JPH05113217A - Wireless remote controller device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a wireless remote controller device using an electromagnetic wave in which a performance of an antenna is always assured against presence or non-presence of influence of a person. CONSTITUTION:A wireless remote controller device is comprised of a main body 1 of a hot water feeder, a remote controlled transmitting or receiving part 7 for use in a transmitting or receiving a control signal under application of an electromagnetic wave, a remote controlled antenna 6, the first matching part 11 for taking an impedance matching between the remote controlled antenna 6 and the remote controlled transmitting or receiving part 7, the second matching part 12 having a matching value differing from that of the first matching part 11, and a changing-over part 13 for changing-over the matching part when retransmitting operation is carried out. With such a matching, an efficiently of the antenna reduced under influence of a person can be improved when a retransmitting is carried out and a transmitting or receiving performance of the wireless remote controller can be assured.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wireless remote control device for remotely controlling electric appliances such as a water heater and the like, and particularly to an antenna matching section for obtaining an efficient antenna.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional example of this type will be described in the case of a water heater and its remote controller (hereinafter referred to as a remote controller).
As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 4 provided inside the water heater 1 installed outdoors and the remote controller 15 installed indoors.
And penetrates the wall 8 and is connected with the remote control cable 16,
The control signal from the remote controller 15 is configured to be transmitted to the control unit 4 of the water heater 1 through the remote controller cable 16.

As a wireless remote controller, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 57-77671 discloses a configuration in which a water heater is remotely operated by a wireless remote controller using radio waves and the operating state of the water heater is remotely monitored by a wireless remote controller. Already devised.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional remote control cable system configuration, when installing the hot water supply device, a hole 8a is made in the wall 8 and the remote control cable 16 consisting of signal wires of 2 to 8 cores is inserted, Water heater 1 and remote control 1
Had to connect 5. Therefore, there is a problem that a wall penetrating work is required and there is a fear that a connection error of the remote control cable 16 may occur.

Since the wireless remote controller for the water heater uses radio waves in the VHF and UHF bands, it is not possible to use a 1/2 wavelength monopole antenna for the wireless remote controller, which is not easily affected by the human operator. It is difficult in terms of length, and a shortened antenna of 1/4 wavelength or less is used. Therefore, the input impedance of the antenna changes due to the change in the space capacity of the antenna due to the approach of a person, and it is difficult to constantly match the antenna and the input circuit. However, this type of wireless remote control water heater constantly sends and receives monitor information when there is no one around the wireless remote controller, and it also sends and receives when people are nearby during operation. Correspondingly, impedance matching between the antenna and the transmission / reception circuit is a very important issue for practical use.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems. In addition to the need for wall drilling work and cable connection work, since matching input impedance of the antenna is changed, matching parts having different matching values are connected at the time of retransmission. By doing so, an object is to provide a wireless remote control device having an efficient antenna.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a wireless remote control device of the present invention includes a remote control transmitter / receiver for transmitting and receiving a control signal using electric waves to and from an electric appliance body and inside or outside a remote control case. An antenna provided, an operation unit, a first matching unit inserted for impedance matching between the antenna and the remote controller transmitting / receiving unit, and a second matching unit having a matching value different from that of the first matching unit. And a switching unit for connecting either the first matching unit or the second matching unit according to a signal from the remote controller transmitting / receiving unit.

[0008]

According to the present invention, with the above configuration, a human approaches the remote controller during operation and the input impedance of the antenna changes due to the influence of the human body, whereas the first matching section is connected during the first transmission / reception, At the time of retransmission, the connection is switched to the second matching unit instead of the first matching unit. by this,
It is possible to switch the impedance matching between the antenna and the remote controller transmitting / receiving section that are temporarily out of alignment to the optimum matching section with respect to changes in the surrounding environment. Therefore,
A wireless remote control device having an efficient antenna can be realized.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 1, 1 is a water heater main body, 2 is a hot water transmitter / receiver provided inside the water heater main body 1, 3 is a water heater antenna provided outside the water heater main body 1, and 4 is hot water provided inside the water heater main body 1. It is a control unit for controlling the transmitter / receiver unit 2 and the operation of the entire water heater main body 1. The water heater main body 1 is mounted outdoors or on an outer wall or the like, and supplies hot water to various parts of the house by piping. Reference numeral 5 is a wireless remote controller installed on the wall of a bath, kitchen, etc., 6 is a rod-shaped remote controller antenna led out from the remote controller case 5a, and 7 is a remote controller transmitting / receiving section for transmitting information by radio waves in the VHF or UHF band. The radio waves emitted from the water heater antenna 3 and the remote control antenna 6 are
Data is exchanged between the water heater main body 1 and the wireless remote controller 5 by passing through the wall 8. When the wireless remote controller 5 is operated, the operation information is immediately transmitted from the remote controller transmission / reception unit 7 to the water heater main body 1 as a radio signal, and the hot water supply transmitter / receiver unit 2 receives it. The main body 1 is operated. The operating state of the water heater main body 1 is transmitted to the wireless remote controller 5 as a radio signal from the hot water transmitter / receiver 2 when the state changes or periodically, and is received and displayed by the remote controller transmitter / receiver 7. In such a water heater body 1, the structure of the wireless remote controller 5 is improved especially as shown in FIG. That is, FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the water heater and the wireless remote controller according to the embodiment. Wireless remote control 5
Is a remote control antenna 6, a remote control transmission / reception unit 7, a display unit 9, an operation unit 10, a first matching unit 11, and a second matching unit 1.
2, the changeover unit 13, and the changeover switch 14. The matching section is composed of a first matching section 11 capable of matching with nothing around the antenna, and a second matching section 12 capable of matching with a person near the antenna. In the case of a shortened antenna having a short antenna length with respect to the wavelength, the simplest matching method is to insert an inductance by a coil or the like in series with the antenna.

