JP3249447B2 - Centralized control system for multiple devices - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a centralized control system for centrally operating a plurality of target devices such as audio-visual (AV) devices and lighting devices.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, digital video discs (DVD)
A plurality of AV devices such as a player, a video cassette recorder (VCR), a laser disk (LD) player, a compact disk (CD) player, and a TV receiver are widely used for ordinary households. These AV devices can be individually operated using a dedicated infrared remote controller attached to each AV device.

However, in order to operate one or a plurality of desired AV devices among a plurality of AV devices, a dedicated remote controller attached to the AV device to be operated is selected from a plurality of remote controllers. It is necessary to operate a plurality of keys provided on the remote controller, and the operation is extremely complicated. In addition, since the types of operation keys are different for each remote controller, it is necessary to learn how to operate all the remote controllers, and there is a problem that operation is difficult especially for a beginner.

[0004] Therefore, as shown in FIG.
(31), VCR (32), LD player (33), CD player (3
4), AV equipment group such as TV receiver (35), AV amplifier (37)
(3) The host computer (4) is connected via the device control device (20).
0) and a keyboard (42) and a display (43) as input / output devices of the host computer (40).
A centralized control system that can centrally operate the V equipment group (3) has been proposed. According to the centralized control system, on the device selection screen displayed on the display (43), a desired device to be operated can be selected by operating the keyboard (42). A desired operation can be performed by selecting and operating the operation key on the screen on which the operation key of the selected device is displayed.

[0005] The device control device (20) is a host computer.
Upon receiving the command from (40), the command is converted into a remote control signal for each AV device, and then sent to each AV device to operate the required AV device. At this time, the device control device (20) executes the control operation shown in FIG. That is, in step S1, a command (serial control command) from the host computer (40) is received, and the control command is converted into a remote control signal (control code) for each AV device. The remote control signal is transmitted to each AV device in parallel. Then, in step S3, the host computer (4
0) is returned as a response signal (ACK signal).

For example, when the keyboard (42) shown in FIG. 6 is operated to reproduce the VCR (32) at a volume of 10, if the current volume is 3, the host computer (40)
Sends a volume up command (control command) to the device control device (20) seven times as shown in FIG. 8 so as to increase the output of the AV amplifier (37) stepwise from 3 to 10. . Each time the device control device (20) receives a control command from the host computer (40), it converts the control command into a control code for each AV device, and then sends the control code to each AV device. Upon receiving the control code, the AV amplifier (37) increases the volume by one step and returns an ACK signal to the device control device (20). Equipment control device (2
0) receives the ACK signal from the AV amplifier (37) and returns an ACK signal to the host computer (40). The host computer (40) receives the ACK signal from the device control device (20) and sends the next volume up command (control command) to the device control device (20). Thereafter, the same communication is repeated, and the output of the AV amplifier (37) is finally set to the volume of 10.

Thereafter, the host computer (40) sends a VCR playback control command to the device control device (20), and in response thereto, the device control device (20) sends a control code for VCR playback to each AV device. Is sent. The VCR (3
2) starts the playback operation and sends A to the device control device (20).
Reply the CK signal. In response, the device control device (20) returns an ACK signal to the host computer (40).

As described above, according to the centralized control system shown in FIG. 6, even a beginner who is not accustomed to operating the device can operate the keyboard (42) while looking at the screen of the display (43). Can be intensively and easily operated.

[0009]

However, in the centralized control system shown in FIG. 6, immediately after instructing one device operation involving volume adjustment, an operation for re-adjusting the volume or using another AV device is required. In the case where the operation for performing the operation is continuously performed, the operation according to the next instruction is started after the volume adjustment operation according to the first instruction is completed. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 8, the host computer (40)
From the AV amplifier (37) to the device control device (20) and from the device control device (20) to the host computer (40) in response to the control command. One communication process in which an ACK signal is returned is repeated seven times, so that it is not possible to shift to the next VCR playback operation until a series of communication processes for increasing the volume is completed. For this reason, as described above, if one device operation with volume adjustment is commanded immediately after another device operation is successively commanded, a long waiting time occurs before the device operation by the subsequent command starts, resulting in an operational feeling. Had a bad problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to instruct a plurality of devices including a step-responsive device, such as a sound volume control, which changes an operation state in a step-by-step manner, to instruct another device to operate immediately after giving a command to the step-responsive device. In such a case, it is an object of the present invention to provide a centralized control system capable of obtaining a good response characteristic to a device operation according to a subsequent command.

