JP2011061467A - Remote controller - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a remote controller that lengthens an effective use period of a built-in primary battery, and includes an alternative use mechanism of a general-purpose battery. <P>SOLUTION: When using the general-purpose battery 33, a slider switch 20a connects a terminal (a) to a terminal (b) and connects a terminal (d) to a terminal (e) in a change-over switch 20 that the remote controller includes. In a microcomputer 30, the terminal (d) is connected to the terminal (e), thus supplying power from the general-purpose battery 33. In this case, the terminal (a) is connected to the terminal (b), thus preventing a solar cell 12 from being connected to the microcomputer 30, and preventing connection of a terminal (f) and hence also preventing a lithium primary battery 32 from being connected to the microcomputer 30. As a result, the connection of the solar cell 12 and the lithium primary battery 32 to the microcomputer 30 is completely disconnected. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a wireless remote controller for operating an electronic device.

In recent years, wireless remote controllers have been frequently used to operate electronic devices.
In a battery used for this type of remote controller, it has been proposed to use a lithium primary battery having a relatively large current capacity instead of a general-purpose battery such as an alkaline / manganese battery as a method for extending the effective use period. . In addition, a technique has been proposed in which a solar panel (solar cell) is mounted and electric power is assisted by converting solar energy into electric energy.

A technology that allows general-purpose batteries such as alkaline and manganese batteries to be used as alternatives in order to prevent deterioration of serviceability and user convenience when batteries that are difficult to replace such as lithium primary batteries are installed. Are disclosed (for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).
In Patent Document 1, in a mobile phone, a rechargeable secondary battery is mounted to supply power, but in an environment where charging is difficult, an alkaline primary battery is mounted on a dedicated socket to make an emergency. The technology that can be used is disclosed. Furthermore, a diode for preventing a backflow of current from the secondary battery is provided for the alkaline primary battery.

  In Patent Document 2, a secondary battery charged by a solar battery is used as a main drive power source, and when the secondary battery as the main drive power source runs out of battery, a detachable external battery is attached as an auxiliary drive source. Techniques for electronic devices that can be used are disclosed.

In recent years, due to an increase in environmental awareness, a highly serviceable product equipped with a function for extending the effective use period of a battery used in a remote controller is demanded.
In Patent Document 1, a rechargeable secondary battery is mounted, and in an environment where charging cannot be performed, an alkaline primary battery can be mounted, thereby having a function that does not depend on the environment in which the battery is used. ing. However, there is a limit to the number of times that the secondary battery can be charged. When the limit of the number of times of charging is reached, the secondary battery needs to be replaced. In addition, the backflow prevention method using a diode does not have a diode that does not leak at all, and therefore, if used for a long time, the allowable charge current may be exceeded.

  In Patent Document 2, when a secondary battery charged by a solar battery is overdischarged and runs out of battery, an external battery is loaded, and the external battery is connected to a circuit using a switch and used as an emergency. However, since a secondary battery that is charged by a solar battery is used as the main drive power source, there is always an overdischarge of the secondary battery when the amount of power generated by the solar battery cannot be sufficiently obtained, so-called battery exhaustion. It is possible that the device cannot be used frequently. In this case, the external battery can be used as an emergency, but the external battery must be connected frequently.

  In addition, when the frequency of use of electronic devices is high, it may be assumed that the amount of power generated by solar cells is always insufficient under indoor conditions where the amount of power generated using solar cells cannot be sufficiently obtained. From the end to the end, that is, throughout the life of the electronic device, the general-purpose battery is repeatedly replaced and used. This is inconvenient for the user and not friendly to the environment. In addition, since the secondary battery has a relatively short guarantee of the memory effect and the number of times of charging / discharging, it increases the frequency of use of the external battery along with the use of the device.

  Furthermore, in Patent Document 2, when the frequency of use of electronic devices is small and the amount of power generated by a solar battery is sufficient, it is not necessary to load an external battery for a relatively long time, but the frequency of using a changeover switch is also low. There is. In this case, depending on the environment in which the electronic device is used, for example, it tends to rust in areas with high humidity, especially where there is a lot of salt, such as the coastal area. There is a possibility that the electronic device cannot be used due to contact failure due to contact rusting.

