CONTROLLER, METHOD OF CONTROLLING ILLUMINATION, AND NETWORK SYSTEM

• US 20130049607A1
• Filed: 03/09/2011
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Urata, Shigeru
• Application Number:
  US13/696,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20130049607A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/153
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link

Abstract

A controller includes a communication interface for communicating with at least one illumination and a plurality of home appliances; a memory for storing a corresponding relationship between the plurality of home appliances and a lighting up scheme of the illumination; and a processor for obtaining, upon receiving a signal from one of the plurality of home appliances indicating the state thereof, a lighting up scheme corresponding to the home appliance on the basis of the corresponding relationship, using the communication interface, and for instructing at least one illumination to light up in accordance with the lighting up scheme.

Claims

1. A controller comprising:

a communication interface for communicating with at least one illumination and a plurality of home appliances;

a memory for storing a corresponding relationship between said plurality of home appliances and a lighting up scheme of said illumination; and

a processor for obtaining, upon receiving a signal from one of said plurality of home appliances indicating a state thereof, a lighting up scheme corresponding to the home appliance on the basis of the corresponding relationship, using the communication interface, and for instructing at least one illumination to light up in accordance with the lighting up scheme.

2. The controller according to claim 1, wherein:

said illumination can emit light of a plurality of colors;

said memory stores said plurality of colors corresponding to said plurality of home appliances, respectively, as said lighting up scheme; and

said processor obtains, upon receiving a signal from one of said plurality of home appliances, a color corresponding to the home appliance, as said lighting up scheme, using the communication interface, and instructs at least one of said illumination to emit light of the color.

3. The controller according to claim 1, wherein:

said memory stores a corresponding relationship between a state of said home appliance and a blinking rhythm of said illumination;

said signal indicates a state of said home appliance; and

said processor obtains, upon receiving said signal, a blinking rhythm corresponding to the state on the basis of said corresponding relationship, using the communication interface, and instructs at least one of said illumination to emit light in accordance with said blinking rhythm.

4. The controller according to claim 3, wherein

said memory stores said state associated with a priority level for every said home appliance;

and

said processor obtains, when said processor receives a plurality of said states using the communication interface, said blinking rhythm corresponding to said state having a higher priority level, and instructs at least one of said illumination to emit light in accordance with said blinking rhythm.

5. The controller according to claim 1, wherein:

said communication interface establishes communication with a motion sensor installed in a room where said illumination is installed,

said memory stores a corresponding relationship between said motion sensor and said illumination; and

said processor instructs said illumination installed in a room where a person is present to emit light on the basis of the signal received from said motion sensor, using said communication interface.

6. The controller according to claim 1, wherein:

said communication interface establishes communication with a brightness sensor installed in a room where said illumination is installed; and

said processor instructs emission of light at an intensity corresponding to lightness in said room on the basis of the signal from said brightness sensor, using said communication interface.

7. The controller according to claim 1, wherein said illumination includes an LED (Light Emitting Diode).

8. A method for controlling illumination by a controller including a communication interface for communication with at least one illumination that can emit light of a plurality of colors and a plurality of home appliances, a memory for storing a corresponding relationship between said plurality of home appliances and a lighting up scheme of said illumination, and a processor, said method of controlling illumination comprising the steps of:

receiving, by said processor, a signal indicating a state of said home appliance from any of said plurality of home appliances, using said communication interface;

obtaining, by said processor, a lighting up scheme corresponding to the home appliance on the basis of said corresponding relationship, referring to said memory; and

instructing, by said processor, at least one of said illumination to light up in accordance with said relevant lighting up scheme, using said communication interface.

9. A network system including at least one illumination that can emit light of a plurality of colors, a plurality of home appliances, and a controller, wherein each of said plurality of home appliances transmits a signal indicating a state of the home appliance to said controller,

said controller includes:

a communication interface for communicating with at least one illumination and a plurality of home appliances;

a memory for storing a corresponding relationship between said plurality of home appliances and a lighting up scheme of said illumination; and

a processor for obtaining, upon receiving a signal from one of said plurality of home appliances indicating the state thereof, a lighting up scheme corresponding to the home appliance on the basis of the corresponding relationship, using the communication interface, and for instructing at least one illumination to light up in accordance with the lighting up scheme, and

said at least one illumination emits light according to an instruction from said controller.