JP2006339739A - Communication device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a communication device capable of measuring a value where a battery voltage falls the most, reliably in a radio slave having an infrared signal outputting device. <P>SOLUTION: The communication device has a radio master 6 and the radio slave 1. The radio slave 1 comprises the infrared signal outputting device 3 for controlling equipment 5 having an infrared light receiving unit, and a battery voltage detection means 2 for measuring the battery voltage of a power supply for detecting a drop. By the battery voltage detection means 2, the battery voltage is detected after an infrared output signal is outputted which differs from the infrared output signal outputted when the equipment is controlled. As a result, the infrared output signal can be outputted which is at speed that can be processed by an A/D input function in a microcomputer for radio slave control when the battery voltage is measured, thus measuring the value, where the battery voltage falls the most, reliably, and detecting the voltage drop correctly. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a communication device that controls an apparatus using infrared rays.

  In recent years, a wireless slave device that performs wireless communication is connected to white appliances such as air conditioners and security devices such as intrusion sensors, and wirelessly communicates with a home controller that is a wireless master device installed in a home. Connect to a mobile phone or service center via a home controller to control equipment such as an air conditioner from outside the house, or notify the security information in the home to a home away from home via a mobile phone Network systems have been developed. A battery is generally used as the driving power source of the wireless slave unit because no power construction is required at the time of installation. As a device for controlling a device by connecting to a service center or the like using a wireless master / slave device, there is a slave wireless device for an automatic meter reading wireless system (for example, see Patent Document 1).

This is configured to connect a meter such as gas or water to the wireless slave unit, detect an abnormality in the meter or a drop in battery voltage, and notify the service center. In addition, the detection of the battery voltage drop of the wireless master / slave device is performed by comparing the value of the battery voltage temporarily lowered by the load with the determination value during wireless transmission with the largest power load (see, for example, Patent Document 2). ).
JP-A-9-36971 Japanese Patent No. 1359187

  However, with the conventional configuration, it is very difficult to reliably measure the value of the battery voltage. In other words, when the battery voltage is detected when the power load is the highest, in the configuration including both the wireless master / slave device that transmits / receives the current radio wave and the infrared signal output device that controls the device including the infrared light receiver, the power load Is the largest when an infrared output signal is transmitted rather than wirelessly, and the battery voltage at this time is fluctuating greatly.

  FIG. 3 shows the relationship between the infrared output signal 12 and the battery voltage 13 that is a power source during device control for outputting infrared rays by emitting infrared LEDs (not shown). The infrared output signal 12 is a combination (home-made cooperative format) for turning on / off an industry standard pulse signal for a specified time. As can be seen from the figure, the battery voltage 13 repeatedly decreases and increases in conjunction with Hi / Low of the infrared output signal 12. The battery voltage drop time is about 9 μs, and even if you try to measure the battery voltage with the A / D input function of the microcomputer for controlling the wireless slave unit, the processing speed (depending on the type of microcomputer, it is generally It is impossible to reliably measure the value that has fallen the most.

  An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described conventional problems, and to provide a communication device capable of reliably measuring a value at which the battery voltage has dropped most in a wireless slave device including an infrared signal output device. To do.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, a communication device of the present invention includes a wireless master device and a wireless slave device, and the wireless slave device includes an infrared signal output device that controls a device including an infrared receiver, and a power source. Battery voltage detection means for measuring a certain battery voltage and detecting a drop, and the battery voltage detection means outputs the battery voltage after outputting an infrared output signal different from the infrared output signal output when controlling the device. It is intended to be detected.

  This makes it possible to output an infrared output signal at a speed that can be processed by the A / D input function of the microcomputer for controlling the wireless slave unit when measuring the battery voltage. A decrease can be detected. Therefore, it is less likely to stop home appliances and security devices connected to the home network system due to running out of battery, and a more reliable system can be realized.

  The communication device of the present invention can reliably measure the value at which the battery voltage has dropped most.

  1st invention is equipped with the radio | wireless main | base station and the radio | wireless sub_unit | mobile_unit, the radio | wireless sub_unit | mobile_unit is the battery which measures the battery voltage which is a power supply, and detects a fall by controlling the apparatus provided with the infrared receiver The battery voltage detecting means comprises a communication device configured to detect a battery voltage after outputting an infrared output signal different from an infrared output signal output when controlling the device. Because it can output an infrared output signal at a speed that can be processed with the A / D input function of the microcomputer for controlling the wireless slave when measuring the battery voltage, it reliably measures the value at which the battery voltage dropped the most, and correctly reduces it. Can be detected. Therefore, it is less likely to stop home appliances and security devices connected to the home network system due to running out of battery, and a more reliable system can be realized.