Japanese Patent No. 3642769 JP-A-4-325840

As described above, in a battery used for a remote controller, there is a method in which a lithium primary battery having a relatively large current capacity is incorporated instead of a general-purpose battery such as an alkaline / manganese battery in order to extend an effective use period.
However, if a lithium primary battery is built-in, it is difficult to replace as described above, and it is necessary to extend the effective use period. In addition, a general-purpose battery is used as an alternative to suppress a decrease in user convenience. There was a problem that a mechanism that can be used is necessary.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a remote controller having an effective use period of a built-in primary battery and having an alternative use mechanism for a general-purpose battery. To do.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a remote controller including a primary battery and a solar battery used in combination with the primary battery, an insertion means for inserting a general-purpose battery into the remote controller, and the primary battery. And a battery switching means for switching the solar battery to the general-purpose battery.
Further, the present invention provides a remote controller having a built-in primary battery and a solar battery used in combination with the primary battery. The display means for displaying the operation contents of the remote controller and the remote controller are unused for a predetermined period. Control means for performing control to shift to the standby mode in such a case, and controlling to stop the display of the display means when the mode is shifted to the standby mode.

  Further, the present invention includes a primary battery built in, and a remote controller including a solar battery used in combination with the primary battery, and includes an insertion means for inserting a general-purpose battery into the remote controller, and when the primary battery is overdischarged, The third power supply to which the general-purpose battery inserted in the insertion means is connected by cutting off the first power supply circuit to which the primary battery is connected and the second power supply circuit to which the solar battery is connected. A circuit is connected.

According to the present invention, by providing an insertion means for inserting a general-purpose battery instead of a built-in primary battery that is difficult to replace, serviceability is improved by avoiding an inoperable state due to running out of the battery. Can do.
Further, by stopping the display of the display means in the standby mode, it is possible to reduce the load current of the built-in primary battery and prolong the effective use period of the primary battery.
Moreover, when switching from a primary battery and a solar cell to a general purpose battery, the charging current to a general purpose battery can be prevented by interrupting | blocking the connection of a primary battery and a solar cell.

  The present invention can provide a remote controller having an effective use period of a built-in primary battery and having an alternative use mechanism of a general-purpose battery.

It is a figure which shows the external appearance structure of the air conditioner controlled by the remote controller which concerns on this embodiment. It is a front view which shows the external appearance of a remote controller. It is a rear view which shows the external appearance of a remote controller. It is a side view which shows the external appearance of a remote controller. It is a sectional side view of a remote controller. It is a figure which shows the battery socket of a remote controller. It is a figure which shows the structure of the transmission / reception part of a remote controller. It is a circuit diagram which shows the control structure in a remote controller. It is a figure which shows a battery selector switch and a peripheral circuit structure. It is a figure which shows a battery selector switch and a peripheral circuit structure. It is a figure which shows the circuit structure as a comparative example.

Hereinafter, a remote controller according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an external configuration of an air conditioner controlled by a remote controller according to the present embodiment. The air conditioner 1 is configured by connecting an indoor unit 2 and an outdoor unit 3 with a connection pipe 4, and air-conditions the room. An indoor transmission / reception unit 7 for receiving an infrared operation signal from a separate remote controller 5 is provided at the lower right end of the indoor unit 2 shown in the lower right of the figure. That is, the remote controller 5 can operate the air conditioner 1 via the indoor transmission / reception unit 7 provided in the indoor unit 2.

<Description of remote controller>
Next, the overall configuration of the remote controller 5 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the external appearance of the remote controller 5. FIG. 3 is a rear view showing the external appearance of the remote controller 5. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the external appearance of the remote controller 5. FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of the remote controller 5. FIG. 6 is a view showing a battery socket of the remote controller 5. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of the transmission / reception unit of the remote controller 5.

As shown in FIG. 2, the remote controller 5 includes an operation button 10 for performing an operation instruction, a liquid crystal display screen (LCD module) 11 for displaying operation contents, a solar cell (solar panel) 12, an indoor transmission / reception unit 7, and the like. The remote controller transmission / reception part 13 covered with the light reception cover 13a which communicates in the direction is provided.
As shown in FIG. 3, a battery socket cover 14 is provided on the back surface of the remote controller 5.

As shown in FIG. 4, the remote controller 5 includes a finger hook portion 34 at a substantially central portion on the back surface.
As shown in FIG. 5, the remote controller 5 has a built-in lithium primary battery 32 that is a battery that is difficult to replace. In addition, the remote controller 5 includes a battery socket 15 into which a general-purpose battery is inserted and a caution tag 35 inside the battery socket cover 14.

  FIG. 6 shows a state in which the battery socket cover 14 (see FIG. 3) is removed. In the battery socket 15, battery connection terminals 16, 17, 18, 19 are provided so that the user can easily use the battery. It has a replaceable configuration. A general-purpose battery such as an alkaline / manganese battery is inserted into the battery socket 15 and can be supplied as a power source for the remote controller 5. In addition, a general purpose battery can be generally purchased in a convenience store etc., such as an AA dry battery and an AAA dry battery, for example.

