JP2699825B2 - Cordless remote control water heater - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cordless remote control water heater for controlling communication between a remotely installed appliance and a remote controller (also called a remote controller) by using radio waves.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional cordless remote control water heater system will be described with reference to FIG.

[0003] The water heater main body and the remote control communicate with each other using radio waves of one fixed frequency, and the remote control operates using a battery power supply. The main body is continuously in a receivable state.

First, when the switch is operated after turning on the power of the remote controller (P1), the remote controller transmits an operation signal to the water heater main body (D), and the water heater main body receives this signal (C). Thereafter, the main body transmits a response signal to the remote controller (B). T1 seconds after the end of the response signal, the water heater main body and the remote controller start their respective timers so that they can communicate at the same timing. With this operation, timer synchronization is established, and the remote controller turns on the receiving power supply every T2 seconds thereafter to perform intermittent reception (E), and the water heater main unit also has a transmission timing to the remote control every T2 seconds (E). A).

For example, when the remote control switch is operated at P2, the remote control immediately transmits an operation signal, but a response is returned from the main body at P3, which is the reception timing of the remote control. Further, when the hot water supply unit is in the hot water supply combustion state at P4, the timing of actually transmitting the hot water supply combustion information to the remote control is the reception timing (P5) of the remote control after T3 seconds. In this manner, the remote controller can perform communication while intermittently performing reception while saving the power of the battery power supply.

[0006] Immediately before transmitting a radio wave to both the remote controller and the water heater, it is checked whether a radio wave (carrier) of the same frequency has already been transmitted from another system (hereinafter referred to as carrier sense). Do
If there is a carrier, suspend temporary transmission.

[0007]

However, when performing transmission and reception using one frequency, if a small number of cordless water heaters are used, transmission and reception can be performed without any problem because the interference of electric waves between the water heaters is small. If a large number of cordless water heaters are installed in a collective property and dozens of remote controllers are used at the same time, transmission may not be possible due to carriers before transmission, or transmission and reception will occur due to radio wave interference There was a problem that it took a long time before the response was delayed.

Further, the communication system of the cordless remote control water heater is for a specific low power standard telecon / telemeter issued (S
TD-16), continuous transmission is up to 30
Up to a second is officially recognized. Therefore, there is a possibility that one frequency may be used continuously for 30 seconds in a system of another company other than the water heater, and there is a problem that, with only one frequency, a change in the state of the water heater or an operation content of the remote controller cannot be transmitted during this time. Was.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a communication system that performs communication using a plurality of frequencies and has a high response even when a large number of systems exist.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above object, a first means of the cordless remote control water heater of the present invention comprises a transmitting means for transmitting a radio signal, a receiving means for receiving, and a hot water supply operating condition. Operating means for inputting, timer means for receiving a response signal to the operation input signal of the operating means transmitted by the transmitting means, and timing the water heater main body which has transmitted the response signal with reference time, and the timer means
A remote control having a transmission frequency changing means for changing a frequency of a transmission radio wave based on a reference time with the water heater main body, a main body receiving means for receiving an operation input signal from an operation means of the remote control by a radio signal, A main body transmitting means for transmitting a signal, a main body timer means for measuring a reference time in synchronization with a remote control by a reception signal from the remote control, and a change in transmission radio frequency of the remote control in synchronization with information from the main body timer means. The receiving radio frequency of the main unit to the same frequency as the transmitting radio frequency of the remote control.
And a water heater main body having a main body reception frequency changing means for changing the frequency.

[0011] second means of the present invention includes a power supply control means for remote control of the timer means performs intermittently supplied intermittently receives the power from the battery power supply at predetermined counting time to the receiving means, radio wave to be received The remote control is provided with a receiving frequency changing means for periodically switching the frequency of the remote control, and the power supply of the power control means of the remote control is performed by a signal from the main body timer means.
Main body transmission means for transmitting to the remote control in synchronization with the timing of the main body, and main body transmission frequency change for changing the transmission frequency of the main body to the same frequency as the reception frequency of the remote control in synchronization with the change of the reception frequency of the remote control Means.

[0012]

According to the first means of the present invention, the transmission frequency of the remote controller and the reception frequency of the water heater main body can be changed in synchronization with each other. Transmission and reception can be performed at the frequency, and it is possible to transmit the operation contents of the remote controller to the main body without delay.

