APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING LEGACY HOME APPLIANCES

• US 20080055108A1
• Filed: 07/26/2007
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Ji, Myung-In, Park, Wan-Ki, Han, In-Tark, Han, Jin-Soo
• Application Number:
  US11/828,493
• Publication Number:
  US 20080055108A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825.22
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/40 Remote control systems using repeaters, converters, gateways
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared

Abstract

Provided is an apparatus and method for controlling legacy home appliances based on Zigbee wireless communication. The apparatus includes a home appliances control signal receiving unit for receiving a home appliances control signal from a user; a signal analyzing unit for analyzing the home appliances control signal and identifying a corresponding home appliance; a Zigbee coordinator for transforming the home appliances control signal into a Zigbee signal and transmitting the Zigbee signal to the identified home appliance; a Zigbee signal receiving unit for receiving the Zigbee signal from the Zigbee coordinator; an identification (ID) analyzing unit for analyzing the ID of the transmitted Zigbee signal; a signal transform unit for transforming the Zigbee signal into an infrared rays remote control signal; and an infrared rays signal transmitting unit for transmitting the infrared rays remote control signal to the infrared rays receiving unit.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling legacy home appliances based on Zigbee wireless communication, comprising:

a home appliances control signal receiving means for receiving a home appliances control signal from a user;

a signal analyzing means for analyzing the transmitted home appliances control signal and identifying a corresponding home appliance;

a Zigbee coordinator for transforming the transmitted home appliances control signal into a Zigbee signal in conformity to a Zigbee standard and transmitting the Zigbee signal to the identified home appliance through Zigbee wireless communication;

a Zigbee signal receiving means for receiving the Zigbee signal from the Zigbee coordinator;

an identification (ID) analyzing means for analyzing the ID of the transmitted Zigbee signal;

a signal transform means for transforming the transmitted Zigbee signal into an infrared rays remote control signal when the analyzed ID is the ID of the legacy home appliances controlling apparatus; and

an infrared rays signal transmitting means for transmitting the transformed infrared rays remote control signal to the infrared rays receiving unit of the home appliance.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the home appliances control signal receiving means receives a home appliances control signal through any one between an Internet and a network when the user is in a remote region, and the home appliances control signal receiving means receives a home appliances control signal through a user interface of a remote control when the user is at home.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein the home appliances control signal receiving means selects one home appliance among a plurality of home appliances through the user interface and checks the selected home appliance.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the Zigbee coordinator transmits a Zigbee signal corresponding to each of the identified home appliances and controls a plurality of home appliances.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein the Zigbee signal receiving means is attached to a place near the infrared rays receiving unit in the outside of the identified home appliance and is matched with each home appliance according to an one-to-one matching method.

6. A method for controlling legacy home appliances based on Zigbee wireless communication, comprising the steps of:

a) receiving a home appliances control signal from a user;

b) analyzing the transmitted home appliances control signal and identifying a corresponding home appliance;

c) transforming the transmitted home appliances control signal into a Zigbee signal in conformity to a Zigbee standard and transmitting the Zigbee signal to the identified home appliance through Zigbee wireless communication;

d) receiving the transmitted Zigbee signal;

e) analyzing identification (ID) of the transmitted Zigbee signal;

f) transforming the transmitted Zigbee signal into an infrared rays remote control signal when the analyzed ID is its own ID; and

g) transmitting the transformed infrared rays remote control signal to the infrared rays receiving unit of the home appliance.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein in the step a), the user receives a home appliances control signal through any one between an Internet and a network when the user is in a remote region, and the user receives a home appliances control signal through a user interface of a remote control when the user is at home.

8. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein in the step c), a plurality of home appliances are controlled by transmitting a Zigbee signal corresponding to each of the identified home appliances.