  In the second invention, in particular, in the first invention, the battery voltage detection means outputs a pulse signal of a certain time width once, unlike the infrared output signal output when controlling the device, and then the battery voltage Since the output time of the infrared output signal when measuring the battery voltage can usually be made shorter than when controlling the device, the battery consumption can be kept low.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 shows a communication apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  As shown in the figure, the wireless slave unit 1 measures the battery voltage that is the power source of the wireless slave unit 1 and detects a drop, and an infrared signal output device that controls a device including an infrared receiver. 3 and a wireless transmitter / receiver 4. The infrared signal output device 3 controls the device 5 including an infrared light receiver such as a control lighting device by the infrared output signal. The infrared signal output device 3 outputs an infrared output signal 7 different from an infrared output signal (an industry standard format) that is normally output when the device 5 is controlled when the battery voltage is detected. The battery voltage detection means 2 detects the battery voltage after outputting an infrared output signal different from the infrared output signal 7 output when the device is controlled. The wireless master device 6 communicates wirelessly with the wireless slave device 1 and the wireless transceiver 4. The wireless master device 6 is connected to the Internet network or the public line 8 via an IP adapter or the like and communicates with a service center, a mobile phone 9 or the like.

  Next, the operation and action of the communication apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described.

  First, when the battery voltage is detected, the infrared signal output device 3 outputs an infrared output signal different from the infrared output signal (industry standard format) output when the infrared device 5 is normally controlled. The infrared output signal is dedicated to battery voltage detection and can be processed at a speed that can be processed by the A / D input function of the microcomputer for controlling the wireless slave unit. That is, when measuring battery voltage on a regular basis, an infrared output signal that is different from the infrared output signal that is normally output when controlling the device is output, so that the measurement is performed when the battery voltage has dropped most reliably. Therefore, it is possible to correctly detect and notify a decrease, and it is less likely to stop home appliances and security devices connected to the home network system due to running out of the battery, thereby realizing a more reliable system.

  Further, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the target device or other device malfunctions, compared with the case where the non-operation command signal of the same format is issued, and similarly, it is possible to realize a more reliable system.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 2 shows a relationship between the infrared output signal and the battery voltage when the battery voltage is detected by the communication device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in the figure, the infrared output signal 11 at the time of battery voltage detection is a pulse signal with a certain time width only once, and the battery voltage 12 is detected after output. As an example, the Hi time is set to a speed that can be processed by the A / D input function of the microcomputer for controlling the wireless slave unit as in the first embodiment, and is set to about 100 μs, which is the maximum value of the standard.

  As can be seen from the figure, since the pulse signal is only once, the battery voltage does not repeatedly drop and rise in conjunction with the Hi / Low of the pulse signal as in the prior art. Therefore, it is possible to reliably measure and notify when the battery voltage has dropped most, and it is less likely to stop home appliances and security devices connected to the home network system due to battery exhaustion, A more reliable system can be realized.

  Furthermore, since the output time can usually be made shorter than when the device is controlled, battery consumption can be kept low and the device can be used for a longer time.

  As described above, since the communication device according to the present invention can reliably measure the value at which the battery voltage has dropped most, it can be applied to applications such as battery voltage detection in devices that perform infrared communication such as an infrared remote controller. it can.

Configuration diagram of communication apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention Relationship diagram between infrared output signal and battery voltage when battery voltage is detected by communication device in embodiment 2 of the present invention Relationship diagram between infrared output signal and battery voltage during device control in a conventional communication device

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Wireless cordless handset 2 Battery voltage detection means 3 Infrared signal output device 4 Wireless transmitter / receiver 5 Device 6 Wireless master device 7 Infrared output signal

Claims (2)

The wireless slave unit includes an infrared signal output device that controls a device including an infrared receiver, and a battery voltage detection unit that measures a battery voltage as a power source and detects a decrease. The battery voltage detecting means detects the battery voltage after outputting an infrared output signal different from the infrared output signal output when controlling the device. 2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the battery voltage detecting means detects the battery voltage after outputting a pulse signal having a predetermined time width once, unlike the infrared output signal output when controlling the device. .

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