According to the second means of the present invention, the remote control turns on the power of the receiving means of the remote control in synchronization with the data transmission timing of the main body, and changes the transmission frequency of the main body in synchronization with the reception frequency of the remote control. It becomes possible to do. Therefore, even if a certain frequency is continuously used, transmission and reception can be performed at another frequency, and the state change of the main body can be displayed on the remote controller without delay, and at the same time, the battery power consumption of the remote controller can be reduced. Power saving can be achieved.

[0014]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1A and 1B, reference numeral 1 denotes a remote controller, 2
Is a timer means for measuring the synchronization timing with the water heater main body 10, 3 is a reception frequency changing means, 4 is a transmission frequency changing means, and changes the frequency according to the time measured by the timer means 2. 5 is a receiving means for receiving a radio signal, 6
Is a wireless signal transmitting means, 7 is a power control means for controlling power supply from the battery to the receiving means 5 based on the time measured by the timer means 2, 8 is operating means such as a push button, 9 is a transmitting / receiving antenna, 18 is a transmitting / receiving antenna. Display means such as a liquid crystal panel for displaying the state of the main device. The transmitting means 6 transmits the contents operated by the operating means 8 to the water heater main body 10 via the antenna 9, and the receiving means 5 displays the state of the main body from the signal received from the water heater main body 10 via the antenna 9. It has a function to display.

Reference numeral 11 denotes a main body timer means for measuring the synchronization timing with the remote controller 1, 12 denotes a main body transmission frequency changing means, and 13 denotes a main body transmission frequency changing means, each of which changes the frequency in accordance with the time measured by the timer means 11. 14
Is a main body receiving means for receiving a radio signal, 15 is a main body transmitting means for transmitting a radio signal, 16 is a main body control means for controlling a combustion operation of the main body, and 17 is a transmitting / receiving antenna. The transmitting means 15 transmits information from the main body control means 16 to the antenna 17.
, And the receiving means 14 has a function of transmitting an operation signal received from the remote control 1 via the antenna 17 to the main body control means 16. The operation will be described below based on the above configuration.

FIG. 2 is a communication timing chart in one embodiment of the present invention. Water heater body 10 and remote control 1
When the communication has not been started, the transmission / reception frequency of the water heater and the transmission / reception frequency of the remote controller are both fixed to channel 1. When the switch is operated by the operation means 8 of the remote controller 1 from this state (P6), the remote controller 1 transmits an operation signal to the water heater main body 10 (J), and the water heater main body 10 receives this signal (H). ). Thereafter, the water heater main body 10 transmits a response signal to the remote controller 1 (F), but T4 seconds after the end of the response signal, the water heater main body 10 and the remote controller 1
Activates the main body timer means 11 and the timer means 2 so that they can communicate at the same time.

The transmission / reception operation so far is performed on channel 1 which is a transmission / reception frequency fixed in advance. By this operation, timer synchronization is established, and the remote controller 1 turns on the power of the receiving means 5 by the power control means 7 every T5 seconds thereafter to perform intermittent reception (L).
0 also has a transmission timing to the remote controller every T5 seconds (G).

After the establishment of the timer synchronization, the transmission / reception frequency of both the water heater main unit 10 and the remote controller 1 is switched at the following timing. First, the reception of the water heater main body 10 is performed at a period T5 which is a half of the intermittent reception period T5 seconds of the remote controller 1.
The receiving channel is switched in / 2 seconds. This is because the main body receiving frequency changing means 12 confirms the time measured by the main body timer means 11 and changes to channel 2 after T5 / 2 seconds have elapsed, and further changes to channel 3 after T5 / 2 seconds. After T5 / 2 seconds, the main body receiving means 14 is controlled to return to the first channel 1 (I).

The corresponding transmission by the remote controller 1 must be performed on the same channel as the reception channel of the water heater main body 10. For example, when a switch operation is performed in P8, the remote controller 1 transmits an operation signal (J),
At this time, the transmission channel may be set to the channel 2 being received by the water heater main body 10. That is, as shown by (K), the transmission channel of the remote
The transmission frequency changing means 4 confirms the time to be measured, and the transmission channel of the transmission means 6 should be switched at the same timing as the main unit. If the remote control 1 determines that a radio wave of the same frequency has already been transmitted by carrier sense performed immediately before transmission, there is no problem if transmission is performed after waiting for the next transmission channel 3.

Next, the remote controller 1 performs intermittent reception at a period of T5 seconds as described above (L). At this time, the reception is first performed on the channel 1 and the reception timing after T5 seconds 2 and then periodically changes to channel 3 and then to channel 1 again (M). This can be achieved by the receiving frequency changing means 3 counting the time T5 seconds counted by the timer means 2 and controlling the receiving channel of the receiving means 5 every T5 seconds.

