Programmable remote control systems for electrical apparatuses
First Claim
1. A system for controlling the operation of an electrical apparatus, said system comprising:
- a system control center for controlling a control unit remotely located from said control center and associated with an electrical apparatus in accordance with an individual operating protocol of said control unit, said system control center including memory means containing said operating protocol;
transmission means associated with said system control center for transmitting a programming signal to said control unit designating said operating protocol and a geographical location of said control unit and for further transmitting a timing reference signal to said control unit designating the occurrence of an event at a benchmark geographical location;
said control unit including receiver means for receiving said timing reference signal;
timing means associated with said control unit and responsive to said timing reference signal for initiating a timing period having a duration determined based upon the relation between said benchmark geographical location and said geographical location of said control unit;
control circuit means responsive to expiration of said timing period for controlling the application of operating current to electrical circuitry within said electrical apparatus; and
a response transmitter responsive to the operation of said control circuit means for selectively transmitting at least one answer back message to a receiving unit associated with said system control command center for comparison with said stored protocol, whereby said electrical apparatus is verifiably operated in accordance with said operating protocol.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A control system for remotely controlling the application of electric power to a plurality of electrical apparatuses (10) includes a radio transmitting device (20) at a central location, and a radio receiving device (22) and a control unit (16) at each electrical apparatus location. During set-up of an electrical apparatus, programming signals designating the operating protocol or mode and the location of the electrical apparatus are transmitted by a radio programming signal to the control unit (16) associated with each electrical apparatus. Subsequently, timing reference signals containing a multiple-digit computer generated code designating the time of day and the time of sunrise and sunset on a particular day within particular latitudinal zones are transmitted by radio to the control units (16) of all electrical apparatus (10). Each control unit interprets and responds to the timing signals in accordance with previously received programming signals to control the application of electric power to the electrical apparatus in accordance with a predetermined operating protocol. Each control unit is also provided with a two way communication answer back capability to advise the control command center that previously sent messages have been received and to provide status report information.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A system for controlling the operation of an electrical apparatus, said system comprising:
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a system control center for controlling a control unit remotely located from said control center and associated with an electrical apparatus in accordance with an individual operating protocol of said control unit, said system control center including memory means containing said operating protocol; transmission means associated with said system control center for transmitting a programming signal to said control unit designating said operating protocol and a geographical location of said control unit and for further transmitting a timing reference signal to said control unit designating the occurrence of an event at a benchmark geographical location; said control unit including receiver means for receiving said timing reference signal; timing means associated with said control unit and responsive to said timing reference signal for initiating a timing period having a duration determined based upon the relation between said benchmark geographical location and said geographical location of said control unit; control circuit means responsive to expiration of said timing period for controlling the application of operating current to electrical circuitry within said electrical apparatus; and a response transmitter responsive to the operation of said control circuit means for selectively transmitting at least one answer back message to a receiving unit associated with said system control command center for comparison with said stored protocol, whereby said electrical apparatus is verifiably operated in accordance with said operating protocol. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system for controlling the operation of multiple electrical apparatuses, said system comprising:
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a system control center for controlling a control unit remotely located from said control center and associated with an electrical apparatus in accordance with an individual operating protocol of said control unit; transmission means associated with said system control center for transmitting a programming signal to said control unit designating said operating protocol and a geographical location of said control unit and for further transmitting a timing reference signal to said control unit designating the occurrence of an event at a benchmark geographical location; said control unit including receiver means for receiving said timing reference signals; timing means responsive to said reference signal for initiating a predetermined timing period having a duration determined based upon the relation between said benchmark geographical location and said geographical location of said control unit; control circuit means responsive to said timing means for controlling the application of operating current to said apparatus following expiration of said timing period; and a response transmitter associated with said control unit for selectively transmitting at least one answer back message at an assigned time in response to a received reference signal to a receiving unit associated with the system control center, whereby the apparatus is caused to be verifiably operated in accordance with its respective operating protocol. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A control device operable from a received timing reference signal for controlling the operation of an electrical apparatus, comprising:
