Remote control system

• US 5,233,342 A
• Filed: 02/20/1991
• Issued: 08/03/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Electronics (USA) Incorporated (Pioneer Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Electronics (USA) Incorporated (Pioneer Corporation)
• Inventors: Okamoto, Takashi, Yashiro, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Yusko, Donald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRAY, ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US07/657,803
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.06, 340/825.10, 340/825.11, 340/825.16, 340/825.44, 340/825.50, 340/310 R, 340/310 A, 340/538, 370/85.6, 307/38, 307/39, 307/40, 307/125, 307/126, 307/131, 307/135, 364/483
• US Class Current: 340/3.7
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00009 using pulsed signals
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/10 using a centralized architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/30 using a wired architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/88 Providing power supply at the sub-station
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/30 State monitoring, e.g. fault, temperature monitoring, insulator monitoring, corona discharge
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/121 using the power network as support for the transmission

Abstract

A remote control system is employed with a view to realization of automated/unattended control in supervisory control of power equipment, transportion/traffic equipment, building equipment, home equipment, and the like. This remote control system includes a priority rank determination unit and a control unit on the controlled side where a control signal for controlling the operation of a plurality of electric equipment is inputted through a communication system from the control side. The priority rank determination unit determines an operating priority rank of respective electric equipments on the basis of respective power dissipations of the plurality of electric equipments. The control unit operates respective electric equipments on the basis of the operating priority rank thus determined. By controlling the operation of the electric equipment in this way, an accident of interruption of the operation of the entire system resulting from the operation of a specific electric equipment is prevented. Further, since this system judges in advance as to whether or not the operation of a specific electric equipment is proper, thus making it possible to prevent in advance the operation of an interrupter, etc., the supervisory control of the system is always maintained.

Claims

1. A remote control system for remotely controlling a plurality of electric equipment disposed at a first station on the basis of a control signal transmitted from a control station through a communication system,

said remote control system comprising:

priority rank determination means for determining an operating priority rank of said plurality of electric equipment on the basis of respective power dissipations including magnitudes of respective inrush current values of each of the plurality of electric equipment; and

control means, responsive to said control signal, for operating any one of the plurality of electric equipment each of which are connected to a control line, and for outputting to said control line an operating signal for operating the electric equipment on the basis of the determined operating priority rank to control the operation thereof.

2. A remote control system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said control means comprises a computational control unit for computing a current marginal value from a threshhold and a sum total of ordinary current value in said electric equipment.

3. A remote control system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said control means uses, as said control line, a power supply wiring for delivering power to said plurality of electric equipment, said respective electric equipment being connected through said power supply wiring.

4. A method of remotely controlling a plurality of electric equipment disposed at a first station on the basis of a control signal transmitted from a control station through a communication system, said method comprising the steps of:

inputting, through said communication system, a control signal for designating at least one AC-operated electric equipment to be turned ON;

computing a current marginal value on the basis of ordinary current data of the electric equipment being in an ON state; and

turning the designated electric equipment ON in accordance with an operating priority rank determined on the basis of dissipation current values including inrush current values of each of the electric equipment, if ordinary current data of the designated electric equipment is in conformity with the current marginal value.

5. A method according to claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

outputting a disable indication signal indicating that the designated electric equipment is being disabled, if ordinary current data of the designated electric equipment is not in conformity with the current marginal value.

6. A method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of storing dissipation current values of the electric

7. A method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of storing dissipation storing ordinary current data of the electric equipment in a memory.

8. A method according to claim 5, wherein said disable indication signal is an acoustic indication transmitted through the communication system.

9. A method according to claim 4, wherein said communication system is a telephone line.