Corresponding transmission from the water heater main body 10 must be transmitted on the same channel as the reception channel of the remote controller 1. For example, when the hot water supply unit 10 is in the hot water supply combustion state at P9, the timing for actually transmitting the hot water supply combustion information to the remote controller 1 is the reception timing (P10) of the remote controller 1 after T6 seconds, but the transmission at this time is performed. The channels may be set to the same three channels as the remote control receiving channel (G). This is the main body timer means 11
T5 seconds elapse is measured by the main body transmission frequency changing means 13
Can be counted by controlling the transmission channel of the main body transmission means 15 every T5 seconds.

If the water heater main body 10 determines that the radio wave of the same frequency has already been transmitted by the carrier sense performed immediately before transmission, there is no problem if the transmission is performed after waiting for channel 1 after T5 seconds.

With the above configuration, even if the channel 1 is used continuously in another system, the remaining 2
The transmission from the remote controller 1 to the water heater main body 10 and the transmission from the water heater main body 10 to the remote controller 1 in both directions can be performed in three channels. If the time T5 is set within a range of several seconds, the response delay is small. Communication becomes possible. Note that it is necessary to store three identical transmission / reception channels in the remote controller 1 and the water heater body 10, but this can be set in advance by using a switch or the like, or can be stored only in the water heater body 10 in advance. Every
It is also possible to add the transmission / reception channel information to a response signal from the water heater main body 10 in response to the switch operation in P6 at the beginning of the communication, and to transmit the response signal to the remote controller 1.

[0024]

As described above, according to the first means of the present invention, when a certain transmission / reception frequency is continuously used by another system, or when a large number of cordless remote control water heaters are installed adjacently. Even if the radio wave environment deteriorates due to simultaneous use, it is possible to transmit the operation contents of the remote controller to the main body with less response delay by transmitting and receiving using a plurality of radio wave frequencies.

Further, according to the second means of the present invention, even in the above-mentioned situation, it is possible to display a change in the state of the main body on the remote controller with a small response delay, and at the same time, to save battery power consumption of the remote controller. Power saving can be achieved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 (a) is a block diagram of a remote control of a cordless remote control water heater according to one embodiment of the present invention. (B) is a block diagram of a water heater main body of the water heater.

FIG. 2 is a communication timing chart of the water heater.

FIG. 3 is a communication timing chart of a conventional cordless remote control water heater.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Remote control 2 Timer means 3 Receiving frequency changing means 4 Transmitting frequency changing means 5 Receiving means 6 Transmitting means 7 Power control means 8 Operating means 10 Water heater main body 11 Main body timer means 12 Main body receiving frequency changing means 13 Main body transmitting frequency changing means 14 Main body Receiving means 15 Main body transmitting means

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Chie Hirata 1006 Kazuma Kadoma, Kadoma-shi, Osaka Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-4-315681 (JP, A) JP-A-4- 132397 (JP, A) JP-A-1-95630 (JP, A)

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A transmitting means for transmitting and receiving a radio signal, an operating means for operating and inputting a hot water supply operation condition, and a response signal to an operating input signal of the operating means transmitted by the transmitting means is received. Timer means for measuring the time at the same time as the water heater main body that transmitted the signal, and a remote control having transmission frequency changing means for changing the frequency of the transmission radio wave based on the reference time of the water heater main body of the timer means, A main body receiving means for receiving an operation input signal from the operation means of the remote controller as a radio signal, a main body transmission means for transmitting a radio signal, and a main body timer for synchronizing a remote control and a reference time by a reception signal from the remote control Li means and the received radio wave frequency of the body in synchronism with information from the body timer means changes the transmission radio wave frequency of the remote control Same circumference and transmitting radio frequency con
A cordless remote control water heater including a water heater main body having a main body reception frequency changing means for periodically changing the wave number . Wherein intermittently the power control means supplies power performs intermittent reception, the reception switching the frequency of the radio wave to be received periodically from the battery power source for each predetermined time remote control of the timer means for counting the receiving means A frequency changing means is provided in the remote control, a main body transmitting means for transmitting to the remote control in synchronization with a power supply timing of the power supply control means of the remote control by a signal from the main body timer means, and in synchronization with a change in the reception frequency of the remote control. Set the transmission frequency of the
2. The cordless remote control water heater according to claim 1, further comprising a main body transmission frequency changing means for changing the transmission frequency to the same frequency as the communication frequency.