Home automation system

• US 4,959,713 A
• Filed: 10/10/1989
• Issued: 09/25/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/1989
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Endo, Yasumasa, Inoue, Hideki, Asaka, Nobuyoshi, Emura, Yoshinori, Morotomi, Noriaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard W.
• Application Number:
  US07/418,631
• Time in Patent Office: 350 Days
• Field of Search: 358/108, 358/194.1, 358/86, 379/90
• US Class Current: 348/156
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/085 using central distribution transmission lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/186 Video door telephones

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a home automation system, wherein a coaxial cable or other home bus path for data transmission is placed inside a home to connect an intercom unit and monitor camera, which comprise a hardware interface for communication with visitors, and a conventional home television to this bus, thereby to make it possible to output the audio and video signals from the intercom unit and monitor camera on a conventional broadcast reception television.

Claims

1. A home automation system which reproduces on a television receiver in a TV receiver block inside the residence the voices from a voice collection circuit and the video images from a telephone camera provided in an entrance unit, and which comprises the entrance unit and the TV receiver block being connected with the entrance unit via a home bus laid throughout the residence in this system,

said entrance unit including a TV modulator which modulates the video signal from a TV camera and the audio signal from a voice collection circuit, an audio signal receiver which receives the audio signal transmitted over the home bus, a speaker to project the output signal from the audio signal receiver, an interface unit which communicates with other components in the system over the home bus to control said components, and a detection circuit which detects visitors;

and

said television receiver block including a TV set with an external control terminal, an interface unit which is connected to the TV set and controls the TV set and communications between the TV set and other components via the home bus, a voice collection circuit, and an audio transmissions circuit which sends the output signal from the voice collection circuit over the home bus.

2. A home automation system according to claim 1, wherein a video cassette recorder with an interface unit to communicate with the home bus is connected to the home bus so that when a visitor detection signal sent by the entrance unit over the home bus is received by a video cassette recorder, the TV modulated signal sent from the entrance unit is automatically received and recorded to tape.

3. A home automation system according to claim 1 wherein when the interface unit of the entrance unit detects a visitor at the entrance, it modulates the signals from the TV camera and voice collection circuit with the TV modulator and sends the modulated signal to the home bus together with a visitor detection signal;

and when the interface unit of the TV receiver block receives the visitor detection signal, the tuner of the monitor television is automatically switched to receive the modulated TV signal output from the TV modulator in the entrance unit.

4. A home automation system according to claim 2, wherein the TV receiver block comprises a selector switch for switching between a forced and a non-forced control mode.

5. A home automation system according to claim 1 or 3, wherein there are a plurality of the TV receiver blocks and, when a visitor response signal is sent to the home bus from the receiver IFU of one of the TV receiver blocks which are set automatically to the monitor channel to receive the visitor detection signal from the entrance unit, the TV sets in the other TV receiver blocks from which a visitor response signal is not sent by the respective receiver IFU is rendered to reset to the same state as before the visitor detection signal is received.

6. A home automation system according to claim 1, wherein the TV receiver block comprises a tuning circuit, a TV demodulation circuit, tuner control circuit, an interface unit for communication with the home bus, a voice collection circuit, an audio transmission circuit, and a television set.

7. A home automation system according to claim 6, wherein the voice collection circuit comprises a microphone provided in the TV receiver block.

8. A home automation system according to claim 6, wherein the voice collection circuit is comprised a microphone and a radio transmission circuit which transmits the signal from a microphone built in to the remote control device used to control the channel selection and other functions of the TV receiver block, and a radio receiver circuit which receives and demodulates the signal from said radio transmission circuit.

9. A home automation system according to claim 8, wherein the TV receiver block comprises a radio transmission circuit which transmits the voice signal demodulated by the TV demodulation circuit, and the remote control device is comprised a radio receiver circuit which receives and demodulates the signal from said TV receiver block radio transmission circuit, and an amplification circuit which projects said demodulated signal.

10. A remote control device for use in a home automation system, which reproduces on a television receiver in a TV receiver block inside the residence the voices from a microphone and the video images from a television camera provided in an entrance unit, and which comprises the entrance unit and the TV receiver block being connected with the entrance unit via a home bus laid throughout the residence, comprising a remote control means for controlling other system components, and a communication means for communicating with visitors who have come to the entrance.

11. A remote control device according to claim 10, wherein the communication means is comprised of a microphone and a radio transmission circuit for transmitting an audio signal.

12. A remote control device according to claim 10, wherein the communication means is comprised of a microphone and a radio transmitter for transmitting an audio signal, a radio receiver for receiving an audio signal, and a speaker for projecting the received audio signal.

13. A remote control device according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the radio transmitter uses an FM modulation method.

14. A remote control device according to claim 12, wherein the radio receiver uses an FM modulation method.

15. An entrance unit of in an audio-visual entrance for use in a home automation system, which reproduces on a television receiver in a TV receiver block inside the residence the voices from a microphone and the video images from a television camera provided in an entrance unit, and which comprises the entrance unit and the TV receiver block being connected with the entrance unit via a home bus laid throughout the residence, by comprising a controller connected to the home bus, to modulate the signal from the TV camera at a predefined time interval using a TV modulator and to send the modulated signal to the home bus.

16. An entrance unit according to claim 15, wherein said entrance unit comprises a sensor which detects the entrance of any object within a given range, when the entrance of some object or person is detected, the TV camera is operated, the signal from the TV camera is modulated by a TV modulator and the modulated signal is sent over the home bus, and the video signal from the TV camera is automatically displayed by any of one or multiple TV receiver blocks connected to the home bus.

17. An entrance unit according to claim 16, wherein a video cassette recorder with an interface unit to communicate with the home bus is connected to the home bus so that when the entrance of some object or person is detected by the sensor, the TV camera is operated, the signal from the TV camera is modulated by a TV modulator and the modulated signal is sent over the home bus, the video signal from the TV camera is automatically recorded by said video cassette recorder equipped with an interface unit.