JPH0583762A - Home automation system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an inexpensive sub-controller which is the constituting device of a home automation system and maintains the prescribed function at a main controller with a simple constitution. CONSTITUTION:An FM demodulating circuit 49 performs the demodulation of a video FM modulating signal such as a doorphone with a camera transmitted on information CH3 and a monitor camera, and the FM demodulation of the FM modulating signal of the operation screen to display an operation key, etc., sent from a main controller and displayed on the display device of the main controller to the video composite signal. A composite/RGB converting circuit 52 performs the conversion of the video composite signal to the RGB signal. An HBS protocol control circuit 50 and an AMI/NRZ converting circuit 51 perform the prescribed protocol control at the time of the communication with a home controller and a terminal unit.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sub controller suitable for a home controller as a main controller in a home automation system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A home controller is used in a home automation system to control and confirm a terminal device in a home through its main body or a telephone line, and at least one home controller is usually present.

The sub-controller is generally installed in a home automation system by positioning the home controller as the main controller and limiting the functions as compared with the main controller to simplify the configuration and reduce the cost. And a function similar to that of a home controller regardless of where the user is located, thereby improving the convenience of the user.

The conventional sub-controller omits or adds functions other than basic functions such as control and confirmation of terminal devices in the home such as security functions such as disaster prevention and crime prevention of the main controller, and entrance video monitor function. If the main controller can control N devices, that of the sub-controller is NM (M <
N) The structure was simplified by making it a stand.

In addition, according to the above configuration, starting from the input of the operation information by the operation switch and the like, the transmission of the control signal for controlling the terminal device based on the input operation information, or the input of various information from the terminal device, and corresponding thereto. Various internal processing functions up to various displays were basically equivalent to those of the main controller.

[0006]

However, in the conventional sub-controller described above, the function is significantly inferior to that of the main controller, and there is a waste of providing various internal processing functions of the main controller in duplicate. It was

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a low-priced sub-controller which is a constituent device of a home automation system and which maintains a predetermined function in a main controller with a simple structure.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a home automation system having the above-mentioned sub-controller and home controller as its constituent devices and appropriately considering a conflict between the home controller and the sub-controller.

[0009]

A sub-controller according to the present invention comprises a display device for displaying an image from a home controller as a main controller, a transparent touch panel switch for inputting an operation to an operation key on the displayed screen, A key input control unit for identifying and processing the state of the transparent touch panel switch, and communication for communicating with other constituent devices including a home controller in the home automation system and for transmitting and receiving image information and audio information from the home controller. A control unit,
A main control unit that controls the entire sub-controller and a memory unit such as a memory that stores a control program for performing control in the main control unit are provided.

In addition, if the home controller has a function of making a call with an entrance door phone or the like, a microphone for inputting a voice and a voice from the home controller or an operation sound of the sub-controller main body when making a call, etc. And a functional block such as a voice control unit for controlling voice from a microphone or to the speaker.

A home automation system according to the present invention comprises the above sub-controller and a home controller as a main controller corresponding to the sub-controller, and in the home controller, a source of operation information which is a requirement for starting an operation is a home controller. If the source of the operation information is the transparent touch panel switch of the home controller, a function to identify whether it is the transparent touch panel switch of the controller or the transmission information from the sub-controller, and a display indicating that fact is displayed on a part of the display screen. In addition to the above, in addition to the function to send information to that effect to another sub-controller, and if the source of the operation information is the transmission information from the sub-controller, a display to that effect is added to a part of the display screen. With the home controller transparent touch In addition to the function to invalidate the operation information on the panel switch, in any of the above cases, when the operation based on the operation information is completed, the above display added to the display screen is removed and the information indicating that is displayed. It has a function of transmitting to another sub-controller. A function of invalidating the operation information on the transparent touch panel switch of the sub controller when one of the sub controllers receives transmission information from the home controller indicating that the operation of the home controller is the transparent touch panel switch of the home controller. It is equipped with.

[0012]

According to the sub controller of the present invention, when the home controller as the main controller operates, an operation screen displayed on the display device of the home controller, a screen showing various information, an image such as a camera monitor image, etc. It receives information, displays it on the display device of the sub controller as it is, arranges a transparent touch panel switch of the same switch arrangement as the transparent touch panel switch of the home controller on the display screen of the display device, and a transparent touch panel operated by the sub controller The operation information on the switch can be transmitted to the home controller, and the home controller can be caused to perform an operation based on the transmission information.