[0011]

A centralized control system for a plurality of devices according to the present invention comprises an input device to be operated when instructing each device to operate, and a host control which operates in response to a command from the input device. And a plurality of devices connected to the host control device via the device control device. Here, when the control command from the host control device is a command based on an up command or a down command to the step-responsive device, the device control device transmits another control code in accordance with the control command, and then transmits another control code. The transmission of the control code according to the control command is prioritized.

In the centralized control system of the present invention, the input device is operated to issue an up command or a down command (for example, a tone adjustment command for the AV amplifier) to the step-responsive device, and immediately thereafter, to any device. When an operation command (for example, a VCR reproduction command) is issued to the device control device, the device control device does not transmit the control code corresponding to the first command, but transmits the control code corresponding to the next command with priority. Thus, operations such as VCR reproduction are started. Thereafter, the device control device sends out a control code according to the first command, whereby the step-responsive device is controlled, and the operation state changes stepwise.

[0013] Specifically, the host control device includes a control command generating means for generating a control command for the device control device in response to a command from the input device, and the control control device generates the control command. Communication means for performing communication including transmission of a command and reception of a response signal is provided.
The device control device may further include a control code generation unit configured to generate a control code for one or a plurality of devices according to a control command sent from the host control device, and the one or more devices. Communication means for performing communication including transmission of the created control code and reception of the response signal, and returning a response signal to the host control device in response to reception of the response signal from the device.

Here, when the control command from the host control device is a command based on an up command or a down command for the step-responsive device, the communication means of the device control device transmits a control code corresponding to the control command. Without repeating the operation of returning a response signal to the host control device, thereafter, in response to another control command from the host control device, transmission of the control code, reception of the response signal, and transmission of the response signal with priority After the execution, a plurality of control codes are sequentially transmitted according to the plurality of control commands received in the repetition process. However, a certain limit is imposed on the number of times of the priority transmission of the control code.

In the above specific configuration, since the response signal is returned from the device control means to the host control device without waiting for the response signal from the device, the execution time of the repetition process is longer than before. Is also greatly reduced.
As a result, the operation of the device according to the next command is started quickly.

In a further specific configuration, the communication means of the device control device, when receiving a control command based on an up command or a down command for the step-responsive device from the host control device, stores the reception of the control command. It has buffer means. In the specific configuration, when the communication unit of the device control device continuously receives a control command based on an up command or a down command from the host control device, the operation of the device according to the next command is performed. Thereafter, the control command stored in the buffer means is read, and the transmission of the control code is repeatedly executed according to the number of times the control command is received. As a result, the operation state of the step-responsive device is adjusted stepwise according to the up command or the down command.

In a specific configuration, the communication means of the device control device receives a control command based on an up command or a down command for the step-responsive device before transmitting the plurality of control codes to the step-responsive device. In such a case, there is provided a counting means for counting the reception of the control commands stored in the buffer means. In the specific configuration, by the operation of the input device, for example, when a volume adjustment command is continuously issued, the number of receptions of the control command stored in the buffer unit according to the first volume adjustment command,
The number of receptions of the control commands stored in the buffer means is totalized in response to the next volume adjustment command, and the operation state of the step-responsive device is adjusted based on the totaling result. Therefore, the step-responsive device does not go through a useless operation state,
It will quickly transition to the final operating state.

[0018]

According to the centralized control system of the present invention, for a plurality of devices including a step-responsive device that changes the operation state in a stepwise manner, such as tone adjustment, immediately after giving a command to the step-responsive device. When another device operation is commanded, a good response characteristic is obtained for the device operation according to the subsequent command.

