JPH01283034A - Load device control unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable remote control of a conventional load device by placing the contact of an electromagnetic relay between a plug and a receptacle and opening/closing the contact based on a control signal fed from a personal computer. CONSTITUTION:A load device control unit comprises a plug 51 to be inserted into a commercial source 3 receptacle 31, a receptacle 52 to be inserted with the source plug 24 of a load device 2, the contact 54 of an electromagnetic relay 53 arranged between the plug 51 and the receptacle 52 and a receiving circuit 55 for receiving a control signal and driving the electromagnetic relay 53. Control signal produced from a personal computer 4 is fed through an IF circuit 44 and a signal transmission medium 6 to a plurality of receiving circuits 55 constituting a load device control unit. The receiving circuit 55 is set with a code indicating a load device, and when it matches with the code contained in the control signal the receiving circuit 55 drives the electromagnetic relay 53 to open the contact 54.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] An automatic control system using a personal computer as a main control device, particularly a load device control unit that remotely controls the power supply circuit of a load device, without a built-in receiving circuit or electromagnetic relay. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a load device control unit using a personal computer as the main control device, which can remotely control a normal load device without installing a wire bus or the like in a building. , an outlet into which the power supply plug of the load device is inserted, an electromagnetic W1 electric contact point interposed between the plug and the outlet, and a receiving circuit which receives the control signal and drives the electromagnetic relay, and is a signal transmission medium. The contacts of the electromagnetic relay are configured to open and close in response to control signals input from a personal computer via the relay.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to an automatic control system using a personal computer as a main control device, and particularly to a load device control unit that remotely controls a power supply circuit of a load device.

BACKGROUND ART In recent years, as various electrical appliances have become widespread, interest in home automation and factory automation, in which such devices are controlled from a remote location, is increasing. However, in order to achieve automation in general homes and offices, it is necessary to introduce expensive equipment to remotely control these electrical appliances.

On the other hand, personal computers (hereinafter referred to as personal computers) have come to be widely used in households and offices as devices for collecting and organizing various types of information and as main control devices for controlling various electronic devices. Information is exchanged between computers using telephone lines.

Therefore, as a means of automating homes and offices, there is a need for the development of a load device control unit that uses a personal computer as the main control device and can remotely control the power supply circuit of the load device without installing a wire bus or the like inside the building. There is.

[Conventional technology]

Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the home bus system.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a conventional control device using a personal computer.

The home bus system, which has been attracting attention in recent years as a means of automating homes and offices, uses a home bus controller (referred to as HBC), which manages home bus channels and external line connections, as shown in Figure 4. ), and the input side of HI3C1 is connected to a cable C1 from a receiving antenna that takes in broadcast radio waves, a cable C2 from CATV, a cable 03 from a telephone line, and the like. In addition, a wire bus 11 for transmitting information and control signals 15 is connected to the output side of I(B C1), and the connection between the load device 2 and the wire bus 11 is through an information outlet 12.
This is done via a wireless bus 13 using infrared rays, radio waves, or the like.

Furthermore, as a means for controlling the power supply of the load devices 2 such as the air conditioner system and the hot water supply system, a control signal is sent from the wire bus 11 to the commercial power supply 3 via the interface circuit (referred to as IF7 path) 14, and the control signal is sent via the outlet 31. The load devices 2 connected to the commercial power source 3 each include a receiving circuit 21 that extracts a control signal from the commercial power source 3, and an electromagnetic relay 23 that opens and closes the power supply circuit based on the extracted control signal.
The power supply circuit of the load device is opened and closed by inputting a signal via, for example, a telephone line.

On the other hand, personal computers are used not only as information processing devices, but also as main control devices in automatic control devices. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, in a conventional control device using a personal computer, a keyboard 41, a telephone line 42, etc. are connected to a personal computer 4, and control signals outputted from the personal computer 4 are sent through a wire bus 43. Each of the load devices 2 connected to the commercial power source 3 via an outlet 31 includes a receiving circuit 22 that extracts a control signal from a wire bus 43, and an electromagnetic relay 23 that opens and closes a power supply circuit based on the extracted control signal.

In such a control system, by inputting a code or an execution command indicating a controlled load device to the personal computer 4 via the keyboard 41, telephone line 42, etc., a control signal is input to the receiving circuit 22 via the wire bus 43, and the control signal is input to the receiving circuit 22 via the wire bus 43. The power supply circuit is opened and closed.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, when trying to automate a home bus system, it is necessary to introduce an expensive WBC, wire the wire bus inside the building, and install a receiving circuit that extracts control signals from the wire bus as a controlled load device and a remote control with a built-in electromagnetic relay. A control load device must be installed.

Similarly, when automating with conventional control equipment using a personal computer, you can use a personal computer at hand instead of an HBC, but by wiring a wire bus inside the building,
In addition, there is a problem in that a receiving circuit for extracting control signals from a wire bus and a load device for remote control with a built-in electromagnetic relay must be introduced as a controlled load device.

An object of the present invention is to provide a load device control unit using a personal computer as the main controller, which can remotely control a normal load device without a built-in receiving circuit or electromagnetic relay without installing a wire bus or the like in a building. There is a particular thing.

[Means to solve the problem]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the principle of the invention.

The same objects are represented by the same symbols throughout the plan.

The above problem is solved at least by the plug 51 that is inserted into the outlet 31 of the commercial power source 3 and the power plug 24 of the load device 2.
a contact 54 of an electromagnetic relay 53 interposed between the plug 51 and the outlet 52;
Receiving circuit 5 that receives the control signal and drives the electromagnetic relay 53
5, the contact 54 of the electromagnetic relay 53 is controlled by a control signal input from the personal computer 4 via the signal transmission medium 6.
This is achieved by the load device control unit of the present invention, which opens and closes.

