JPH05153268A - Monitoring device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To monitor the state of household appliances such as a washing machine, etc., through the use of a cordless telephone set. CONSTITUTION:When a washing finishing signal is inputted from a washing controlling part 33, a control signal circuit 32 transmits a finishing information signal from an antenna 26 through a receiving part 27. A parent equipment A receiving the finishing information signal with an antenna 7 transmits a sound signal as a finishing information signal corresponding to it from the antenna 7 by way of a sound synthesizing part 9, a sound processing part 4 and a transmitting part 6. The sound signal transmitted from the parent equipment A is received by a slave equipment B and sound-outputted from an ear speaker 20. Thus, the finishing of washing is informed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a monitoring device for monitoring the operating state of a washing machine, and more particularly to a monitoring device using a cordless telephone.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A cordless telephone is composed of a master unit connected to a telephone line and a slave unit connected to the master unit by a wireless line and connected to the telephone line via the master unit. It is possible to make a call between a master unit and a slave unit, and due to its convenience, it is now widely used in general households. In particular, recently, as a child device, a smaller device that can be carried in a pocket or the like has been commercialized.

On the other hand, for example, in a washing machine or the like, the end of the operation is notified to the user by sounding a buzzer or the like.

[0004]

By the way, in household appliances such as a washing machine, a buzzer sounds to inform the user of the end of the operation. However, if the user stays within the hearing range of the buzzer. For example, if there is no problem, it is not possible to know the end of the operation if you are in a place where you can not hear, and it is left as it is in the end state of the operation, and you cannot promptly perform the next work after the end of the operation This causes inconvenience, and in order to avoid such inconvenience, the user's actions during that time must be limited, which is not preferable in terms of effective utilization of time.

However, the present invention solves the above problems by notifying the state of the device through the cordless telephone handset.

[0006]

The monitoring device of the present invention is intended to solve the above problems, and is a cordless telephone master unit connected to a telephone line, and a cordless telephone master unit connected to the master unit via a wireless line, and via the master unit. The cordless telephone cordless handset connected to the telephone line, and a transmitter provided in the monitored device and wirelessly transmitting a status notification signal when the device enters a certain state, and the master unit has the above state. While providing a means for receiving the notification signal and transmitting a status notification signal corresponding to the notification signal to the slave unit, the slave unit is provided with a notification unit for receiving and operating the status notification signal.

The monitored equipment includes a washing machine, a dryer, a bath, an electric oven, and other cooking equipment.

[0008]

With the above construction, when the monitored device is, for example, a washing machine, when all the steps of the washing operation are completed, the buzzer is sounded to notify the end of the washing operation, and a washing completion signal is sent to the parent machine. Wirelessly. Then, the master unit receives the washing end signal and transmits a signal corresponding thereto to the slave unit, and the notification unit is operated in the slave unit to notify the end of the washing operation.

Therefore, the user does not need to be in the vicinity of the washing machine at the time of washing, and if the child machine is placed near or carrying it, the user can quickly know the end of the washing operation. Not only can the laundry be immediately dried, but the time during the laundry can be effectively utilized to perform other household chores.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention shown in the drawings will be described in detail below. In the figure, A is a cordless telephone master unit (hereinafter abbreviated as master unit) connected to the telephone line 1, and B is a unit.
Is a cordless telephone cordless handset (hereinafter abbreviated as a cordless handset) that is connected to the base unit A by a wireless line and is connected to the telephone line 1 via the base unit A, and C is a household appliance such as a washing machine.

The base unit A includes an incoming call detection circuit 2, a hook switch 3, a voice processing unit 4 which is a speech network,
Receiver 5, transmitter 6, antenna 7, handset 8, voice synthesizer 9, power controller 10, display 11,
In addition, a microprocessor 12 for controlling each of these units is provided. The microprocessor 12 has a ROM 13 for storing programs and the like necessary for controlling each unit, and an R for writing and reading data necessary for controlling each unit.
The AM 14 and the control signal circuit 15 are included. The power control unit 10 exchanges signals other than a call with weak electric waves to prevent interference.

The handset B has an antenna 16 and a receiver 1.
7, a transmitter 18, a voice processor 19, an earpiece (notifying means) 20 for reception, a microphone 21 for transmission, a microprocessor 22, etc., and a microprocessor 22.
Is the same as that of the microprocessor 12 described above.
3, RAM 24, control signal circuit 25 and the like.

The washing machine C has an antenna 26 and a receiver 2.
7, a transmitter 28, a microprocessor 29, a washing machine controller 33 and the like. The microprocessor 29, like the previous microprocessors 12 and 22, has the ROM 3
0, a RAM 31, a control signal circuit 32, and the like. The configuration of each part of the washing machine is not directly related to the gist of the present invention, and is therefore omitted for convenience of the drawings.

Next, the operation will be described. Normally, the control signal circuits 15 and 25 of both the parent device A and the child device B are in a standby state in which signals from the receiving units 5 and 17 are monitored.

