Acoustic communicator for central vacuum cleaners
First Claim
1. A method for controlling a central vacuum cleaner comprising a central machinery and a pipe system connecting said machinery to a remote working point, in which method the said machinery is activated when a particular acoustic signal is transmitted from the working point to the central machinery through the pipe system even when air is flowing through the pipe system, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) generating a continuous acoustic signal during such time as continuous operation of the central machinery of said central vacuum cleaner is desired;
b) transmitting said signal from the working point through the pipe system to the central machinery;
c) detecting said signal near the central machinery; and
d) operating the central machinery when said signal is detected, with operation ceasing when detection of said signal ceases.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A wireless acoustic communicator is disclosed which permits a remotely-located operator to monitor and control a central vacuum cleaner. The acoustic communicator does not need problematic batteries, airflow blockers, or special wiring networks but uses only low-frequency acoustic signals that are transmitted through the pipe system of the vacuum cleaner. Command signals are effectively transmitted, even while air is flowing through the pipe system, by using a continuous multi-frequency signal, a resonant physical structure, and an adaptive signal detector. A preferred embodiment uses a powerful reed to generate a continuous acoustic signal. The reed is manually plucked by a slide switch to start vibration, which is then continued by the airflow through the pipe system caused by the running vacuum motor. The vacuum motor runs only if the signal is present. The acoustic communicator includes a resonant detection tube that filters the signal before it reaches a microphone. The adaptive signal detector reacts to noise and airflow sensed with a microphone by tracking signal phase, altering detection criteria, and sampling independently in time, frequency, and space. In addition, the wave form of the acoustic signal can be changed to create a control signal for other central vacuum cleaner functions, such as motor speed control. The acoustic communicator can also be used to monitor the central vacuum cleaner; for example, it can report a full condition of the dust filter.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method for controlling a central vacuum cleaner comprising a central machinery and a pipe system connecting said machinery to a remote working point, in which method the said machinery is activated when a particular acoustic signal is transmitted from the working point to the central machinery through the pipe system even when air is flowing through the pipe system, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) generating a continuous acoustic signal during such time as continuous operation of the central machinery of said central vacuum cleaner is desired; b) transmitting said signal from the working point through the pipe system to the central machinery; c) detecting said signal near the central machinery; and d) operating the central machinery when said signal is detected, with operation ceasing when detection of said signal ceases. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for monitoring a central vacuum cleaner comprising a central machinery and a pipe system connecting said machinery to a remote working point, in which method information about the said machinery, including the need for checking the dust filter, is transmitted acoustically from the central machinery through the pipe system to a working point, with such method comprising the steps of:
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a) sensing the existence of a particular condition of the central machinery of said central vacuum cleaner; b) generating a particular acoustic signal in response to the sensing of the existence of said condition; c) transmitting said acoustic signal through the pipe system to a remote working point; and d) communicating the acoustic signal to the operator of the vacuum cleaner.
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13. A method of sensing airflow in a central vacuum cleaner comprising central machinery and a pipe system connecting said machinery to a remote working point, which method comprises the following steps:
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a) detecting pressure variations in the air inside the pipe system of said central vacuum cleaner with a pressure-sensitive microphone; b) filtering the signal of the microphone for frequencies characteristic of pressure variations associated with turbulent flow; and c) estimating the speed of the airflow based on the magnitude of the filtered signal.
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Specification