Portable programming device for supervisory remote control system

• US 6,546,435 B1
• Filed: 06/12/2000
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Asahi Matsushita Electric Works Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshimura, Yuichi, Sakasegawa, Shinji, Tokizane, Toshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): SORRELL, ERON J
• Application Number:
  US09/591,483
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 710/4, 710/9, 370/294, 370/347, 340/870.41
• US Class Current: 710/4
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36159 Detachable or portable programming unit, display, pc, pda
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 via data-bus transmission

Abstract

A portable programming device is used in a supervisory remote control system comprising a signal transmission unit for supplying a signal according to a TDM (Time Division Multiplexing) manner, first and second terminals having individual addresses, and a signal line connecting therebetween. According to a set of relation data including an address correspondence between one of the second terminals and one of the first terminals and control data including control parameters of a load, the load connected to the one of the second terminals can be controlled according to a supervisory input provided to the one of the first terminals. The programming device has a hand-held type housing for accommodating a display, operation unit for programming an address, the relation data and the control data, data memory, and a signal processor for transferring the address to a required one of the first and second terminals, and transferring the relation data and the control data stored in the data memory to the transmission unit. The signal processor further comprises a data retrieving unit for retrieving at least one set of the relation data and the control data corresponding to an address designated by the operation unit from the transmission unit, and listing a name given to the set on the display.

Claims

1. A portable programming device for a supervisory remote control system:

said remote control system comprising a signal transmission unit for supplying a transmission signal according to a time-division-multiplexing manner, a plurality of first terminals having individual addresses, a plurality of second terminals having individual addresses, and a signal line for connecting said transmission unit to each of the first and second terminals,

said remote control system being adapted in use to control a load connected to one of the second terminals according to an input provided to one of the first terminals when a set of relation data including a statement of a one-to-one address correspondence between said one of the second terminals and said one of the first terminals and control data including control parameters of the load are set in said transmission unit, and to control loads connected to at least two of the second terminals according to an input provided to one of the first terminals in a batch manner when a set of relation data including a statement of an address correspondence between said at least two of the second terminals and said one of the first terminals and control data including control parameters of the loads are set in said transmission unit, and

wherein said programming device has a hand-held type housing for accommodating;

a display for displaying data to be set;

an operation unit for programming an address of each of the first and second terminals, said relation data, and said control data with help of said display;

a data memory for storing the address, said relation data and said control data set by use of said operation unit, and said display; and

a signal processor for carrying out a first signal process of transferring the address set by use of said operation unit and said display to a required one of said first and second terminals, and a second signal process of transferring said relation data and said control data stored in said data memory to said transmission unit; and

wherein said signal processor further comprises a data retrieving unit for retrieving at least one set of said relation data and said control data corresponding to an address designated by said operation unit from said transmission unit, and listing a name given to said at least one set of said relation data and said control data on said display.

2. The portable programming device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said signal processor has a copy unit for copying a desired control parameter of said control data stored in said data memory to make another control data with use of the copied parameter.

3. The portable programming device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said control data includes information about an ON/OFF operation of the load, and said signal processor has a switch unit for switching between OFF and ON positions of the load with respect to said control data stored in said data memory.

4. The portable programming device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said signal processor has a first setting unit for setting the control parameters in a batch manner such that desired plural sets of said relation data and said control data are identical in all of the control parameters of the loads with each other, and a second setting unit for removing all of the loads concerning desired plural sets of said relation data and said control data from a focus of control in a batch manner.

5. The portable programming device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said programming device accommodates a battery in said housing, and said signal processor has a power-OFF unit for automatically stopping a supply of electricity from said battery when said operation unit is not operated for a predetermined time period under the supply of electricity.

6. The portable programming device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said programming device has a signal transceiver circuit for transmitting/receiving said transmission signal when said programming device is connected to said signal line, and said signal processor has a terminal check unit for checking said transmission signal through said signal transceiver circuit to detect a change of the number of the first and second terminals connected to said signal line according to address information included in said transmission signal.

7. The portable programming device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said signal processor has an unassigned-address check unit for receiving an operating condition of each of the first and second terminals from said transmission unit and providing a list of unassigned addresses that are available to additional terminals on said display.

8. The portable programming device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said signal processor has an unassigned-name check unit for retrieving at least one set of said relation data and said control data from said transmission unit, and providing a list of unassigned names that can be given to said at least one set of said relation data and said control data on said display.

9. The portable programming device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said signal processor has an operation check unit for receiving operating conditions of each of the first and second terminals from said transmission unit and providing a list of the operating conditions together with corresponding address information on said display.

10. The portable programming device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said signal processor has a set-name indicating unit for providing a name given to a set of said relation data and said control data on said display during a time period for transmitting the set of said relation data and said control data to said transmission unit.

11. The portable programming device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said programming device has a signal transceiver circuit for transmitting/receiving said transmission signal when said programming device is connected to said signal line, and said signal processor has a data transferring unit for transferring a set of said relation data and said control data to said transmission unit by use of said transmission signal during an idle time, in which said transmission signal is not used to control the load.

12. The portable programming device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said signal processor has a selection unit for switching between a control mode, where said transmission unit controls the load, and a programming mode, where controlling the load is stopped and a set of said relation data and said control data are set by use of said operation unit.

13. The portable programming device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said signal processor has a beeping unit for providing an operation beep every operation of said operation unit.

14. The portable programming device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said programming device has a signal transceiver circuit for transmitting/receiving said transmission signal when said programming device is connected to said signal line, and said signal processor has an operation test unit for checking as to whether said transmission unit normally operates by activating said programming device as a simulation terminal having a supervisory input provided by operation of said operation unit and an address provided on said display.

15. The portable programming device as set forth in claim 14, wherein the address provided on said display has a one-to-one address correspondence with one of the second terminals for controlling the load.

16. The portable programming device as set forth in claim 14, wherein the address provided on said display has an address correspondence with plural second terminals to control the loads in a batch manner according to a predetermined pattern.

17. The portable programming device as set forth in claim 14, wherein the address provided on said display has an address correspondence with plural second terminals to control all of the loads in a predetermined area under a same condition in a batch manner.

18. The portable programming device as set forth in claim 14, wherein the address provided on said display has an address correspondence with at least one of the second terminals for controlling a lighting device as the load, and said signal processor has a function of indicating a light-adjustment level of said lighting device.