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means for storing an operating protocol for said control device and data indicative of the geographical location of said control device; receiver means for receiving at least one timing reference signal transmitted upon the occurrence of an event at a benchmark geographical location; timing means responsive to said received timing reference signal for initiating at least one predetermined timing period having a duration based upon the relation between said benchmark geographical location and said geographical location of said control device; apparatus control circuit means responsive to said timing means for controlling the application of operating current to operating means of said electrical apparatus following said timing period; autodiagnostic circuit means responsive to said timing means for performing a status check of said apparatus and for preparing an autodiagnostic status report indicative of a current status of said electrical apparatus; and an answer back communications link for automatically providing an answer back message including said autodiagnostic status report to a remote control command center, whereby said electrical apparatus is caused to be verifiably operated in accordance with its operating protocol. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method for controlling the operation of a selected set of a plurality of electrical apparatuses, comprising the steps of:
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storing a predetermined individual operating protocol associated to each of said plurality of electrical apparatuses, each said operating protocol having predetermined on and off times, transmitting at least one timing reference signal to said plurality of electrical apparatuses upon the occurrence of an event at a benchmark geographical location; receiving a transmitted timing reference signal at said selected set of said plurality of said electrical apparatuses; initiating a timing period at each apparatus of said selected set in response to the received reference signal, the timing period initiated at each apparatus having a duration based upon the relation between the benchmark geographical location and the geographical location of that particular apparatus; controlling the application of operating current to the operating means of each apparatus of said selected set following expiration of said timing period; initiating a second timing period at each apparatus of said selected set in response to the received reference signal; and transmitting at least one answer back message from each electrical apparatus of said selected set to a remote command center following said second timing period of each electrical apparatus of said second set, said answer back message including an acknowledgement component indicating receipt of the reference signal at each electrical apparatus of said selected set whereby each electrical apparatus of said selected set is caused to be verifiably operated in accordance with its predetermined operating protocol.
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28. A system for controlling the operation of an electrical apparatus, said system comprising:
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a system control center for controlling a control unit remotely located from said control center and associated with an electrical apparatus in accordance with an individual protocol of said control unit, said system control center including memory means containing said operating protocol; transmission means associated with said system control center for transmitting a programming signal to said control unit designating said operating protocol and a geographical location of said control unit and for further transmitting a timing reference signal to said control unit designating the occurrence of an event at a benchmark geographical location; said control unit including receiver means for receiving said timing reference signal; timing means associated with said control unit and responsive to said timing reference signal for initiating a timing period having a duration determined based upon the relation between said benchmark geographical location and said geographical location of said control unit; and control circuit means responsive to expiration of said timing period for controlling the application of operating current to electrical circuitry within said electrical apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A system for controlling the operation of multiple electrical apparatuses, said system comprising:
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a system control center for controlling a control unit remotely located from said control center and associated with an electrical apparatus in accordance with an individual operating protocol of said control unit; transmission means associated with said system control center for transmitting a programming signal to said control unit designating said operating protocol and a geographical location of said control unit and for further transmitting a timing reference signal to said control unit designating the occurrence of an event at a benchmark geographical location; said control unit including receiver means for receiving said timing reference signal; timing means responsive to said reference signal for initiating a predetermined timing period having a duration determined based upon the relation between said benchmark geographical location and said geographical location of said control unit; and control circuit means responsive to said timing means for controlling the application of operating current to said apparatus following expiration of said timing period.
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34. A control device operable from a received timing reference signal for controlling the operation of an electrical apparatus, comprising:
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means for storing an operating protocol for said control device and data indicative of the geographical location of said control device; receiver means for receiving at least one timing reference signal transmitted upon the occurrence of an event at a benchmark geographical location; timing means responsive to said received timing reference signal for initiating at least one predetermined timing period having a duration based upon the relation between said benchmark geographical location and said geographical location of said control device; and apparatus control circuit means responsive to said timing means for controlling the application of operating current to operating means of said electrical apparatus following said timing period.
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35. A method for controlling the operation of a select set of a plurality of electrical apparatuses, comprising the steps of:
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storing a predetermined individual operating protocol associated to each of said plurality of electrical apparatuses, each said operating protocol having a predetermined on and off time; transmitting at least one timing reference signal to said plurality of electrical apparatuses upon the occurrence of an event at a benchmark geographical location; receiving a transmitted timing reference signal at said selected set of said plurality of said electrical apparatuses; initiating a timing period at each apparatus of said selected set in response to the received reference signal, the timing period initiated at each apparatus having a duration based upon the relation between the benchmark geographical location and the geographical location of that particular apparatus; and controlling the application of operating current to the operating means of each apparatus of said selected set following expiration of said timing period.
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Specification