Remote control system

• US 6,820,801 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2002
• Issued: 11/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Company Limited
• Inventors: Takano, Tomoharu, Kaneko, Taichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Uyen-Chau N.
• Application Number:
  US10/240,690
• Publication Number:
  US 20030136827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/435, 235/487, 235/376, 705/41, 340/825.49, 340/825.22, 340/825.72, 725/152, 725/37, 700/9
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

The remote control system utilizes a mobile communication terminals 20, the IC card 201 a the mobile communication network to remotely control home-electronics information terminals 11 to 15, 19, 40. In an automatic control mode, when it is detected that the user'"'"'s mobile communication terminal 20 is moved from the cell area EL where the house is to the neighboring area CR, the mobile communication terminal commands the change of the specific home-electronics information terminal to Going-out status. When it is detected that the user'"'"'s mobile communication terminal 20 is moved from the neighboring area CR to the cell area EL, the mobile communication terminal commands the change of the specific home-electronics information terminal to Staying status. In such a system, the user can deliberately issue control command in the manual mode.

Claims

1. A remote control system for remotely controlling home-electronic information terminals by a mobile communication terminal with IC card via a mobile communication network,

wherein the IC card comprises:

a storing means for storing residential area information and area status information;

a comparing means for comparing a location information received from the mobile communication terminal with the residential area information and the area status information stored in the IC card; and

a determining means for determining whether the mobile communication terminal moves into or out of a residential area based on the comparison result of the comparing means,

wherein the mobile communication terminal comprises;

a notifying means for notifying the change of the location information including cell ID and the changed location information to the IC card whenever the change is detected;

a commanding means for automatically sending a command to a home-electronics information terminal with wireless communication function installed in a house via a mobile communication network to set the home-electronics information terminal to a preset Going-out status when the determining means determines that the mobile communication terminal moves out of the residential area; and

a commanding means for sending a command to the home-electronics information terminal with wireless communication function via the mobile communication network to set the home-electronics information terminal to a preset Staying status when the determining means determines that the mobile communication terminal moves into the residential area, wherein each of the IC card end the home-electronics information terminals has a subscriber identification module for identification and authentication to the mobile communication network, and wherein the home-electronics information terminal which is set to be controllable by the mobile communication terminal is controlled by the mobile communication terminal.

7. An mobile communication terminal used in the remote control system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising:

means for wireless communication with the mobile communication network;

means for detecting location information;

means for notifying a change of the location information to the IC card;

means for executing commands received from the IC card;

means for communicating with the IC card;

means for connecting and communicating with the home-electronics information terminals with wireless communication function installed in a house; and

means for setting the condition necessary for remote control of the home-electronics information terminals with wireless communication function installed in the house by manipulating a physical button or a soft key through a screen.

8. An IC card used in the remote control system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising:

means for identifying subscribers;

event setup means for setting, when the mobile communication terminal detects change of a location information, the mobile communication terminal to notify the change of the location information;

means for comparing the location information received from the mobile communication terminal with residential area information and area status information stored in the IC card when the change is notified and for sending a command to a home-electronics information terminal installed in a house via a mobile communication network to set the home-electronics information terminal to a preset Going-out status when the mobile communication terminal is determined that the mobile communication terminal moves out of the residential area; and

means for comparing the location information, including cell ID, received from the mobile communication terminal with residential area information and area status information stored in the IC card when the change is notified and for sending a command to the home-electronics information terminal installed in the house via the mobile communication network to set the home-electronics information terminal to a preset Staying-out status when the mobile communication terminal is determined that the mobile communication terminal moves into the residential area.

2. A remote control system for remotely controlling home-electronics information terminals by a mobile communication terminal with IC card via a mobile communication network, wherein, in an automatic control mode, the mobile communication terminal sends a command to the home-electronics information terminals with wireless communication function installed in a house via a mobile communication network to set the home-electronics information terminals to a preset Going-out status when a mobile communication terminal with IC card which a user carries with when going out determines that the mobile communication terminal moves out of the residential area, wherein each of the IC card and the home-electronics information terminals has a subscriber identification module for identification and authentication to the mobile communication network, and wherein the home-electronics information terminal which is set to be controllable by the mobile communication terminal is controlled by the mobile communication terminal.

3. A remote control system for remotely controlling home-electronics information terminals by a mobile communication terminal with IC card via a mobile communication network, wherein, in an automatic mode, the mobile communication terminal sends a command to the home-electronics information terminals with wireless communication function installed in a house via a mobile communication network to set the home-electronics information terminals to a preset Staying status when the mobile communication terminal with IC card which the user carries when coming back home determines that the mobile communication terminal moves into of a residential area, wherein each of the IC card and the home-electronics information terminals has a subscriber identification module for identification and authentication to the mobile communication network, and wherein the home-electronics information terminal which is set to be controllable by the mobile communication terminal is controlled by the mobile communication terminal.

4. A remote control system for remotely controlling home-electronics information terminals by a mobile communication terminal with IC card via a mobile communication network, the mobile communication terminal operates in an automatic control mode and a manual control mode, wherein, in a manual control mode, a user operates the mobile communication terminal with IC card which the user carries with within a house or from a remote place to consciously change the setting of the home-electronics information terminal with wireless communication function installed in a specific house, wherein each of the IC card and the home-electronics information terminals has a subscriber identification module for identification and authentication to the mobile communication network, and wherein the home-electronics information terminal which is set to be controllable by the mobile communication terminal is controlled by the mobile communication terminal.

5. A remote control system for remotely controlling home-electronics information terminals by a mobile communication terminal with IC card via a mobile communication network, wherein the IC card comprises:

a setting means for setting an identification number to designate the home-electronics information terminals to be remotely controlled and to inhibit remote control for all of the home-electronics information terminals; and

an executing means for executing a setting change when the command is received from the mobile communication terminal, wherein each of the IC card and the home-electronics information terminals has a subscriber identification module for identification and authentication to the mobile communication network, and wherein the home-electronics information terminal which is set to be controllable by the setting means is controlled by the mobile communication terminal.

6. A remote control system for remotely controlling home-electronics information terminals comprising a mobile communication terminal with IC card via a mobile communication network,

wherein both of the home-electronics information terminals with wireless communication function installed in a house and the mobile terminal includes a subscriber identification module for identification and authentication to the mobile communication network and can communicate each other,

wherein the home-electronics information terminal which is set to be controllable by the setting means is controlled by the mobile communication terminal, and

wherein other security techniques would not be necessary for the remote control system by using a security system for a mobile communication network system which is based on a key producing function for an encrypted communication and an electronic signature function for identification and authentication provided by the subscriber identification module in IC cards installed in both the mobile communication terminal and the home-electronics information terminals.