[Effect]

In Figure 1, the contacts of an electromagnetic relay are interposed between the plug and the outlet, and the contacts of the electromagnetic relay are opened and closed by control signals input from a personal computer, thereby connecting to a commercial power source via the load device control unit. ,
It becomes possible to remotely control ordinary load devices that do not have a built-in control signal receiving circuit or electromagnetic relay by outputting control signals from a personal computer. Furthermore, by using, for example, a commercial power source as a signal transmission medium, it is possible to transmit control signals without installing a wire bus or the like within a building.

That is, it is possible to provide a load device control unit using a personal computer as the main controller, which can remotely control a normal load device that does not have a built-in receiving circuit or electromagnetic relay without installing a wire bus or the like in a building. .

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the invention.

In FIG. 1, the load device control unit according to the present invention is
At least a plug 51 inserted into the outlet 31 of the commercial power source 3, an outlet 52 into which the power plug 24 of the load device 2 is inserted, and a contact 54 of an electromagnetic relay 53 interposed between the plug 51 and the outlet 52; It includes a receiving circuit 55 that receives a control signal and drives the electromagnetic relay 53. Note that in the figure, 7 is a box that houses the above-mentioned components.

On the other hand, a keyboard 41, a telephone line 42, etc. are connected to the personal computer 4, and when a code indicating a controlled load device or an execution command is input to the personal computer 4, the control signal output from the personal computer 4 is sent to the IF circuit 44 or signal transmission. The signal is input via the medium 6 to a receiving circuit 55 that constitutes a power supply control unit. A code indicating the load device is set in the receiving circuit 55, and when the code included in the control signal taken out from the signal transmission medium 6 matches this code, the receiving circuit 55 drives the electromagnetic relay 53 and closes the contact 54. Open and close.

FIG. 2 shows a load device control unit of a centralized terminal type, which includes one plug 51 that is inserted into the outlet 31 of the commercial power source 3, a plurality of outlets 52 into which the power plug 24 of the load device 2 is inserted, It includes an electromagnetic relay 53 and a receiving circuit 55 corresponding to each outlet 52, and a contact 54 of the electromagnetic relay 53 is interposed between each outlet 52 and the plug 51.

FIG. 3 shows an individual terminal type load device control unit, which includes one plug 51 that is inserted into the outlet 31 of the commercial power source 3, and one or two outlets into which the power plug 24 of the load device 2 is inserted. 52, a corresponding electromagnetic relay 53, and a receiving circuit 55.
A contact 54 of an electromagnetic relay 53 is interposed between the plug 51 and the plug 51 .

The load device control unit according to the present invention also includes an indicator light 56 indicating that a control signal has been input to the receiving circuit 55, and an indicator light 56 indicating that a control signal has been input to the receiving circuit 55, as an indicator indicating the operating state.
It is provided with an indicator light 57 and a current sensor 58 to indicate that a current has flowed to the terminal.

On the other hand, a keyboard 41, a telephone line 42, etc. are connected to the personal computer 4, and when a code indicating a controlled load device or an execution command is input to the personal computer 4 through such means, the control signal output from the personal computer 4 is transmitted to the IF. The signal is input via the circuit 44 and the signal transmission medium 6 to a plurality of receiving circuits 55 forming the power supply control unit. Note that in the centralized terminal type load device control unit, a wire bus or a commercial power source is used as the signal transmission medium 6. Further, in an individual terminal type load device control unit, a commercial power source is used as the signal transmission medium 6 because it would be uneconomical to use a wire bus.

A code indicating the load device is set in each receiving circuit 55, and when the code included in the control signal taken out from the signal transmission medium 6 matches this code, the receiving circuit 55 drives the electromagnetic relay 53 and closes the contact. 54 is opened and closed.

In this way, there is 4n1 electricity between the plug and the outlet! A built-in control signal receiving circuit and electromagnetic relay are connected to the commercial power supply via the load device control unit by intervening the contacts of the electric appliance and opening and closing the contacts of the electromagnetic relay using control signals input from the computer. It becomes possible to output control signals from a personal computer and remotely control ordinary load devices that are not equipped with a computer. Furthermore, by using, for example, a commercial power source as a signal transmission medium, it is possible to transmit control signals without installing a wire bus or the like within a building.

That is, it is possible to provide a load device control unit using a personal computer as the main controller, which can remotely control a normal load device that does not have a built-in receiving circuit or electromagnetic relay without installing a wire bus or the like in a building. .

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, as a means of automating ordinary homes and offices, there is a load device control system that can remotely control the power supply circuit of the load device using a personal computer as the main control device and without installing a wire bus or the like in the building. units can be provided.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the principle of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the invention, Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the invention, and Fig. 4 is a home bus FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the system. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a conventional control device using a personal computer. In the figure, 2 is a load device, 3 is a commercial power supply, 4 is a personal computer, 6 is a signal transmission medium, 7 is a box, 24 is a power plug, 31 is an outlet,
41 is the keyboard, 42 is the telephone line, 44 is the IF
circuit, 51 is plug, 52 is outlet, 5
3 is an electromagnetic relay, 54 is a contact, 55 is a receiving circuit, 56.57 is an indicator light, 58 is a current sensor, +1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3

Claims (1)

[Claims] At least a plug (51) inserted into the outlet (31) of the commercial power source (3), an outlet (52) into which the power plug (24) of the load device (2) is inserted, and a The signal transmission medium (6 ) A load device control unit characterized in that a contact (54) of the electromagnetic relay (53) is opened and closed by a control signal input from a personal computer (4) via a computer (4).