According to the home automation system of the present invention, when an operation is performed on the home controller or the sub-controller, the operation corresponding to the operation of the home controller or the sub-controller is being performed while the home controller corresponding to the operation is operating. At the same time as displaying the inside of the home controller, the home controller that was operated, or all the home controllers except the sub controller, or the sub controller is disabled even if there is an operation during this time, the home controller And the sub-controller can be dealt with.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a home automation system using a sub controller according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a home automation system in which a sub-controller according to the present invention and a home controller as a main controller corresponding to the sub-controller are constituent devices.

The home automation system shown in the figure complies with the domestic standard HBS (Home Bus System).

The main unit 1 manages the system of the home bus 2 and monitors and controls the telephone line 3 and the like.

The intercom 4 with camera is an intercom with a built-in monitor camera.

IFU5 is an interface unit,
Via communication between the home bus 2 and the terminal device.

The home bass phone 6 is a telephone having the IFU 5 built therein.

The home controller 7 is the main controller of the system, has a display device, arranges a transparent touch panel switch on the display screen of the display device, and displays the operation keys displayed on the display device on the transparent touch panel switch. The terminal device such as the lighting 9 and the air conditioner 10 is controlled by pressing the button via. Based on various information reflecting the result of the operation such as the state change of these terminal devices due to the control, the next screen corresponding to the operation, or various sensor information such as the security sensor 11 that does not depend on the operation. By displaying various kinds of information and images from the intercom 4 with camera, the monitor camera 12, etc., centralized control and centralized monitoring of the terminal device are performed.

The sub-controller 8 has a display device like the home controller 7, has a transparent touch panel switch on the display device, and receives the display device display screen information of the home controller 7 from the home controller 7. When the same operation as the operation on the home controller 7 such as displaying this and pressing an arbitrary operation key on the display screen is performed, the operation information on the transparent touch panel switch is transmitted to the home controller 7, and the corresponding operation is performed. The operation after pressing the operation key is transferred to the home controller 7.

The home bus 2 is composed of four twisted pair cables 13 and two coaxial cables 14.

The four pairs of twisted pair cables 13 are used as one control channel including three information channels, information CH1, information CH2, information CH3.

In this embodiment, information CH1 and information CH
2 is used as a communication path, and information CH3 is used as a transmission path for video signals from the intercom 4 with camera, the monitor camera 11 and the like.

The video signal transmitted on the information CH3 is a signal obtained by FM-modulating the video composite signal, and an audio signal may be superimposed on the FM-modulated signal.

FIG. 2 is an external structural view of the home controller 7 and the sub-controller 8.

The home controller 7 and the sub-controller 8 have the same external configuration, and a display device 15 for displaying operation keys and various information, and a transparent touch panel switch 16 arranged on the display device 15.
And a speaker 17 for outputting voice and the like during a call with the camera-equipped intercom 4 and the home bassphone 6 and the like, and similarly inputting a voice when the call with the camera-equipped intercom 4 and the home bassphone 6 etc. The microphone 18 and the main body case 19 for accommodating the microphone 18 are included.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the home controller 7. The home controller includes the display device 15, the transparent touch panel switch 16, the speaker 17, the microphone 18, a key input control unit 20 for recognizing an operation state on the transparent touch panel switch 16, and a user's voice storage. And a voice control unit 21 for generating a synthetic voice such as voice guidance, and a communication control unit 2 for performing communication such as transfer of various information between the IFU 5 and the sub-controller 8 and the like via the home bus 2.
2 and operation screen display for displaying operation keys and the like on the display device 15, image display from the camera-equipped intercom 4 and the monitor camera 12, and control for superimposing the operation keys and the like on the camera image screen. An image control unit 23 for performing the above, a main control unit 24 for performing the above-mentioned overall control,
The main control unit 24 is composed of a memory unit 25 such as a memory in which a control program for performing control and processing is stored.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of the sub-controller 8.

The sub-controller 8 receives the display screen information of the display device 15 of the home controller 7 and displays the display screen information, the transparent touch panel switch 27, and the transparent touch panel switch 27.
A key input control unit 28 for recognizing the above operation state, a communication control unit 29 for transmitting operation information on the transparent touch panel switch 27 to the home controller 7, and the speaker 17 in the home controller 7 from the home controller 7. A speaker 30 that outputs information such as audio output in the main body, and a main control unit 31 that controls the entire operation described above.
And a memory unit 32 such as a memory in which a control program for performing control and processing in the main control unit 31 is stored.

In addition, in the case where the home controller 7 is provided with a call function similar to that of the home controller 7, the home controller 7 is also provided with a microphone 33 and a voice control unit 34.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the communication control section 22 of the home controller 7 shown in FIG. 3 in more detail.

The channel switching circuit 35 has the above information C.
It accommodates H1, information CH2, and information CH3, and switches and connects the above-mentioned information channel to the internal circuit according to the operation purpose of the home controller 7.

