Method for transmitting information data associated with the number of transmissions of a calling signal

• US 20040097222A1
• Filed: 08/01/2003
• Published: 05/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kimoto, Yousuke, Kake, Tomokazu
• Application Number:
  US10/632,783
• Publication Number:
  US 20040097222A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/420
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1016 Telecontrol
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks

Abstract

Appliance operation data that is desired to be transmitted is selected from a stored list in which transmission counts of a calling signal are associated with appliance operation data for operating household appliances. A transmitter controls a reading operation to read the transmission count corresponding to that appliance operation data and then transmits the calling signal only a number of times that is equal to that transmission count. A receiver retrieves from a stored list the appliance operation data corresponding to the number of times the calling signal is received, displays that appliance operation data on a display unit, and issues an instruction to operate the household appliance according to the retrieved appliance operation data. Accordingly, household appliances in the home may be remotely controlled under pre-set conditions without establishing a voice communication line between the transmitter and the receiver.

Claims

1. An information transmission/reception method, comprising:

storing predetermined information in a transmission system and in a reception system, each piece of the predetermined information being associated with a transmission count of a calling signal;

selecting one piece of the information stored in the transmission system;

detecting the transmission count of a calling signal associated with the selected piece of information;

transmitting the calling signal to the reception system only a number of times that is equal to the detected transmission count;

counting the number of times the calling signal is received at the reception system to determine the transmission count of the received calling signals; and

retrieving from the predetermined information stored in the reception system a piece of information associated with the transmission count of the received calling signals.

2. The information transmission/reception method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined information is appliance operation data for operating a household appliance in communication with the reception system.

3. The information transmission/reception method according to claim 2, wherein the reception system operates the household appliance according to the retrieved piece of appliance operation data.

4. The information transmission/reception method according to claim 3, wherein the reception system feeds back to the transmission system either information that the household appliance has operated properly or information that the household appliance has not operated properly.

5. The information transmission/reception method according to claim 4, wherein the feedback information is a predetermined number of calling signals, one predetermined number of calling signals indicating that the household appliance has operated properly and another predetermined number of calling signals indicating that the household appliance has not operated properly.

6. The information transmission/reception method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined information is arranged in a data structure having n dimensions.

7. An information transmission method, comprising:

storing predetermined information in a transmission system, each piece of the predetermined information being associated with a transmission count of a calling signal;

selecting one piece of the information stored in the transmission system;

detecting the transmission count of a calling signal associated with the selected piece of information; and

transmitting the calling signal from the transmitting system only a number of times that is equal to the detected transmission count.

8. The information transmission method according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined information is appliance operation data for operating a household appliance at a remote location.

9. The information transmission method according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined information is arranged in a data structure having n dimensions.

10. An information reception method, comprising:

storing predetermined information in a reception system, each piece of the predetermined information being associated with a transmission count of a calling signal;

counting a number of times a calling signal is received at the reception system to determined the transmission count of the received calling signals; and

retrieving from the predetermined information stored in the reception system a piece of information associated with the transmission count of the received calling signals.

11. The information reception method according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined information is appliance operation data for operating a household appliance in communication with the reception system.

12. The information reception method according to claim 11, wherein the reception system operates the household appliance according to the retrieved piece of appliance operation data.

13. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon an information transmission program, the information transmission program comprising:

accessing predetermined information stored in a memory, each piece of the predetermined information being associated with a transmission count of a calling signal;

selecting one piece of the information from the memory;

detecting the transmission count of a calling signal associated with the selected piece of information; and

transmitting the calling signal only a number of times that is equal to the detected transmission count.

14. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon an information reception program, the information reception program comprising:

counting a number of times a calling signal is received to determine a transmission count of the received calling signals;

accessing predetermined information stored in a memory, each piece of the predetermined information being associated with a transmission count of a calling signal; and

retrieving from the predetermined information stored in the memory a piece of information associated with the transmission count of the received calling signals.

15. A transmitter, comprising:

a memory for storing predetermined information, each piece of the predetermined information being associated with a transmission count of a calling signal;

selecting means for selecting one piece of the information stored in said memory;

detecting means for detecting the transmission count of a calling signal associated with the selected piece of information; and

control means for controlling transmission of the calling signal only a number of times that is equal to the detected transmission count.

16. A receiver, comprising:

a memory for storing predetermined information, each piece of the predetermined information being associated with a transmission count of a calling signal;

counting means for counting a number of times a calling signal is received to determine the transmission count of the received calling signals; and

means for retrieving from said memory a piece of information associated with the transmission count of the received calling signals.

17. The receiver according to claim 16, wherein the predetermined information is appliance operation data for operating a household appliance in communication with said receiver.

18. The receiver according to claim 17, further comprising communication means in communication with said receiver, said communication means including appliance operation instructing means for operating the household appliance according to the retrieved appliance operation data.

19. The receiver according to claim 16, wherein the predetermined information is arranged in a data structure having n dimensions.

20. A transmitter-receiver, comprising:

a memory for storing predetermined information, each piece of the predetermined information being associated with a transmission count of a calling signal;

selecting means for selecting one piece of the predetermined information from said memory;

detecting means for detecting the transmission count of a calling signal associated with the selected piece of information;

control means for controlling transmission of the calling signal only a number of times that is equal to the detected transmission count;

counting means for counting a number of times the calling signal is received to determine the transmission count of the received calling signals; and

means for retrieving from said memory a piece of information associated with the transmission count of the received calling signals.

21. The transmitter-receiver according to claim 20, further comprising:

display means for displaying the retrieved piece of information.

22. An information transmission/reception system, comprising:

a memory for storing predetermined information, each piece of the predetermined information being associated with a transmission count of a calling signal;

a transmitter having selecting means for selecting one piece of the predetermined information from said memory, detecting means for detecting the transmission count of a calling signal associated with the selected piece of information, and control means for controlling transmission of the calling signal only a number of times that is equal to the detected transmission count;

a receiver having counting means for counting a number of times the calling signal is received to determine the transmission count of the received calling signals, and means for retrieving from said memory a piece of information associated with the transmission count of the received calling signals; and

an exchange station for transmitting to said receiver only the number of times that is equal to the transmission count of the calling signal in response to an instruction from said control means of said transmitter.

23. The information transmission/reception system according to claim 22, wherein the predetermined information is appliance operation data for operating a household appliance connected to said receiver.

24. The information transmission/reception system according to claim 23, wherein said receiver has appliance operation instructing means for operating the household appliance according to the retrieved appliance operation data.

25. An information transmission system, comprising:

a processor operable to execute instructions; and

instructions, the instructions including accessing predetermined information stored in a memory, each piece of the predetermined information being associated with a transmission count of a calling signal;

selecting one piece of the information from the memory;

detecting the transmission count of a calling signal associated with the selected piece of information; and

transmitting the calling signal only a number of times that is equal to the detected transmission count.

26. An information reception system, comprising:

a processor operable to execute instructions; and

instructions, the instructions including

counting a number of times a calling signal is received to determine a transmission count of the received calling signals;

accessing predetermined information stored in a memory, each piece of the predetermined information being associated with a transmission count of a calling signal; and

retrieving from the predetermined information stored in the memory a piece of information associated with the transmission count of the received calling signals.

27. The information reception system according to claim 26, wherein the instructions further comprise:

operating a household appliance according to the retrieved piece of information.

28. The information reception system according to claim 27, wherein the instructions further comprise:

feeding back to a transmission destination either information that the household appliance has operated properly or information that the household appliance has not operated properly.