Remote control system using power line of remote site
First Claim
1. A control system for controlling the application of power to one or more power-dependent units at a remote site in accordance with power control messages transmitted from a local site to the remote site over an intersite communications channel which couples the two sites where the inter-site communications channel also carries other messages, the system comprising:
- a power line extending through the remote site for supplying power to the power-dependent units;
master control means, located at the remote site and operatively coupled to the remote site power line, for transmitting power controlling signals through the remote site power line, the power controlling signals defining when and which of the one or more power-dependent units will receive power from the power line, the master control means having a master receiving port for receiving operation control commands which control operations of the master control means; and
message routing means, located at the remote site and having first and second message routing channels both coupled to the inter-site communications channel, for receiving messages from the local site and selectively routing each received message onto one or the other of the first and second message routing channels,the first of the message routing channels including power-message relaying means, coupled to the master receiving port of the master control means, for generating in response to power control message received from the local site and for transmitting to the master control means the operation control commands which control the operations of the master control means,the second message routing channel being not coupled to the master receiving port of the master control means so that messages routed onto the second message routing channel cannot alter the operations of the master control means.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for controlling power at a remote site includes a two channel modem having a first channel dedicated for transmitting power controlling messages to power control modules and a second channel dedicated to transmitting data messages to computerized equipment. The power control modules include a master control module which is plugged into a power line extending through the remote site and one or more slave modules also coupled to the remote site power line for receiving therethrough power control signals transmitted by the master control unit. A user located at a site distant from the remote site may turn power on, off or dim the power to any of a plurality of appliances which are coupled to the remote power line by way of slave power control units.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A control system for controlling the application of power to one or more power-dependent units at a remote site in accordance with power control messages transmitted from a local site to the remote site over an intersite communications channel which couples the two sites where the inter-site communications channel also carries other messages, the system comprising:
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a power line extending through the remote site for supplying power to the power-dependent units; master control means, located at the remote site and operatively coupled to the remote site power line, for transmitting power controlling signals through the remote site power line, the power controlling signals defining when and which of the one or more power-dependent units will receive power from the power line, the master control means having a master receiving port for receiving operation control commands which control operations of the master control means; and message routing means, located at the remote site and having first and second message routing channels both coupled to the inter-site communications channel, for receiving messages from the local site and selectively routing each received message onto one or the other of the first and second message routing channels, the first of the message routing channels including power-message relaying means, coupled to the master receiving port of the master control means, for generating in response to power control message received from the local site and for transmitting to the master control means the operation control commands which control the operations of the master control means, the second message routing channel being not coupled to the master receiving port of the master control means so that messages routed onto the second message routing channel cannot alter the operations of the master control means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 12, 13)
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6. A method for controlling power application to electronic equipment located at a remote site in accordance with power-control messages transmitted over a shared communications line from a local site, where the shared communications line carries non-power messages in addition to the power-control messages, the method comprising the steps of:
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defining at least two channels at the remote site, each channel being operatively coupled to the shared communications line to receive messages transmitted to the remote site over the shared communications line, at least one of the channels being a power control channel; forming a message at the local site; attaching message-routing information to the formed message, the message routing information designating one of the at least two channels as a target channel; transmitting the formed message with the attached message-routing information from the local site to the remote site over the shared communications line; and at the remote site, routing the transmitted message according to its message routing information onto the one channel designated as the target channel. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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14. A remote control system where a remote site is coupled to a local site by an inter-site communications channel,
the remote control system being for selectively applying power at the remote site to one or more remote-site devices in accordance with power control messages transmitted from the local site, the system comprising at the remote site: -
an AC power line for supplying alternating current power at the remote site; a master power-control unit coupled to the AC power line; one or more power-control slave units coupled to the AC power line; a multi-channel modem, coupling the remote-site end of the inter-site communications channel to the master power-control unit and to the one or more remote-site devices, the multi-channel modem having one channel dedicated to transmitting control signals between the master power-control unit and the local site and a second channel dedicated to transmitting other signals between the one or more remote-site devices and the local site. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A remote control system for enabling a local site computer to control the application of power to and the operations of a remote site computer by sending power control and operation control signals over an inter-site communications channel coupling the local site to the remote site, the system comprising:
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a local modem located at the local site for coupling the local site computer to the inter-site communications channel; a remote modem located at the remote site, the remote modem having an inter-site port coupled to the inter-site communications channel, a first port coupled to the remote site computer, a second port, and signal routing means for routing signals passing through the inter-site port to one or the other of the first and second remote modem ports; and programmable power supplying means located at the remote site and coupled to the second port of the remote modem for receiving power control signals from the second port of the remote modem, the power supplying means being further coupled to the remote site computer for selectively supplying power to the remote site computer in accordance with the power control signals received from the second port of the remote modem. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of supplying power to and controlling the operations of a remote site computer from a local site computer, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a local modem at the local site coupled to the local site computer; providing a multi-channel remote modem at the remote site with a first channel of the remote modem being coupled to an operations controlling port of the remote site computer; providing a programmable power supply at the remote site coupled to a second channel of the remote site modem for selectively supplying power to the remote site computer in accordance with power control signals conducted by the second channel; commanding the local modem to call the remote modem; when the remote modem answers commanding the remote modem, by way of command messages sent through the local modem, to route received messages to the second channel of the remote modem; sending a power-on command from the local computer through the local modem and through the second channel of the remote modem for causing the remote site power supply to supply power to the remote site computer; after power is supplied to the remote site computer, commanding the remote modem to route messages between the local modem and the first channel of the remote modem; and sending operation control signals to operate the turned-on remote computer over the first channel of the remote modem. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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Specification