A battery changeover switch 20 is provided in the vicinity of the battery socket 15.
Note that the caution tag 35 shown in FIG. 5 is arranged in the battery socket 15 so that the user can read it when the battery socket cover 14 is opened. This caution tag 35 takes care not to insert the general-purpose battery even though the lithium primary battery 32 is in a usable state and the usage method of the battery changeover switch 20 when the general-purpose battery is inserted into the battery socket 15. It is provided for the purpose of urging (a method of using a general-purpose battery and a means for caution).

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the remote controller transmission / reception unit 13 of the remote controller 5. FIG. 7 is a view of the remote controller 5 shown in FIG. The remote controller transmission / reception unit 13 includes an infrared light receiving element 21 and an infrared light emitting diode 22. Further, a room temperature thermistor 23 for detecting the room temperature is mounted in the vicinity of the remote controller transmission / reception unit 13 so that the room temperature around the remote controller 5 can be detected at any time.

FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram showing a control configuration in the remote controller 5. The remote controller 5 includes a microcomputer 30 that controls the whole. An operation button 10, a liquid crystal display screen (LCD module) 11, and a transmission circuit 31 are connected to the microcomputer 30.
The microcomputer 30 is supplied with power from the lithium primary battery 32 and the solar battery 12. The lithium primary battery 32 is connected to the microcomputer 30 via the battery changeover switch 20, the diode 41, the booster circuit 42, the diode 43 connected in parallel with the booster circuit 42, and the diode 44, and supplies power to the microcomputer 30. (First power supply circuit).

  Further, since a large current of about 500 mA flows through the transmission circuit 31, power is directly supplied from the lithium primary battery 32. In order not to be affected by the voltage drop of the lithium primary battery 32 caused by the transmission circuit 31, the booster circuit 42 is used in the first power supply circuit connected to the microcomputer 30.

  The solar battery 12 is connected to the microcomputer 30 via a charging capacitor 51, a regulator 52, a battery changeover switch 20, and a diode 53, and supplies power to the microcomputer 30 (second power supply circuit). A diode OR circuit 50 is constituted by the diode 44 and the diode 53, and power is supplied to the microcomputer 30 from the higher supply voltage of the lithium primary battery 32 or the solar battery 12.

The battery selector switch 20 has six terminals a, b, c, d, e, and f, and a gold contact effective as rust prevention is provided between each terminal and the slider switch 20a that contacts each terminal. Two circuits can be switched simultaneously (two circuits and two contacts).
In the state of << normal time; general-purpose battery not set >> shown in FIG. 8, the battery selector switch 20 has a terminal b and a terminal c connected by a slider switch 20a, and a terminal e and a terminal f connected. That is, the microcomputer 30 can supply power from the solar battery 12 by connecting the terminal b and the terminal c, and can be supplied from the lithium primary battery 32 by connecting the terminal e and the terminal f. Electric power can be supplied.

As shown in FIG. 8, electric power for operating the remote controller 5 is supplied using the lithium primary battery 32 as a main power source and the solar battery 12 in combination. During normal operation, the battery socket 15 is empty as shown in FIG.
In such a configuration, when the illuminance in the room where the remote controller 5 is used is high and the power generation amount of the solar battery 12 can be sufficiently secured, a part of the load current, for example, the load current of the microcomputer 30 in the standby mode is used. The power is not supplied from the lithium primary battery 32 and the battery life of the lithium primary battery 32 is extended.

Further, in order to extend the battery life of the lithium primary battery 32, the microcomputer 30 performs control to reduce the load current by stopping the display of the liquid crystal display screen 11 when the remote controller 5 is not used, that is, in the standby mode.
Here, the setting for shifting to the standby mode shifts to the standby mode by detecting an unused state, for example, when there is no input from the operation button 10 for 3 hours. The setting for shifting to the standby mode is not limited to 3 hours, and may be set in units of days such as one day, two days, or three days, or in units of hours or minutes. It is only necessary to shift to the energy saving mode while securing the above.

The remote controller 5 can detect a change in capacitance, that is, whether or not a human hand touches the remote controller 5, and the transition to the standby mode is set depending on the presence or absence of the detection. You may do it. Further, a lid may be provided on the remote controller 5 and the transition to the standby mode may be set by opening and closing the lid.
Note that the solar battery 12 is used in combination with the lithium primary battery 32 as the main power source, even if the illuminance of the room is low and the amount of power generated by the solar battery 12 is insufficient, the remote controller 5 cannot be used. Therefore, the use of the air conditioner 1 is not restricted, and the convenience of the user is realized to the maximum.

