Device for transmitting commands to the equipment of an installation, especially of an electrical installation and installation controlled by such a device

• US 6,225,915 B1
• Filed: 08/14/1997
• Issued: 05/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Electricitã© De France
• Original Assignee: Electricitã© De France
• Inventors: Lobert, Jean-Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shimizu, Matsuichiro
• Application Number:
  US08/911,070
• Time in Patent Office: 1,356 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.22, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/310.01, 340/310.08, 379/103, 455/352
• US Class Current: 340/12.26
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence

Abstract

A device for transmitting commands to a suite of equipment, such as for example, equipment found in an abode. The device is capable of sending and receiving control signals in the form of modulated infrared or radio waves. The device is also capable of transmitting control signals via carrier currents to equipment of the installation to be actuated. Logic is included in the device for purposes such as decoding and synchronizing received electrical signals. The device further includes electrically erasable memory for storing a file containing commands organized in accordance with the configuration of the installation. The device can further be linked with other devices to generate the file of commands organized according to the configuration of the installation.

Claims

1. A device for transmitting commands to a suite of equipment of an electrical installation of an abode, including means (1, 1a, 1b, 1c) for sending and receiving control signals in the form of modulated infrared or radio waves in conjunction with means (21, 29, 31, 33, 35) for transmitting control signals via carrier currents to equipment of the installation to be actuated, wherein said device is located in a remote control box, and furthermore includes logic (2) for decoding and synchronizing the electrical signals received by the receiving means (1a), an electrically erasable memory (3) for storing a file (F) containing commands organized in accordance with the configuration of the installation, and means (6) for linking the device with means (46) for generating the file (F) of commands organized according to the configuration of the installation,

wherein the means for sending and receiving control signals comprises a receiver (1a) of identity signals relating to zones (I to IV) of the installation and emanating from corresponding sending means (21, 29, 31, 33), a sender (1b) of control signals to said means (21, 29, 31, 33, 35) for transmitting via carrier currents, and a modem (1c) linking said sending and receiving means to the decoding and synchronization logic unit (2),

said transmitting device including operating buttons (12) which control the sending by the device of macrocommands stored in the file (F) located in the memory (3) and each containing a series of instructions for particular items of the equipment of the installation which are required to be actuated so as to place it in a situation determined by the macrocommand,

wherein said installation includes a multiservice box (35) linked to a carrier-current line (40) and to a line (42) of the distribution network or to a telephone line effecting a carrier-current link with a distribution agency and provided with an infrared or radio-wave relay (37) for communicating with the transmitting device (8, 10) so as to interpret and transmit, by way of the carrier-current line (40), to appliances of the installation, the instructions which concern them contained in the commands which it receives from the transmitting device.

2. The transmitting device as claimed in claim 1, wherein it is linked in a removable manner to a microprocessor (10) effecting detailed commands for equipment of the installation located in one of several zones (I to IV) of said installation or else for general-interest equipment, the transmitting device being linked by its means for linking (6) to the microprocessor (10) and the latter being associated with software (11) for managing the installation allowing the transmitting device to transmit commands intended for specific appliances of the installation.

3. The transmitting device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the microprocessor (10) forms part of a game console and the management software is stored in a cartridge (11) plugged into the box (8) of the game console.

4. The transmitting device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the microprocessor forms part of a PC type microcomputer to which the device is connected.

5. The transmitting device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the multiservice box (35) includes a memory (45) for storing the file (F) organized according to the configuration of the installation and a file for matching the macrocommands and individual commands for equipment.

6. The transmitting device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the multiservice box includes means (38) for connection with the means for linking (6) of the transmitting device so as to load the file (F) organized according to the configuration of the installation into the memory (45) for storing the file of the multiservice box (35).

7. The transmitting device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the multiservice box (35) is linked by the line (42) of the distribution network or by the telephone line to the means (46) for generating the file (F) organized according to the configuration of the installation and the file for matching the macrocommands and individual commands for the equipment, the loading of said files being effected directly by way of the line (42) of the distribution network or of the telephone line.

8. An electrical installation controlled by a transmitting device for transmitting commands to a suite of equipment of an electrical installation of an abode, including means (1, 1a, 1b, 1c) of sending and receiving control signals in the form of modulated infrared or radio waves in conjunction with means (21, 29, 31, 33, 35) for transmitting control signals via carrier currents to equipment of the installation to be actuated, wherein said device is located in a remote control box and it furthermore includes logic (2) for decoding and synchronizing the electrical signals received by the receiving means (1a), an electrically erasable memory (3) for storing a file (F) containing commands organized in accordance with the configuration of the installation and means (6) for linking the device with means (46) for generating the file (F) of commands organized according to the configuration of the installation and wherein the means for sending and receiving control signals comprise a receiver (1a) of identity signals relating to zones (I to IV) of the installation and emanating from corresponding sending means (21, 29, 31, 33), a sender (1b) of control signals to said means (21, 29, 31, 33, 35) of transmitting via carrier currents, and a modem (1c) linking said sending and receiving means to the decoding and synchronization logic unit (2);

wherein said transmitting device is linked in a removable manner to a microprocessor (10) effecting detailed commands for equipment of the installation located in one of several zones (I to IV) of said installation or else for general-interest equipment, the transmitting device being linked by its means for linking (6) to the microprocessor (10) and the latter being associated with software (11) for managing the installation allowing the transmitting device to transmit commands intended for specific appliances of the installation;

wherein said installation includes infrared or radio-wave relays (21, 29, 31, 33) for transmitting the control signals received from the control device to the appliances (28, 30, 32) of the installation, said relays being linked to said appliances by a carrier-current line (40); and

wherein said installation furthermore includes a multiservice box (35) linked to the carrier-current line (40) and to a line (42) of the distribution network or to a telephone line effecting the carrier-current link with a distribution agency and provided with an infrared or radio-wave relay (37) for communicating with the transmitting device (8, 10) so as to interpret and transmit, by way of the carrier-current line, (40) to the appliances of the installation the instructions, which concern them, contained in the commands which it receives from the transmitting device.

9. The electrical installation as claimed in claim 8, wherein the multiservice box (35) includes a memory (45) for storing the file (F) organized according to the configuration of the installation and a file for matching the macrocommands and individual commands for equipment.

10. The electrical installation as claimed in claim 9, wherein the multiservice box includes means (38) for connection with the means for linking (6) of the transmitting device so as to load the file (F) organized according to the configuration of the installation into the memory (45) for storing the file of the multiservice box (35).

11. The electrical installation as claimed in claim 9, wherein the multiservice box (35) is linked by the line (42) of the distribution network or by the telephone line to the means (46) for generating the file (F) organized according to the configuration of the installation and the file for matching the macrocommands and individual commands for the equipment, the loading of said files being effected directly by way of the line (42) of the distribution network or of the telephone line.