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

• US 5,774,528 A
• Filed: 04/25/1997
• Issued: 06/30/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1990
• 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:
  US08/846,024
• Time in Patent Office: 431 Days
• Field of Search: 379/102.01, 379/102.04, 379/102.07, 379/106.01, 379/106.07, 379/106.11, 379/92.01, 379/92.03, 379/92.04, 379/110.01, 379/90.01, 340/533, 340/539, 340/679, 340/310.01, 340/310.06, 340/310.08, 340/310.02, 307/31, 307/38, 307/40
• US Class Current: 379/106.01
• 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

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 power consuming devices, comprising:

a controller for sensing an operational status parameter of each of the electrical power consuming devices 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 device type of the electrical power consuming devices, and a number of devices of the selected device type available for a reservation;

said controller embodying a call back request processing routine which adjusts the number of devices of the selected device 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 devices of the selected device type available for a reservation;

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

a remote transceiver 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 electrical power consuming devices in response to the prepayment information.

3. A system as in claim 1, in which the reservation unit comprises means for selectively controlling the electrical power consuming devices 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 power consuming devices, comprising:

a controller for monitoring, storing and transmitting an operational status parameter of an electrical power consuming device and for transmitting an availability status of the electrical power consuming device 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 electrical power consuming devices, and a number of devices of the selected device type available for a reservation;

said controller embodying a call back option routine which monitors the number of devices of the selected device 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 devices of the selected device 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 devices of the selected device type available for a reservation;

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

a remote transceiver 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, said 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.

6. A condition responsive indicating system for interactively indicating status of a plurality of electrical power consuming devices, comprising:

a controller for sensing an operational status parameter of each of the power consuming devices and generating and transmitting status signals corresponding thereto and for determining a device availability status signal, said controller further comprising means for generating, and transmitting a user prompt for interactively prompting a user to provide a user input; and

a remote transceiver including;

means for receiving the user prompt and providing an indication thereof to the user;

means for receiving the user input;

a transmitter for generating and transmitting at least one interrogation signal including a device status request signal and a call back request signal only in response to the user input, the at least one interrogation signal causing said controller to transmit the status signals;

a receiver for receiving the status signals; and

an indicator for producing an indication of the status signals;

the controller transmits, in response to the call back request signal and depending upon the device availability status signal, a call back to the remote transceiver.

7. A system as in claim 6, in which:

each electrical power consuming device has a predetermined cycle of operation; and

said status parameter comprises at least one of a length of time elapsed in said cycle and a length of time remaining in said cycle.

8. A system as in claim 6, in which said status parameter includes at least one of electrical power consumption, electrical current consumption, electrical voltage and operating temperature.

9. A system as in claim 6, in which the controller assigns a priority ranking to each call back request signal and processes each call back request signal depending upon its priority ranking to generate the call back.

10. A system as in claim 6, in which said transceiver further comprises a keyboard for controlling the transmitter.

11. A system as in claim 6, in which the controller further comprises:

sensor means for periodically sensing said status parameters of each of said electrical power consuming devices; and

a memory for storing and updating said status parameters upon sensing thereof by the sensor means.

12. A system as in claim 6, in which the indicator comprises a visual display.

13. A system as in claim 6, in which:

the controller generates said status signals in the form of synthesized voice; and

the indicator comprises an audio annunciator.