The transmission / reception control circuit 36 performs half-duplex call control between the call destination and the microphone 18 and speaker 17 of the home controller 7 during a call through the information channel.

The PB detection circuit 37 detects the PB signal when controlling the terminal equipment by an extension line through the home bass phone 6 or an outside line through the telephone line 3.

The tone detection circuit 38 detects a dial tone to prevent an external line incoming / outgoing call collision and a busy tone to confirm the other party's end call during a call.

The HBS protocol control circuit 39 uses the IFU.
When communicating with 5 etc., protocol control conforming to domestic standard HBS is performed.

The AMI / NRZ conversion circuit 40, when transmitting,
Transmission NRZ (No of HBS protocol control circuit 39 output
ne Return Zero) signal to home bus 2
Signal form in AMI (Alternate)
The received NRZ signal is input to the HBS protocol control circuit 39 by converting it into a Mark Inversi-on signal and vice versa at the time of reception.

The FM demodulation circuit 41 demodulates the video FM modulation signal of the doorphone with camera and the monitor camera transmitted on the information CH3 and outputs it to the display device 15,
Display video.

On the other hand, the image control unit 23 displays a horizontal synchronizing signal and a vertical synchronizing signal from the display device 15 when displaying an operation screen for displaying operation keys and superimposing the operation keys on the camera image screen. Upon receiving the supply of the video synchronizing signal 42 and establishing the synchronization by the external synchronizing circuit, the screen information such as the operation keys is displayed on the RGB signal 43.
The display information is output to and displayed on the display device 15. At this time, the screen information is also output as the video composite signal 44 together with the RGB signal 43.

The FM modulation circuit 45 performs FM modulation on the video composite signal 44. At this time, the speaker 17 is added to the information CH1 or the information CH2 on the home bus 2.
If there is a voice or the like to be output from the above, the voice signal or the like 46 is superimposed on the FM modulated signal in the superimposing circuit 47, and then retransmitted to the information CH having the voice or the like via the channel switching circuit 35.

The FM modulated signal of the video composite signal may be sent to the coaxial cable 14 in the home bus 2.

FIG. 6 shows the sub-controller 8 shown in FIG.
It is the figure which represented the communication control part 29 of this in more detail.

The channel switching circuit 48 uses the above information C.
It stores H1, information CH2, and information CH3, and switches and connects the above-mentioned information channel to the internal circuit according to the operation purpose of the sub-controller 8.

The FM demodulation circuit 49, similar to the FM demodulation circuit 41 of the home controller 7, FM demodulates the video FM modulation signal of the camera-equipped intercom 4 and the monitor camera 12 transmitted on the information channel 3, and An operation screen for displaying operation keys and the like displayed on the display device 15 of the home controller 7 sent from the FM modulation circuit 45 of the home controller 7 through the superimposing circuit 47 and the channel switching circuit 35, and an operation key to a camera image screen, etc. FM demodulation of the FM modulated signal of the superimpose image into a video composite signal is performed.

HBS protocol control circuit 50 and AMI
The / NRZ conversion circuit 51 performs the same operations as the HBS protocol control circuit 39 of the home controller 7 and the AMI / NRZ conversion circuit 40.

The composite / RGB conversion circuit 52 converts the video composite signal into an RGB signal.

The low-pass filter 53 includes the intercom 4 with camera and the monitor camera 1 transmitted on the information CH3.
2 etc. Extraction of audio signal etc. superposed on the FM modulated signal and audio signal etc. outputted from the speaker 17 of the home controller 7 superposed on the FM modulated signal sent from the home controller 7 and outputted to the speaker 30. I do.

In the home controller 7, the FM modulation signal of the video composite signal is sent to the home bus 2
When the signal is sent to the coaxial cable 14 in the above, there is no problem if the sub-controller 8 inputs it to the FM demodulation circuit 49.

According to the configuration described above, the sub-controller 8 receives the display screen information of the display device 15 from the FM modulation circuit 45 of the home controller 7 via the superimposing circuit 47 and the channel switching circuit 35. When the same operation as the operation on the home controller 7 such as displaying this and pressing an arbitrary operation key on the display screen is performed, the operation information on the transparent touch panel switch 27 is transmitted to the home controller 7, and the corresponding operation is performed. The operation after pressing the operation key can be transferred to the home controller 7.

Therefore, in the sub-controller 8 which is lighter in configuration and control program than the home controller 7, the operation keys on the screen displayed on the display device 26 as in the home controller 7 are changed to the transparent touch panel switch 27. The terminal device such as the lighting 9 and the air conditioner 10 is controlled by pressing the button, and various information reflecting the result of the operation, such as the state change of the terminal device due to the control, or corresponding to the operation It is possible to display various information based on various sensor information such as the security sensor 11 and the video by the intercom 4 with camera, the monitor camera 12 and the like, which does not depend on the operation on the next screen, for centralized control and centralized monitoring of terminal devices. It can be carried out.