  Further, although a small amount of charging current is generally recognized for a lithium primary battery, it is necessary to reduce the charging current as much as possible due to limitations. Therefore, the circuit shown in FIG. 8 of the present embodiment has a configuration in which a charging current does not flow from the solar battery 12 to the lithium primary battery 32 when the lithium primary battery 32 and the solar battery 12 are used together.

<Description when using general-purpose batteries>
As described above, the remote controller 5 that supplies power from the lithium primary battery 32 and the solar battery 12 always has a battery life even if the lithium primary battery 32 having a large current capacity is used. It is assumed that the lithium primary battery 32 is over-discharged within the life of the air conditioner 1 when the usage frequency is much higher than expected.
However, since the battery replacement of the lithium primary battery 32 built in the remote controller 5 normally requires a relatively specialized technique, it is necessary to avoid a general user from replacing the battery.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, a general-purpose battery such as an alkaline / manganese battery can be mounted. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, a general-purpose battery such as an alkaline / manganese battery can be inserted into the battery socket 15. When the general-purpose battery is inserted, the battery selector switch 20 is switched, and the circuit connection is switched from the power supply from the lithium primary battery 32 and the solar battery 12 to the power supply from the general-purpose battery.

FIGS. 9 and 10 are diagrams showing a circuit configuration when the general-purpose battery 33 is inserted into the battery socket 15.
FIG. 9 shows a state of the battery changeover switch 20 in which the lithium primary battery 32 and the solar battery 12 are connected to the microcomputer 30.
FIG. 10 shows a state of the battery changeover switch 20 in which the general-purpose battery 33 is connected to the microcomputer 30.

  In the state of << when a general-purpose battery is set >> shown in FIG. 9, the battery selector switch 20 has a terminal b and a terminal c connected by a slider switch 20a, and a terminal e and a terminal f connected. That is, the microcomputer 30 can supply power from the solar battery 12 by connecting the terminal b and the terminal c, and can be supplied from the lithium primary battery 32 by connecting the terminal e and the terminal f. Electric power can be supplied.

  In the state of “when using a general-purpose battery” shown in FIG. 10, the battery selector switch 20 has a terminal a and a terminal b connected to each other and a terminal d and a terminal e connected by the switched slider switch 20 a. In other words, the microcomputer 30 can only supply power from the general-purpose battery 33 by connecting the terminal d and the terminal e (third power supply circuit). That is, in this case, since the terminal a and the terminal b are connected, the solar battery 12 is not connected to the microcomputer 30 and the terminal f is not connected. Therefore, the lithium primary battery 32 is also connected to the microcomputer. 30 is not connected.

As a result, the connection of the solar battery 12 and the lithium primary battery 32 to the microcomputer 30 is completely disconnected.
Note that when the general-purpose battery 33 is inserted into the battery socket 15, the battery changeover switch 20 may be arranged so that the solar battery 12 and the lithium primary battery 32 are automatically switched to the general-purpose battery 33 inserted. In this case, the convenience for the user can be further improved.

  Unlike the lithium primary battery 32, the general-purpose battery 33 such as an alkaline / manganese battery does not allow any charging current. Therefore, even if current leakage is prevented by a diode or the like, the leakage current cannot be completely prevented. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the general-purpose battery 33 is used, the charging current flows through the general-purpose battery 33 by completely shutting off the circuit of the lithium primary battery 32 and the solar battery 12 using the battery changeover switch 20. Can be prevented.

In addition, the battery changeover switch 20 is configured to switch two circuits at the same time, so that two circuits of the circuit connected to the lithium primary battery 32 and the circuit connected to the solar battery 12 are switched at the same time. Can be prevented.
When the lithium primary battery 32 is normal, the lithium primary battery 32 built in the remote controller 5 bears a part of the load on the solar battery 12 and displays the liquid crystal display screen 11 in the standby mode. Since the current consumption is stopped and the current consumption is kept low, it is possible to maintain a usable state without overdischarge for an extremely long time. Therefore, the opportunity to insert and use the general-purpose battery 33 is after an extremely long time.

  Normally, the changeover switch is mechanically and electrically refreshed by opening and closing the contacts. However, in this embodiment, the life of the lithium primary battery 32 is extended as described above, and the battery changeover switch 20 is turned on. The frequency of use is very low, and the timing of use is after a very long time, so that contact refresh due to contact opening / closing cannot be expected, and there is a risk of contact failure due to contact rusting. This contact rusting is more severe in coastal areas where there are many salt floats in the air. In this embodiment, a gold contact that does not generate rust is used for the battery changeover switch 20 to prevent rust.

