Condition responsive indicating system for interactively indicating status of a plurality of electrical appliances

• US 5,586,174 A
• Filed: 05/25/1995
• Issued: 12/17/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advanced Laundry Devices
• Original Assignee: Advanced Laundry Devices
• Inventors: Mernick, Jason H., Bogner, Douglas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F.
• Application Number:
  US08/451,020
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 379/102, 379/104-107, 379/92, 379/93, 379/90, 379/110, 340/310.06, 340/310.08, 340/310.02, 340/533, 340/539, 340/310.01, 340/679, 307/31, 307/38, 307/40, 364/401
• US Class Current: 379/106.01
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24048 Remote test, monitoring, diagnostic
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00009 using pulsed signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2843 Mains power line
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C
• 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: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/121 using the power network as support for the transmission

Abstract

The operating status of a plurality of laundry appliances including washing machines and/or driers is sensed, and a controller generates and transmits corresponding status signals to remote transceivers which include visual or audio indicators for indicating the information. Each transceiver can interrogate the controller to determine the status of the appliances, with the status being transmitted only to the interrogating transmitter. Each transceiver can also transmit a reservation signal to the controller to reserve a selected appliance for a predetermined period of time. The controller also transmits status signals for the selected appliance only to the transceiver of the user who reserved the appliance when the operating cycle is finished, or at a predetermined period of time prior to the end of the operating cycle. The transceivers can communicate with the controller over a telephone line, or over A.C. power lines.

Claims

1. A condition responsive indicating system for interactively indicating status of a plurality of electrical appliances, comprising:

a controller for sensing an operational status parameter of each of the appliances and generating and transmitting status signals corresponding thereto;

said controller including a memory device storing an association between a prospective user and a call back request signal, an association between the call back request signal and a selected appliance type of the appliances, and a number of appliances of the selected type available for a reservation;

said controller embodying a call back request processing routine which adjusts the number of appliances of the selected type available for a reservation in response to the call back request signal and a reservation request signal and transmits a call back in response to the call back request signal depending upon the number of appliances of the selected type available for a reservation;

said controller further comprising a reservation unit for selectively controlling the appliances to accept control inputs from only a specified user in response to the number of appliances of the selected type available for a reservation and the reservation request signal; and

a plurality of remote transceivers, each including;

a transmitter for generating and transmitting interrogation signals including the call back request signal and the reservation request signal;

a receiver for receiving the status signals and the call back; and

at least one indicator for producing indications of the status signals and the call back.

2. A system as in claim 1, in which:

the control inputs include prepayment information designating said specified user; and

the reservation unit selectively controls the appliances in response to the prepayment information.

3. A system as in claim 1, in which the reservation unit comprises means for selectively controlling the appliances to accept control inputs from only the specified user for only a predetermined period of time after receipt of the reservation request signal.

4. A condition responsive indicating system for interactively indicating status of a plurality of electrical appliances, comprising:

a controller for monitoring, storing and transmitting an operational status parameter of an appliance and for transmitting an availability status of the appliance in response to interrogation signals;

said controller including a memory device storing an association between a prospective user and prepayment information., an association between the prospective user and a call back request signal, an association between the call back request signal and a selected type of the appliances, and a number of appliances of the selected type available for a reservation;

said controller embodying a call back option routine which monitors the number of appliances of the selected type available for a reservation and generates a call back option menu for prompting the prospective user to request a call back by providing the call back request signal to said controller;

said controller embodying a call back request processing routine which adjusts the number of appliances of the selected type available for a reservation in response to the call back request signal and a reservation request signal and transmits a call back in response to the call back request signal depending upon the number of appliances of the selected type available for a reservation;

said controller further comprising a reservation unit for selectively controlling the appliances to accept control inputs from only a specified user in response to the reservation request signal and depending upon the number of appliances of the selected type available for a reservation and the prepayment information, the reservation unit comprising means for selectively controlling the appliances to accept inputs from only the specified user for only a predetermined period of time after receipt of the reservation request signal; and

a plurality of remote transceivers for transmitting the interrogation signals, the interrogation signals including the call back request signal and the reservation request signal, and for receiving and indicating the availability status, each of the remote transceiver comprising a transmitter for generating and transmitting the interrogation signals, a receiver for receiving the availability status, the call back option menu, and the call back, and at least one indicator for producing indications of the availability status, the call back option menu, and the call back, the at least one indicator including a voice synthesis mechanism for audibly producing the call back.

5. A system as in claim 4, in which the controller further comprises:

a reprogramming interface for receiving data to be stored in the controller.