FIG. 7 is an example of a display screen when the home controller 7 is operating based on the operation of the sub controller 8.

The display screen shown is a screen for controlling the terminal equipment.

A pictogram 54 indicating the above screen,
The title part is composed of a character (device control) 55, a character (sub computer) 56 indicating that the screen is selected and activated based on an operation on the sub controller 8, and a room name (living room) 57 to be controlled. I am configuring.

The pictograms 58 and 59 are pictograms indicating the terminal device, and in the sub-controller 8 displaying the same screen as the display screen on the home controller 7 shown, the pictograms are pressed through the transparent touch panel switch 27. As a result, the illumination corresponding to the pictogram 58 or the air conditioner corresponding to the pictogram 59 can be started or stopped via the home controller 7.

At this time, the color and design of the pictogram changes in response to the operation such as start and stop, and the state of the operation can be confirmed.

The operation key group 60 arranged in the lower part of the display screen is printed on the transparent touch panel switch as an operation key that is always required for operation.

As in the above example, the home controller 7 and the sub-controller 8 are displayed in the title section of the display screen.
When there is a display of the character (sub-con) 56 indicating that the screen has been selected and activated based on the operation in, the operation on the pictograms 58 and 59 on the screen in the home controller 7 is invalidated.

[0060]

As described above, according to the sub controller of the present invention, the operation screen displayed on the display device of the home controller and the screen showing various information when the home controller as the main controller operates. Receives the image information such as the camera monitor image, displays it on the display device of the sub controller as it is, and arranges the transparent touch panel switch of the same switch arrangement as the transparent touch panel switch in the home controller on the display screen of the display device. However, since it is possible to transmit the operation information on the transparent touch panel switch by the operation of the sub-controller to the home controller and cause the home controller to perform an operation based on the transmission information, the home controller can be configured with a simple configuration. Maintaining a constant function, it can provide a sub-controller of the low price.

As described above, according to the home automation system of the present invention, when an operation is performed on the home controller or the sub-controller, either the home controller or the sub-controller is operating while the home controller corresponding to the operation is operating. While indicating whether the home controller corresponding to the operation is operating, at the same time, the home controller that was operated, or all the home controllers except the sub-controller, or the sub-controller will be disabled even if there is an operation during this time. Since it is possible to deal with the conflict between the home controller and the sub-controller, the home automation system with proper consideration for the conflict between the home controller and the sub-controller can be dealt with. It is possible to provide a down system.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a home automation system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external view of a sub controller and a home controller.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a home controller.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a sub-controller.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a home controller communication control unit.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a sub controller communication control unit.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a screen during use of the sub controller.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Main Device 7 Home Controller 8 Sub Controller 15 Display Device 16, 27 Transparent Touch Panel Switch 22, 29 Communication Control Section

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Shuji Okawa 292 Yoshida-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Hitachi Ltd. Yokohama factory (72) Inventor Yoshimi Miyamoto 292 Yoshida-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Ceremony Company Hitachi Works Yokohama Factory (72) Inventor Masayuki Tsukahara 800 Tomita, Ohira Town, Shimotsuga District, Tochigi Prefecture Hitachi Works Tochigi Factory

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A display device, a transparent touch panel switch is arranged on a display screen of the display device, and an operation key on the screen displayed on the display device is pressed through the transparent touch panel switch, Performs the operation of the function corresponding to the operation key, changes the status of the control target terminal device due to the operation, and other information that reflects the result of the operation, or the next screen or operation that corresponds to the operation. In a home automation system that uses a home controller that can display various information based on information from various sensors, etc., and images from an external monitor camera on the display device as the main controller, the main controller displays the display device on the display device. This is supplied with screen information The same operation as the operation on the main controller, that is, pressing any operation key on the display or display screen, is performed, the operation information on the transparent touch panel switch is transmitted to the main controller, and the operation key corresponding to the operation is pressed. A home automation system that has a sub-controller that realizes the same functions as the main controller by delegating the operation to the main controller. 2. The home according to claim 1, wherein when the home controller or the sub-controller is operated, the home controller corresponding to the operation is in operation, the home controller or the sub-controller corresponds to the operation. At the same time as displaying whether the controller is in operation, at the same time the home controller that was operated, or all the home controllers except the sub controller, or the sub controller, even if there is an operation during this period, it is disabled Home automation system. 3. The home automation system according to claim 2, wherein the twisted pair cable is used as a transmission path of display screen information and the like from the home controller. 4. The home automation system according to claim 2, wherein the coaxial cable is used as a transmission path of display screen information and the like from the home controller.