[0019]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to central control of a plurality of AV devices will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the centralized control system according to the present invention comprises a DVD player (31), a VCR (32), an LD player (33), a CD player (34), a TV receiver (35), an AV amplifier (37). ) For the AV equipment group (3)
It controls the V equipment intensively. In addition, TV receiver
A display (36) is connected to (35), and an AV amplifier (37)
Is connected to a speaker (38).

The plurality of AV devices are a device control device (2)
Is connected to the host computer (4). The host computer (4) has an input device (41).
The host computer (4) has an infrared transceiver (5)
Is connected, and can communicate with the portable information communication device (1) to be operated by the user via the infrared transmitting / receiving device (5).

The portable information communication device (1) comprises a control circuit (11) comprising a microcomputer, a display (13) functioning as an information output device, and an information input device attached to a screen of the display (13). It has a touch panel input device (12) functioning as a personal computer and an infrared transmitting / receiving device (14), and has both portability equivalent to a conventional remote controller and versatility equivalent to a conventional personal computer. Infrared transmitting / receiving device (14) of the portable information communication device (1)
Transmits / receives an infrared remote control signal to / from an infrared transmitting / receiving device (5) connected to the host computer (4), and transmits / receives an infrared remote control signal between the portable information communication device (1) and the host computer (4). To achieve bidirectional communication.

The host computer (4) creates a control command for the device control device (2) in response to a command from the portable information communication device (1), and communicates with the device control device (2).
The communication includes transmitting the created control command and receiving an ACK signal to the portable information communication device (1). The device control device (2) includes a control circuit (21) including a microcomputer, a memory (22) for buffering control commands and the like, and an AV device group (3) via an AV signal line and a control signal line. ) And a selector (23) connected thereto, and decodes a control command sent from the host computer (4) to recognize which AV device the control command is for. At the same time, the control command is converted into a control code for the recognized specific AV device, the transmission of the converted control code to and from the AV device,
The communication including the reception of the ACK signal is performed, and the ACK signal is received.
ACK to host computer (4) in response to signal reception
A signal is returned.

Here, when the control command from the host computer (4) is a volume control command, the device control device (2) sends the ACK signal to the host computer without transmitting a control code corresponding to the command. The operation of replying to (4) is repeated, and thereafter, the host computer (4)
When another control command is received from the PC, transmission of the control code corresponding to the control command to the group of AV devices, reception of the ACK signal from the AV device, and transmission of the ACK signal to the host computer are executed with priority. After that, a plurality of control codes are sequentially transmitted to the AV device group in accordance with the plurality of control commands received in the repetition process.

FIG. 2 shows a communication procedure executed by the host computer (4). First, in step S11, it is determined whether or not there is a device control request based on the operation of the portable information communication device (1). If yes, step S12
, A device control command from the portable information communication device (1) is obtained. Next, in step S13, the device control command is converted into a control command for the device control device (2).
At 14, a control command is transmitted to the device control device (2). Then, in step S15, it is determined whether an ACK signal has been received from the device control device (2). If the determination is no, the process returns to step S15 after a lapse of a predetermined time via step S16. It returns to step S11.

FIG. 3 shows a communication procedure executed by the device control apparatus (2). First, in step S21, a counter value and a volume code standby flag are cleared, and in step S22, a host computer is executed. The control command from (4) is received. Then, it is determined in step S23 whether a new control command has been received. If NO, the process proceeds to step S24, in which it is determined whether the volume standby flag is ON.
Returning to step 22, the reception of the control command is repeated.

Thereafter, when a new control command is received and the answer is YES in step S23, it is further determined in step S25 whether the received control command is a volume up / down control command. I do.
If it is determined NO, the process shifts to step S26 to convert the received control command into a control code,
The control code is transmitted to the AV device, and the ACK is transmitted from the AV device.
After receiving the signal, an ACK signal is returned to the host computer (4) in step S27. Next, step S28
Then, it is determined whether or not the volume code waiting flag is on. If the answer is yes, the counter value is counted up in step S29. If the answer is no, the process skips step S29 and returns to step S22.

