Physical quantity monitoring and control system and portable information terminal used for the same

• US 20040243355A1
• Filed: 05/27/2004
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Ikutaro
• Granted Patent: US 7,233,881 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/006 Remote reading of utility meters to a non-fixed location, i.e. mobile location
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/51 Remote controlling of devices based on replies, status thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

To enable indoor and outdoor physical conditions to be detected for very fine control thereof. Self-contained transmitting sensors 10-1 through 10-8 which monitor physical quantities and convert them into electrical data signals for radio-transmission are disposed in desired positions in housing. The wirelessly transmitted data signals are received by a portable information terminal 20 for controlling the operation of a device 30 to be controlled based upon the received information and its information history. By wearing a self-contained transmitting sensor 10-9 on a user 40 physical quantities such as temperature, humidity and illumination at a place in which the user is located can be controlled to desired values wherever the user moves.

Claims

1. A physical quantity monitoring and control system comprising:

a sensor device which has a sensor unit for detecting a physical quantity and a transmitter unit for wirelessly transmitting information on said detected physical quantity; and

a portable information terminal which receives information transmitted from said wireless transmitter unit for generating a control signal for controlling operation conditions of an object to be controlled, which determine said physical quantity, based upon the received information.

2. A physical quantity monitoring and control system as defined in claim 1, wherein said portable information terminal wirelessly transmits said control signal to said device to be controlled.

3. A physical quantity monitoring and control system as defined in claim 1, wherein said portable information terminal learns a scheme to determine said operation states based upon said received information and history of changes in said operation states.

4. A physical quantity monitoring and control system as defined in claim 1, wherein said portable information terminal comprises a display for displaying operation states of said object to be controlled based upon said received information.

5. A physical quantity monitoring and control system as defined in claim 1, wherein said portable information terminal comprises a display for displaying said received information.

6. A portable information terminal comprising:

a receiving device which receives a physical quantity which is wirelessly transmitted from a sensor for controlling operation states of an object to be controlled; and

a unit for generating a control signal which controls operation states of said object to be controlled based upon said received information.

7. A portable information terminal as defined in claim 6, wherein said portable information terminal wirelessly transmits said control signal to said object to be controlled.

8. A portable information terminal as defined in claim 6, wherein said portable information terminal learns a scheme to determine said operation states based upon said received information and history of changes in said operation states.

9. A portable information terminal as defined in claim 6, wherein said portable information terminal comprises a display for displaying operation states of said object to be controlled based upon said received information.

10. A portable information terminal as defined in claim 6, wherein said portable information terminal comprises a display for displaying said received information.

11. A portable information terminal as defined in claim 6, wherein said portable information terminal is a cellular phone.