  The reason why the lithium primary battery 32 is used as the primary battery built in the remote controller 5 is that the capacity can be increased at a relatively low cost and the economic burden on the user can be reduced. In addition, in the selection appropriate for the built-in primary battery, the same effect can be obtained even if a primary battery other than lithium is used.

  In addition, when the general-purpose battery 33 is used, a warning tag 35 that describes how to use the battery changeover switch 20 for switching the power supply circuit is stored in the battery socket 15, so that the user is informed of the usage. Although the lithium primary battery 32 is in a usable state, it is possible to prevent a general-purpose battery from being erroneously inserted. Further, when a general-purpose battery is used after the lithium primary battery 32 is overdischarged, the usage method of the battery selector switch 20 for switching the battery is described in the caution tag 35 to prompt the user to perform the operation correctly. it can.

  FIG. 11 shows a configuration that does not have the battery socket 15 into which the power supply switch 20 and the general-purpose battery 33 are inserted as a comparative example.

According to this embodiment, even if a primary battery that is difficult to replace is built in, a user can easily replace the battery (general-purpose battery) to improve serviceability and improve the remote controller. Continuous use is possible, and as a result, the effective use period of the air conditioner can be extended.
In addition, the effective use period of the primary battery built in the remote controller can be extended, the battery can be replaced to improve serviceability, and a remote controller considering the global environment can be configured.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Air conditioner 2 Indoor unit 3 Outdoor unit 4 Connection piping 5 Remote controller 7 Indoor transmission / reception part 10 Operation button 11 Liquid crystal display screen (LCD module: Display means)
12 Solar cells
13 Remote controller transceiver 15 Battery socket (insertion means)
16, 17, 18, 19 Battery connection terminal 20 Battery switch (switching means)
21 Infrared light receiving element 22 Infrared light emitting diode 23 Room temperature thermistor 30 Microcomputer (control means)
31 Transmission Circuit 32 Lithium Primary Battery 33 General-purpose Battery 35 Caution Tag 41, 43, 44, 53 Diode 42 Booster Circuit 50 Diode OR Circuit 51 Capacitor 52 Regulator

Claims (12)

In a remote controller with a built-in primary battery and a solar cell used together with the primary battery,
Inserting means for inserting a general-purpose battery into the remote controller;
Battery switching means for switching the primary battery and the solar battery to the general-purpose battery;
A remote controller comprising:   The remote controller according to claim 1, wherein the insertion unit is a battery socket into which a general-purpose battery can be inserted.   The remote controller according to claim 1, wherein the battery switching unit is a switch that switches the primary battery and the solar battery to the general-purpose battery.   The battery switching means switches a first power supply circuit to which the primary battery is connected and a second power supply circuit to which a solar battery is connected to a third power supply circuit to which the general-purpose battery is connected. The remote controller according to claim 1, wherein the remote controller is a switch.   The battery switching means is a two-circuit two-contact switch that simultaneously shuts off the first power supply circuit to which the primary battery is connected and the second power supply circuit to which the solar battery is connected. The remote controller according to any one of claims 1 to 4.   6. The remote controller according to claim 1, wherein the switch is provided in the vicinity of the battery socket.   7. The remote according to claim 1, wherein the battery switching unit switches the primary battery and the solar cell to the general-purpose battery when a general-purpose battery is inserted into the insertion unit. controller.   8. The remote controller according to claim 7, wherein the battery switching means forcibly switches the primary battery and the solar battery to the general-purpose battery when a general-purpose battery is inserted into the insertion means.   2. The remote controller according to claim 1, further comprising: a usage method when using the general-purpose battery and a means for calling attention when the general-purpose battery is inserted into the insertion unit. In a remote controller with a built-in primary battery and a solar cell used together with the primary battery,
Display means for displaying operation details of the remote controller;
Control means for performing control to shift to the standby mode when the remote controller is not used for a predetermined period, and for controlling to stop the display of the display means when the remote controller is shifted to the standby mode;
A remote controller characterized by comprising.   7. The remote controller according to claim 3, wherein a gold contact is used for the switch. In a remote controller with a built-in primary battery and a solar cell used together with the primary battery,
An insertion means for inserting a general-purpose battery into the remote controller;
When the primary battery is overdischarged, the first power supply circuit to which the primary battery is connected and the second power supply circuit to which the solar battery is connected are cut off and inserted into the insertion means. A remote controller characterized by connecting a third power supply circuit to which is connected.

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