On the other hand, if the answer is YES in step S25, the counter value is set to a predetermined value in step S30.
(For example, 3), it is determined whether or not it has exceeded, and if no, the process proceeds to step S31 to buffer the volume up / down control command in the memory (22). An ACK signal is returned to the host computer (4). Then, in step S33, the volume code waiting flag is turned on, and the process returns to step S22.

Thereafter, if the reception of a new control command is not detected in step S23 and it is determined in step S24 that the volume code standby flag is on, the process proceeds to step S34. Step S3
Similarly, when it is determined to be YES in step S3, step S3
Move to 4. After resetting the counter value in step S34, in step S35, the number of buffered volume up / down control commands is totaled, and a plurality of control codes corresponding to the number of volume up / down control commands are created. Then, in step S36, a plurality of created volume up / down control codes are sequentially transmitted to A
Transmit to V amplifier. Thereafter, in step S37, the volume code waiting flag is turned off, and the process returns to step S22.

FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 each show a specific communication operation of the system realized by the above-mentioned communication procedure. When the portable information communication device (1) shown in FIG. 1 is operated to reproduce the VCR (32) at a volume of 10, for example, assuming that the current volume is 3, the host computer (4)
2 repeats a series of communication procedures shown in FIG. 2 seven times in order to increase the output of the AV amplifier (37) from 3 to 10, thereby increasing the volume control command for the device control device (2) as shown in FIG. Communication consisting of transmission and reception of a dummy ACK signal from the device control device (2) is executed seven times.

On the other hand, the equipment control device (2) waits for reception of a control command from the host computer (4) by repeating steps S22 to S24 of the communication procedure shown in FIG. 3, and receives a control command for increasing the volume. Each time, the process proceeds from step S25 to steps S30 to S33, and the process of returning the dummy ACK signal is repeated seven times as shown in FIG. In this process, the device control device (2) only returns the dummy ACK signal in response to the volume up control command from the host computer (4), and does not send out the volume up control code to the AV amplifier. As a result, seven volume up control commands are accumulated in the memory (22) of the device control device (2).

Thereafter, when the device control device (2) receives a control command for VCR reproduction from the host computer (4) as shown in FIG. 4, it is determined NO in step S25 in FIG. Equipment control device
(2) sends a control code for reproduction to the VCR (32), and after receiving an ACK signal from the VCR (32), returns an ACK signal to the host computer (4) in step S27. Thereafter, since a new control command is not sent from the host computer (4), it is determined NO in step S23, and further, YES is determined in step S24, and the procedures of steps S34 to S37 are executed.
As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, the volume control code is transmitted from the device control device (2) to the AV amplifier (37) seven times, and the output of the AV amplifier (37) is set to the volume of 10.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the operation of the portable information communication device (1), in which the instruction to reproduce the VCR (32) at the volume of 10 is given, and then the command is changed to the instruction to reproduce the CD player (34) at the volume of 5. It shows the communication operation in the case of performing. As in the case of FIG. 4, a volume up control command is sent from the host computer (4) to the device control device (2) seven times, and after these seven control commands are buffered in the memory (22), , A control code for reproduction is sent to the VCR (32), and the VCR (32) responds accordingly to the device control device.
To (2), further from the equipment control device (2) to the host computer
An ACK signal is returned to (4).

Next, the host computer (4) sends a volume down control command to the device control device (2) five times in response to the CD playback command at volume 5. In response to this, every time the control command for decreasing the volume is received, the device control device (2) executes steps S25 to S30 to S3.
The process shifts to the process of No. 3, and the process of returning the dummy ACK signal is repeated five times as shown in FIG. In this process, the equipment control device (2)
Only returns a dummy ACK signal in response to a volume down control command from the host computer (4).
The volume down control code is not sent to the device. As a result, five volume down control commands are stored in the memory (22) of the device control device (2).

After that, the host computer (4)
A CD playback control command is sent to the device control device (2) in response to the playback command. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, a control code for reproducing the CD is transmitted from the device control device (2) to the CD player (34), and in response to the reception of the ACK signal from the CD player (34), the host computer ( Return ACK signal to 4).