When an incoming call is received through the telephone line 1 in such a state, the incoming call detection circuit 2 detects the incoming call and outputs a signal, and the control signal circuit 15 receiving this signal is predetermined to correspond to the incoming call. The read code signal is read from the ROM 13 and transmitted from the antenna 7 through the transmitter 6. Then, the handset B receives the code signal at the antenna 16,
It is taken into the control signal circuit 15 through the receiving unit 17, is analyzed, and a code signal for reply to this is sent to the transmitting unit 1.
It transmits from the antenna 16 through 8.

Thereafter, a predetermined signal is exchanged between the master unit A and the slave unit B, and thereafter, the telephone line 1 to the hook switch 3, the voice processing unit 4, the transmitting unit 6, and the power control unit 10 are exchanged. , A circuit that reaches the earpiece 20 through the antenna 7, the antenna 16, the reception unit 17, and the voice processing unit 19, and the microphone 21 to the voice processing unit 19 and the transmission unit 18.
A circuit that reaches the telephone circuit 1 through the antenna 16, the antenna 7, the receiving unit 5, the voice processing unit 4, and the hook switch 3 is formed, and a call can be made with the other party as a normal cordless telephone. Incidentally, dialing to the other party, extension calls, etc. are well known in the prior art, as is the case with the incoming call from the other party, and a description thereof will be omitted.

Here, a case where the cordless telephone notification mode is set prior to washing will be described. When all the steps of the washing operation are completed, the washing machine control unit 33 controls each part of the washing machine to end the washing operation and outputs an end signal to the control signal circuit 32. The signal circuit 32 receives the antenna 2 through the receiving unit 27.
An end notification signal is transmitted from 6.

Then, the master unit A in the standby state receives the end notification signal at the antenna 7, takes it into the control signal circuit 15 through the receiving section 5, and analyzes the signal.
A confirmation signal for reply is transmitted from the antenna 7 through the transmitter 6 and the power controller 10. At this time, the power control unit 10 is made to function to send out a signal with a weak electric wave as much as possible. On the other hand, this confirmation signal is sent to the antenna 26
The washing machine C received in step 11 analyzes the signal by the control signal circuit 32, determines that the communication has succeeded, and resets each part.

Further, the control signal circuit 15 of the master unit A judges the end of the washing operation, displays the end of the operation on the display section 11 thereof, and calls the slave unit B to form a wireless line with the slave unit B. To do. Then, the control signal circuit 15 reads out the voice data corresponding to the signal notification signal and sends it to the voice synthesizer 9, converts the voice data into a voice signal, and the voice signal is processed by the voice processor 4, the transmitter 6 and the power control. The signal is transmitted from the antenna 7 through the unit 10.

Then, in the child device B, the audio signal sent from the parent device A is received by the antenna 16, is sent to the earpiece 20 through the receiving part 17 and the audio processing part 19, and is emitted from the earpiece 20 to the outside. By making a sound, the user is notified of the end of washing.

In this way, even if you are not around the washing machine,
If you are near the cordless phone's cordless handset B or carry the cordless handset B, you can immediately know the end of washing, and you can immediately move to the work of hanging the laundry. It is possible to leave the area around the machine and engage in other household chores, thus effectively utilizing time.

In the above embodiment, the present invention has been described by taking the washing machine as an example. However, it may be combined with, for example, a bathtub so that the handset B can notify that the bath is boiling. It is also possible to remotely control the bath kettle by operating the child device B side so that additional cooking can be appropriately performed.

In the above embodiment, the state of the device is notified by voice output. However, a buzzer may be sounded with a tone color different from the ringing tone of the telephone, and the notification may be made by lighting the LED. May be

In addition, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings, and it is needless to say that the present invention can be appropriately modified and implemented without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0025]

As described above, the monitoring device of the present invention can effectively notify the state of other household appliances such as a washing machine by effectively utilizing the characteristics of the cordless telephone handset. During operation of the equipment, you can leave the area around the equipment and engage in other household chores, etc., you can effectively use the time, and there is no concern that you will leave it as it is without noticing the end of operation of the equipment. , Exerts an excellent effect in practice.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a monitoring device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A cordless telephone master unit B cordless telephone slave unit C washing machine (monitored device) 4 voice processing unit 5 receiving unit 6 transmitting unit 7 antenna 9 voice synthesizing unit 15 control signal circuit 16 antenna 17 receiving unit 18 transmitting unit 19 voice processing unit 20 Earpiece for reception 26 Antenna 27 Receiver 28 Transmitter 32 Control signal processor 33 Washing machine controller

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cordless telephone master unit connected to a telephone line, a cordless telephone slave unit connected to the master unit by a wireless line and connected to a telephone line via the parent unit, and the monitored device. And a transmitting unit that wirelessly transmits a status notification signal when the device enters a predetermined state, and the master unit receives the status notification signal and sends a status notification signal corresponding to the signal to the slave unit. A monitoring device, characterized in that while a means for transmitting to the machine is provided, a notification means for receiving and operating the status notification signal is provided in the slave.