Home-bus-information system

• US 4,989,081 A
• Filed: 11/09/1989
• Issued: 01/29/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Miyagawa, Masayuki, Osakabe, Yoshio, Yamada, Hisafumi, Itabashi, Takao
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard W.
• Application Number:
  US07/435,202
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: 358/93, 358/86, 358/183, 358/194.1, 379/90, 379/96, 379/102, 379/103, 379/104
• US Class Current: 348/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A home-bus-information display system arranged such that the control status of each of a plurality of home apparatus can be monitored via home bus-lines and additively displayed over a video program on the picture screen of a television receiver to allow a viewer to monitor the control status of each of other home electric apparatus, a security system and so on in a centralized-control fashion.

Claims

1. A home-bus-information display system comprising:

(a) a video monitor having a picture screen;

(b) a signal source for supplying a video program;

(c) a plurality of home apparatus to be controlled electrically; and

(d) electrically controlling means provided in each of the plurality of home apparatus;

characterized in the combination of

(e) a bus-line connected between the video monitor and each of the plurality of home apparatus;

(f) information means provided in each of the plurality of home apparatus for generating a distinctive status information signal in response to the electrically controlling means and for transmitting the status information signal to the video monitor through the bus-line; and

(g) display means responsive to the video program and the status information for displaying the status information additively to the video program on the picture screen of the video monitor.

2. A home-bus-information display system according to claim 1, wherein the display means includes timer means for displaying the status information for a predetermined time period.

3. A home-bus-information display system according to claim 1, wherein the display means displays the status information on the picture screen with different colors according to the content of the status information.

4. A home-bus-information display system according to claim 1, wherein the display means includes demonstrating means for displaying simulated status information signals.

5. A home-bus-information display system according to claim 1, wherein the display means has a status-only display mode and only the status information information signals are displayed on the whole picture screen without being superimposed on the video program when this mode is selected.

6. A home-bus-information display system according to claim 1, wherein the display means includes means for displaying numerical data on the picture screen when the received status information signal cannot be recognized as corresponding to any of the home apparatus.

7. A home-bus-information display system according to claim 1, wherein the display means includes home apparatus selection means for displaying status information signals received only from selected home apparatuses without displaying the status information signals received from the unselected home apparatus.

8. A home-bus-information display system according to claim 1, wherein the display means includes an indicator for indicating whether the video monitor has received a status information signal from the home apparatus or not.

9. A home-bus-information display system according to claim 8, wherein the indicator is an LED (light emitting diode) device.

10. A home-bus-information display system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

(h) signal supply means for supplying control signals on the bus-line to each of the controlling means to control the operations of the plurality of the home apparatus.

11. A home-bus-information display system according to claim 10, wherein the control signal includes an apparatus address code and a function code.

12. A home-bus-information display system according to claim 10, wherein the signal supply means includes a remote controller for emitting the control signals, and signal receiving means provided in the video monitor for receiving the control signals from the remote controller and supplying the same on the bus-line.

13. A home-bus-information display system according to claim 12, wherein the operations of the display means are controlled by the remote controller.

14. A home-bus-information display system according to claim 1, wherein the display means includes a mode switch for the status information and the status information is displayed when the mode switch is operated.

15. A home-bus-information display system according to claim 14, wherein the mode switch has a display function in which the status information for each apparatus is sequentially displayed by different pictures.

16. A home-bus-information display system according to claim 15, wherein the mode switch includes a home-apparatus-selection key for displaying only the status information signal of a desired home apparatus.

17. A home-bus-information display system according to claim 15, wherein the display means includes an automatic change-over means responsive to a newly generated status information signal from a certain home apparatus for displaying the status information of the certain home apparatus on the picture screen taking priority over the status information signals of other home apparatuses.

18. A home-bus-information display system according to claim 17, wherein the automatic change-over means displays the status information of the certain home apparatus differently from a status information signal display of the other apparatuses.