 7a, the air conditioner 7b, and the lighting fixture 7c, which are household electrical appliances 7, are all disposed indoors. This is because the embodiment of the present invention has been described with a home appliance as a control target, and according to the control target, the remote control device 5 and the device control device 6 and the installation location of the electrical device that is the control target are set outdoors. Changing to is optional.

  By configuring a remote control system using the device control apparatus according to the present invention, it is possible to remotely control a plurality of electrical devices at a low cost, and to suppress an increase in cost and an increase in size of the electrical device to be controlled. In addition, a plurality of electric devices can be controlled with a simple operation.

1 is a block diagram of a remote control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the specific usage example of the remote control system of FIG. It is a schematic diagram for showing the detail of the apparatus connection part in FIG. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the method in which the apparatus control apparatus in FIG. 1 outputs a control signal. It is a figure which shows the display screen with which the communication terminal in FIG. 1 is provided. It is a figure which shows the display screen with which the communication terminal in FIG. 1 is provided. It is a figure which shows the modification of the apparatus control apparatus in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1 Communication terminal (external terminal)
2 Internet network 3 ISP
4 Communication network 5 Remote control device 6 Device control device 7 Home appliance (electrical device)
8 Device connection unit 9 Device control unit 10 Wireless communication unit (transmission / reception means)
11 Wireless communication control unit (transmission / reception means)
12 storage unit 13 input I / F unit 14 system control unit 15 wireless communication unit (transmission / reception means)
16 Wireless communication control unit (transmission / reception means)
17 Display unit 18 Internet communication unit (communication means)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 19 Memory | storage part 20 System control part 21 Control method setting part 22 Display part 23 Connection cable

8a to 8f Connection terminal 21a to 21f Setting switch 22a to 22f Setting display lamp

Claims (9)

A device control device used in a remote control system for remote control of electrical equipment,
Transmission / reception means for receiving the control information by wireless communication from a device that inputs control information for controlling an electrical device via an internet network from an external terminal;
A device connection part comprising n (n is an integer of 2 or more) connection terminals capable of individually connecting electrical devices;
Control means for controlling the operation of the electrical equipment connected to each connection terminal based on the control information;
Control method setting means capable of setting the control method of the electrical equipment connected to each connection terminal to the first control method or the second control method for each connection terminal, and
In the case where the control information is collective control information for collectively controlling the operation of the electric device, the control means is configured such that the set control method is an electric device connected to the connection terminal of the second control method. A device control apparatus that performs the operation control for all. The control means is characterized in that, when the control information is the collective control information, the set control method excludes the electric device connected to the connection terminal of the first control method from the target of the operation control. The apparatus control apparatus according to claim 1. When the control information is individual control information for individually controlling the operation of the electrical device, the control means is connected to a connection terminal including at least the connection terminal of the first control method. The device control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation control is performed on any one of the electrical devices. The device control apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the operation control is control for turning on or off an operation of an electric device connected to each connection terminal. 5. The display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising display means for displaying which of the first control method and the second control method is the control method set for each connection terminal. The apparatus control apparatus in any one of. When at least one of the electrical devices connected to each connection terminal cannot execute the operation according to the operation control, the display means connects the connection terminal to which the electrical device that cannot execute the operation is connected, or the 6. The device control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein an electric device that has not been able to execute an operation is specified, and a display indicating an operation control failure is performed. The display device further includes the same number of display means as that provided in a one-to-one correspondence with each of the n connection terminals.
Each display means performs a first display when the control method set to the corresponding connection terminal is the first control method, while the control method set to the corresponding connection terminal is the second control method. The apparatus control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second display is performed when the method is used. When at least one of the electrical devices connected to each connection terminal cannot execute the operation according to the operation control, the display unit corresponding to the connection terminal to which the electrical device that could not perform the operation is connected, The device control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a third display is performed. A remote control system for performing remote control of electrical equipment, comprising a remote control device and the device control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The remote control device includes:
Communication means for inputting the control information from the external terminal via the Internet;
A remote control system comprising: a transmission / reception unit that wirelessly transmits the control information to the device control apparatus.

Images