Control system

• US 4,979,094 A
• Filed: 04/04/1988
• Issued: 12/18/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Home Access Designs Incorporated, Possum Controls Limited
• Original Assignee: Possum Controls Limited
• Inventors: Gemmell, David, Irvine, Duncan A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jerry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gordon, Paul
• Application Number:
  US07/176,882
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 364/131-133, 364/138, 364/139, 364/143, 364/145, 364/146, 364/188, 364/189, 364/401, 364/410, 340/825.06, 340/825.22, 340/310 A, 340/310 CP, 340/286 R, 340/825.19
• US Class Current: 700/83
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 4/00 Methods or devices enabling patients or disabled persons to operate an apparatus or a device not forming part of the body operating or control means for prostheses A61F2/48, A61F2/68
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/00 Teaching, or communicating with, the blind, deaf or mute audible presentation of material to be studied G09B5/04; devices or methods for replacing direct visual or auditory perception by another kind of perception A61F9/08, A61F11/04; audible indication of meter readings or of colour G01D7/12; watches for blind persons G04B25/02; speech analysis, speech recognition G10L; sound-recording or reproducing, per se G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/02 characterised by the way in which colour is displayed details of colour display specific for CRTs G09G1/28; specific for flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/06 with automatic change-over , e.g. UPS systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2474 Telephone terminals specially adapted for disabled people user interfaces for cordless or mobile telephones specially adapted for disabled users H04M1/72475; network based special services or facilities for hearing-impaired persons H04M3/42391; devices for conversing with the deaf-blind G09B21/04

Abstract

Control apparatus is provided having a microprocessor-based control unit which includes EPROM stored programs for controlling two input stations, loudspeaking telephones, and a plurality of switching devices included on a serial link with the input stations. Each station has a television type monitor on the screen of which, when an input switching device, which is operable by a disabled person, is actuated, a main menu is presented in the form of a list of those of the devices and the telephones which can be controlled from that station. By use of the input switching device and the menu display, a device or the telephone can be selected for control. If control involves more than power on or off, a new menu appears listing the various functions to be chosen, e.g. television channel, volume control. The menus are presented in color determined on a pixel-by-pixel basis. Each switching device controls the operation of a domestic appliance such as an electric fire, lamp, radio or television and also has a manually operable push button and the control unit detects actuation of the push button and in response causes the switching device to change the state of the associated appliance from ON to OFF or vice versa.

Claims

1. An environmental control system for controlling electrically powered domestic equipment in a dwelling, the control system comprising:

(1) a control unit;

(2) a plurality of input stations each located in a different one of a plurality of rooms in said dwelling;

(3) a plurality of electrically operable switching devices including a plurality of groups of said switching devices, each said group being located in a respective one of said rooms;

(4) sensing and control channel means connecting the control unit to each of said switching devices;

(5) communication channel means connecting the control unit to each of said input stations;

each input station comprising;

(i) visible screen display means;

(ii) an input device; and

(iii) station identity storage means storing a station identity code;

each electrically operable switching device comprising;

(i) plug means for electrically connecting the device to a domestic power supply socket;

(ii) output power socket means;

(iii) controllable switch means for interconnecting and disconnecting said plug means and said socket means; and

(iv) switching device identity storage means storing a switching device identity code;

said control unit being connected to each said visible display means, to each said input device, and to each said station identity storage means through said communication lines; and

said control unit comprising data storage and processing means programmed to distinguish between said identity codes and to respond to solely a selected one of said input devices, said storage and processing means being further programmed;

(a) to select as said one input device the first one of said input devices which is actuated after a predetermined length of time in which none of said input devices is actuated;

(b) to supply display data through said communication channel means to the visible screen display means of solely that input station to which said selected input device belongs to display thereon information comprising status information relating to that one group of said switching devices which is located in the room containing said visible screen display means being supplied; and

(c) to respond to actuation of said selected input device to control through said sensing and control channel means said one group of switching devices and to indicate such control by display at said visible screen display means being supplied.

2. A control system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the switching devices includes manually operable means for signalling a request to the control unit to change a control state of the switching device, and the control unit includes means for sensing the request and for controlling the switching device as to effect the requested change.

3. A control system according to claim 2, wherein the control unit is coupled to the switching devices by a serial link, the manually operable means is in the form of a push button switch, and said storage and processing means is further programmed to supply display data through said communication channel means to said visible screen display means being supplied to indicate a change effected in response to said request.

4. A control system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is coupled to the switching devices by a serial link, and the input stations are coupled to the control unit by the serial link.

5. A control system according to claim 1, wherein each visible screen display means comprises means for presenting a television-type raster.