Table tap and monitor system using table tap

• US 6,617,972 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2002
• Issued: 09/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Healthcare Holdings Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Mizuki, Hiromasa, Takarada, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US09/959,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20020158763A1
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• Field of Search: 340/635, 340/636.12, 340/636.13, 340/636.15, 340/637, 340/656, 340/3.1, 340/870.11, 340/310.01, 340/310.08, 324/538, 324/141, 324/142, 324/103.R, 702/62, 702/64
• US Class Current: 340/635
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0484 Arrangements monitoring consumption of a utility or use of an appliance which consumes a utility to detect unsafe condition, e.g. metering of water, gas or electricity, use of taps, toilet flush, gas stove or electric kettle

Abstract

An object of the invention is to provide a monitor system for detecting occurrence of abnormal situation on the elderly living alone and the like, by using an inexpensive table tap alone, without modifying an electric appliance and a plug which are currently used. A table tap (100) contains an ammeter (103), a judgement unit (104), and a communication unit (105). After connecting an electric appliance which is currently used to the table tap, when the judgement unit (104) decides that the power consumption detected by the ammeter (103) is unusual, the communication unit (105) notifies a base station (109) that an abnormal situation occurs.

Claims

1. A table tap for detecting the use condition of an electric appliance which is plugged in a socket of the table tap, comprising:

a time measurement means for measuring time;

a power detection means for detecting the power consumption of the electric appliance plugged in the socket of the table tap;

a judgement means for judging whether the power consumption detected by the power detection means matches a predetermined judgement condition or not, with reference to time information supplied from the time measurement means; and

a communication means for communicating with the outside on the basis of the result of the judgement by the judgement means.

2. A table tap as defined in claim 1 further comprising a physical latch mechanism which prevents the plug of the electric appliance from being disconnected from the socket of the table tap.

3. A monitor system using a table tap, comprising:

a table tap for detecting the use condition of an electric appliance which is plugged in a socket of the table tap;

a base station for monitoring the user of the electric appliance on the basis of the use condition of the electric appliance which is detected by the table tap;

a communication means for notifying the base station of the result of the detection by the table tap; and

said table tap comprising;

a time measurement means for measuring time;

a power detection means for detecting the power consumption of the electric appliance plugged in the socket of the table tap; and

a judgement means for judging whether the power consumption detected by the power detection means matches a predetermined judgement condition or not, with reference to time information supplied from the time measurement means.

4. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 3, wherein said communication means performs bi-directional communication between the table tap and the base station.

5. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 4 wherein any of the following six judgement conditions is set on the table tap from the base station:

a first judgement condition that the power consumption detected by the power detection means has no variation for more than a predetermined period of time;

a second judgement condition that the power consumption detected by the power detection means has no variation within a predetermined period of time;

a third judgement condition that the power detection means cannot detect a predetermined amount of electric power within a predetermined period of time;

a fourth judgement condition that the power detection means cannot detect a predetermined amount of electric power at a predetermined time;

a fifth judgement condition that the power detection means continues to detect a predetermined amount of electric power even after a predetermined time has passed; and

a sixth judgement condition that the power detection means cannot detect a predetermined amount of electric power at a predetermined time on a predetermined day of the week.

6. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 5, wherein said base station includes a judgement condition storage means for storing the judgement conditions set on the table tap.

7. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 5 wherein, when one of the judgement conditions set on the table tap from the base station is satisfied, the table tap transmits an identification code specific to the table tap and the satisfied judgement condition, to the base station.

8. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 7, wherein said base station possesses a table on which the identification code specific to the table tap transmitted from the table tap is associated with the judgement conditions set on the table tap.

9. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 8, wherein the name of the user of the table tap and where to make contact with the user are used as the identification code specific to the table tap, which is included in the table of the base station.

10. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 8, wherein the production code of the table tap is used as the identification code specific to the table tap, which is included in the table of the base station.

11. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 10, wherein said base station possesses a table on which the production code specific to the table tap is associated with the name of the user of the table tap and where to make contact with the user.

12. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 7, wherein said base station searches the table for the name of the user of the table tap and where to make contact with the user, on the basis of the identification code of the table tap transmitted from the table tap, and displays these data on the base station terminal and, further, displays the contents of the satisfied judgement condition on the base station terminal, on the basis of the judgement condition transmitted from the table tap.

13. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 7 wherein:

said table tap and said base station are provided with speakers and microphones, respectively, to enable conversation between the base station and the table tap; and

when one of the judgement conditions set on the table tap from the base station is satisfied, said table tap transmits its identification code and the satisfied judgement condition as a modem signal to the base station and, thereafter, the table tap changes the modem signal to an audio signal to enable conversation with the base station using the speakers and the microphones.

14. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 5, wherein said base station displays, on a base station terminal, the contents of the judgement conditions set on the table tap.

15. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 5, wherein said table tap further comprises a display unit for displaying the judgement conditions set from the base station.

16. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 5, wherein said table tap further comprises a facsimile for outputting the judgement conditions set by the base station, as a facsimile signal, through the communication line to the outside.

17. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 5, wherein said table tap further comprises:

a speaker; and

audio notification means for outputting the set judgement conditions as an audio signal to the speaker.

18. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 5, wherein said base station automatically sets a set time and a set value of electric power which are parameters required to set the judgement condition, on the base tap, according to the season.

19. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 5, wherein said base station automatically sets a set time and a set value of electric power which are parameters required to set the judgement condition, on the base tap, according to the weather.

20. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 4, wherein said table tap and said base station are provided with speakers and microphones, respectively, to enable conversation between the table tap and the base station.

21. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 20, wherein the base station can control the volumes of the speaker and microphone of the table tap.

22. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 4:

wherein said table tap further comprises a time-basis storage means for storing the power consumption detected by the power detection means, at every predetermined period of time; and

said table tap transmits the detected power consumption stored in the time-basis storage means, together with the present power consumption detected by the power detection means, as information about detected power consumption, to the base station, at every predetermined period of time.

23. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 22, wherein said base station stores the information about the detected power consumption and the ON/OFF time information, which are transmitted from the table tap.

24. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 23, wherein said base station changes the set time and the set value of electric power which are parameters of the judgement condition set on the table tap, on the basis of the information about detected power consumption and the ON/OFF time information.

25. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 22, wherein said table tap, after transmitting the information about detected power consumption and the ON/OFF time information, deletes the transmitted information from the time-basis storage means and the ON/OFF storage means, respectively.

26. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 4:

wherein said table tap further comprises a time-basis storage means for storing the power consumption detected by the power detection means, at every predetermined period of time; and

when there is a request from the base station, said table tap transmits the detected power consumption stored in the time-basis storage means, together with the present power consumption detected by the power detection means, as information about detected power consumption, to the base station.

27. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 26, wherein said base station stores the information about the detected power consumption and the ON/OFF time information, which are transmitted from the table tap.

28. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 27, wherein said base station changes the set time and the set value of electric power which are parameters of the judgement condition set on the table tap, on the basis of the information about detected power consumption and the ON/OFF time information.

29. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 26, wherein said table tap, after transmitting the information about detected power consumption and the ON/OFF time information, deletes the transmitted information from the time-basis storage means and the ON/OFF storage means, respectively.

30. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 4:

wherein said table tap further comprises an ON/OFF time storage means for detecting the times at which the connected electric appliance is switched on and off, and storing the result of the detection as ON/OFF time information; and

when there is a request from the base station, said table tap transmits the ON/OFF time information to the base station.

31. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 30, wherein said base station stores the information about the detected power consumption and the ON/OFF time information, which are transmitted from the table tap.

32. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 31, wherein said base station changes the set time and the set value of electric power which are parameters of the judgement condition set on the table tap, on the basis of the information about detected power consumption and the ON/OFF time information.

33. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 30, wherein said table tap, after transmitting the information about detected power consumption and the ON/OFF time information, deletes the transmitted information from the time-basis storage means and the ON/OFF storage means, respectively.

34. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 4, wherein said table tap comprises:

at least two sockets into which electric appliances are plugged;

a time measurement means for measuring time;

a power detection means for detecting the amounts of power consumption of the respective electric appliances plugged in the respective sockets of the table tap; and

a judgement means for integrally judging the respective amounts of power consumption detected by the power detection means, and deciding whether the result of the detection matches a predetermined judgement condition or not, with reference to time information measured by the time measurement means.

35. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 34, wherein said table tap communicates with the base station when one of the amounts of power consumption detected by the power detection means matches the predetermined judgement condition.

36. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 34, wherein said table tap communicates with the base station when at least two of the amounts of power consumption detected by the power detection means match the predetermined judgement conditions.

37. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 4, wherein said table tap comprises:

a built-in power supply;

a power detection means for detecting a voltage supplied from a wall socket through a plug attached to the table tap; and

a warning means, to which power is supplied from the power supply, for outputting a beep sound when the power detection means detects that the plug is disconnected from the wall socket.

38. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 37 wherein, when the plug is disconnected from the wall socket, said table tap detects this at the power detection means, and communicates with the base station.

39. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 37 wherein, when the plug of the table tap is disconnected from the wall socket, said table tap detects this at the power detection means and, if the plug is not inserted in the wall socket by a predetermined time, said table tap communicates with the base station.

40. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 4, wherein said table tap further comprises a switch for inhibiting communication with the base station.

41. A monitor system with a table tap as defined in claim 40, wherein said table tap notifies the base station that the switch for inhibiting communication is turned on or off.

42. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 40, wherein said table tap further comprises:

a storage means for storing the time when the switch for inhibiting communication is turned off; and

a warming means for outputting a beep when the switch is not turned on even when a predetermined time has passed from the time stored in the storage means.

43. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 3, wherein said table tap communicates with the base station when there is no variation in the power consumption detected by the power detection means for more than a predetermined period of time.

44. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 3, wherein said table tap communicates with the base station when there is no variation in the power consumption detected by the power detection means within a predetermined period of time.

45. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 3, wherein said table tap communicates with the base station when the power detection means cannot detect a predetermined amount of electric power within a predetermined period of time.

46. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 3, wherein said table tap communicates with the base station when the power detection means cannot detect a predetermined amount of electric power at a predetermined time.

47. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 3, wherein said table tap communicates with the base station when the power detection means continues to detect a predetermined amount of electric power even after a predetermined time has passed.

48. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 3, wherein said table tap communicates with the base station when the power detection means cannot detect a predetermined amount of electric power at a predetermined time on a predetermined day of the week.

49. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 3 wherein said table tap further comprises:

a judgement condition setting means for setting, according to the user of the electric appliance, at least two judgement conditions among the following six judgement conditions;

a first judgement condition that the power consumption detected by the power detection means has no variation for more than a predetermined period of time;

a second judgement condition that the power consumption detected by the power detection means has no variation within a predetermined period of time;

a third judgement condition that the power detection means cannot detect a predetermined amount of electric power within a predetermined period of time;

a fourth judgement condition that the power detection means cannot detect a predetermined amount of electric power at a predetermined time;

a fifth judgement condition that the power detection means continues to detect a predetermined amount of electric power even after a predetermined time has passed; and

a sixth judgement condition that the power detection means cannot detect a predetermined amount of electric power at a predetermined time on a predetermined day of the week; and

said table tap communicates with the base station when one of the two or more judgement conditions is satisfied.

50. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 49 further comprising a parameter selection means for selecting a set time and a set value of electric power which are parameters required to set the first to sixth judgement conditions.

51. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 49 further comprising a parameter input means for inputting a set time and a set value of electric power which are parameters required to set the first to sixth judgement conditions.

52. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 3 wherein said table tap further comprises:

a judgement condition setting means for setting at least two judgement conditions among the following six judgement conditions;

a first judgement condition that the power consumption detected by the power detection means has no variation for more than a predetermined period of time;

a second judgement condition that the power consumption detected by the power detection means has no variation within a predetermined period of time;

a third judgement condition that the power detection means cannot detect a predetermined amount of electric power within a predetermined period of time;

a fourth judgement condition that the power detection means cannot detect a predetermined amount of electric power at a predetermined time;

a fifth judgement condition that the power detection means continues to detect a predetermined amount of electric power even after a predetermined time has passed; and

a sixth judgement condition that the power detection means cannot detect a predetermined amount of electric power at a predetermined time on a predetermined day of the week; and

a judgement condition switch means for selecting, from the set judgement conditions, a judgement condition on which the table tap communicates with the base station.

53. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 52 further comprising a parameter selection means for selecting a set time and a set value of electric power which are parameters required to set the first to sixth judgement conditions.

54. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 52 further comprising a parameter input means for inputting a set time and a set value of electric power which are parameters required to set the first to sixth judgement conditions.

55. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 3, wherein said table tap further comprises:

time-basis storage means for storing the power consumption detected by the power detection means, at every predetermined period of time; and

comparison means for comparing the power consumption stored in the time-basis storage means with the power consumption which is actually detected; and

said table tap communicates with the base station when the result of the comparison by the comparison means indicates a difference larger than a predetermined value.

56. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 55, wherein said table tap further comprises a detection result updation means for updating the detected power consumption stored in the time-basis storage means.

57. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 55:

wherein said table tap further comprises a detection result updation means for obtaining a weighted average between the detected power consumption stored in the time-basis storage means and the actually detected power consumption, at every corresponding period of time; and

said table tap stores the result of the weighted averaging in the time-basis storage means as updated power consumption at every predetermined period of time.

58. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 3, wherein said table tap comprises:

a built-in power supply;

a power detection means for detecting a voltage supplied from a wall socket through a plug attached to the table tap; and

a warning means, to which power is supplied from the power supply, for outputting a beep sound when the power detection means detects that the plug is disconnected from the wall socket.

59. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 58 wherein, when the plug is disconnected from the wall socket, said table tap detects this at the power detection means, and communicates with the base station.

60. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 58 wherein, when the plug of the table tap is disconnected from the wall socket, said table tap detects this at the power detection means and, if the plug is not inserted in the wall socket by a predetermined time, said table tap communicates with the base station.

61. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 3, wherein said table tap further comprises a switch for inhibiting communication with the base station.

62. A monitor system with a table tap as defined in claim 61, wherein said table tap notifies the base station that the switch for inhibiting communication is turned on or off.

63. A monitor system using a table tap as defined in claim 61, wherein said table tap further comprises:

a storage means for storing the time when the switch for inhibiting communication is turned off; and

a warming means for outputting a beep when the switch is not turned on even when a predetermined time has passed from the time stored in the storage means.