FIG. 3 is a characteristic diagram of the inductance value and the transmission output. A characteristic curve I when there is nothing near the antenna and a characteristic curve II when a human body approaches the antenna are shown. The point where the transmission output peaks is the point where the matching is best achieved, and the inductances at that time are A and B. The peak of the characteristic curve moves from A to B because the capacitive component of the antenna increases as a person approaches the antenna. A pin diode or a high frequency relay is used for the changeover switch 14. The remote control antenna 6 is the remote control case 5
It is a monopole antenna that is either housed inside a or attached to the outside.

In the above structure, the remote control antenna 6
Is often configured with a quarter wavelength or less than the transmitted / received radio wave, and the size of the remote control case 5a is not sufficiently large with respect to the wavelength. Furthermore, the wireless remote controller 5 is not grounded to the ground. Therefore,
The remote control antenna 6 is easily affected by the surroundings of the antenna, and the input impedance greatly differs when a person approaches to operate the remote control and when no one is nearby. However, the distance at which a person approaches the wireless remote controller 5 during operation is not uniform, and the matching value of B is not always good and may be close to the matching value of A. In the embodiment, the first matching portion 11 and the second matching portion 1 are used as the matching portions.
2 is provided. The remote controller transmission / reception unit 7 is the first matching unit 1.
When the first communication transmitted using 1 fails and the transmission and reception are performed again, the retransmission signal is output to the switching unit 13. Upon receiving the retransmission signal, the switching unit 13 switches the changeover switch 14 to switch the connection to the second matching unit 12. As a result, the input impedance of the remote control antenna 6 changes due to the influence of the human body during operation, whereas when the first transmission / reception is not successful, it is determined that the matching value has largely changed and is close to the matching value of B. .. Since the matching section having the optimum matching value can be obtained by switching the matching section, impedance matching between the remote control antenna 6 and the remote control transmitting / receiving section 7 which cannot be taken due to changes in the surrounding environment,
It can be improved without providing a special detector.

[0012]

As described above, according to the wireless remote controller of the present invention, the following effects can be obtained. (1) Remote control cable We can provide a wireless remote control that does not require construction. (2) Since the first matching unit and the second matching unit are provided and the matching unit is switched to the second matching unit at the time of retransmission,
It is possible to switch to an optimum matching unit at the time of retransmission for a change in the input impedance of the antenna, and it is possible to provide a wireless remote control device having an efficient antenna.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a hot water supply device adopting an embodiment of a wireless remote control device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the water heater and the wireless remote controller.

FIG. 3 is a characteristic diagram of an inductance value and a transmission output in the device.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a conventional hot water supply device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 6 Remote Control Antenna 7 Remote Control Transmitter / Receiver Section 11 First Matching Section 12 Second Matching Section 13 Switching Section

Front page continued (72) Inventor Yasuo Yoshimura 1006 Kadoma, Kadoma City, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A remote control transmission / reception unit for transmitting / receiving a signal to / from an electric appliance body using radio waves, an antenna provided inside or outside a remote control case, an operation unit, and impedance matching between the antenna and the remote control transmission / reception unit. A first matching unit, a second matching unit having a matching value different from that of the first matching unit, and information transmitted / received from the remote controller transmitting / receiving unit by the operation of the operation unit, First
The wireless remote control device including a switching unit that switches the connection to the second matching unit instead of the matching unit.