Thereafter, since a new control command is not sent from the host computer (4), the determination in step S23 of FIG. 3 is NO, the determination in step S24 is YES, and the procedures in steps S34 to S37 are performed. Is executed. Here, the number of control commands for volume up (7) and the number of control commands for volume down (5) buffered in the memory (22) are subtracted by the tallying process in step S35, and the volume up control command is subtracted. Two control codes are created. Then, in step S36, these two volume up control codes are sequentially transmitted to the AV amplifier (37). As a result, the output of the AV amplifier (37) is set to volume 5.

If another device operation is continuously commanded a plurality of times (for example, three or more times) immediately after the command of one device operation accompanied by volume adjustment, the determination in step S30 of FIG. 3 is YES. Is determined, and the process proceeds to steps S34 to S37. Therefore, the AV amplifier corresponding to the volume adjustment command
The situation in which the operation of (37) is prioritized over other device operation commands and is not executed forever is avoided.

As described above, according to the centralized control system for a plurality of devices according to the present invention, if one device operation involving volume adjustment is commanded immediately after another device operation is successively commanded, the first command As the post-processing of the sound volume adjustment according to, the operation of the device according to the subsequent command is started quickly, so that good responsiveness can be obtained. Further, when the volume adjustment is changed in a later command, only the necessary volume adjustment operation is executed as a result of the summation of the volume up / down control commands, and no unnecessary operation is performed. Is completed in a short time.

The configuration of each part of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the technical scope described in the claims. For example, in the example of FIG. 1, the device control device (2) decodes the control command from the host computer (4), determines which AV device is the control command, and determines the target device. The communication method of transmitting the control code only to the AV device is adopted. However, the present invention is not limited to this. An address assigned to each AV device is added to the control code, and the control code is transmitted to all the AV devices in parallel. It is also possible to employ a communication method. Further, the centralized control system according to the present invention can be implemented for centralized control of various devices other than AV devices. For example, a lighting fixture is used as a step-responsive device that changes the operation state in a stepwise manner according to an up command or a down command. It is also possible to implement in a deployed configuration.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a centralized control system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a communication procedure of a host computer.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a communication procedure of the device control device.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of a communication operation performed between a host computer, a device control device, and an AV device.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing another specific example of the above.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a conventional centralized control system.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a communication procedure of a conventional device control device.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of a communication operation performed between a conventional host computer, a device control device, and an AV device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 (1) Portable information communication device (2) Device control device (3) AV device group (4) Host computer (37) AV amplifier (38) Speaker

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G06F 3/02 390

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A centralized control system for a plurality of devices including a step-responsive device for changing an operation state stepwise according to an up command or a down command, wherein an input to be operated when commanding an operation to each device is provided. And a host control device that operates in response to a command from the input device. A plurality of devices are connected to the host control device via the device control device, and the host control device receives a command from the input device. Control command creating means for creating a control command for the device control device, and communication means for performing communication including transmission of the created control command and reception of a response signal between the device control device. A control code generating unit configured to generate a control code for one or a plurality of devices according to a control command sent from the host control device; Alternatively, communication means for performing communication including transmission of the created control code and reception of a response signal with a plurality of devices, and returning a response signal to the host control device in response to reception of the response signal from the device. When the control command from the host control device is a command based on an up command or a down command for the step-responsive device, the communication means of the device control device does not transmit a control code corresponding to the control command. The operation of returning a response signal to the host control device was repeated, and thereafter, in response to another control command from the host control device, transmission of the control code, reception of the response signal, and transmission of the response signal were performed with priority. And transmitting a plurality of control codes sequentially according to a plurality of control commands received in the repetition process. Your system. 2. The communication means of the device control device, when receiving a control command based on an up command or a down command for the step-responsive device from the host control device, includes a buffer means for accumulating the reception of the control command. 2. The centralized control system according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The communication device of the device control device, further comprising: a buffer for receiving a control command based on an up command or a down command for the step-responsive device before transmitting the plurality of control codes to the step-responsive device. 3. The centralized control system according to claim 2, further comprising a totalizing means for totalizing a plurality of control commands stored in said means. 4. A fixed limit is set on the number of times of priority transmission of the control code.
The centralized control system according to any one of the above.