Air conditioner control system using a public switched telephone network and method for operating the same

• US 6,854,660 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2003
• Issued: 02/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Discovery Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Jeon, Duck Gu, Jung, Jae Sik, Yoon, Sang Chul, Kwon, Jae Hwan
• Primary Examiner(s): NORMAN, MARC E
• Application Number:
  US10/677,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20040068994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 501 Days
• Field of Search: 236/51, 621/26, 340/870.17, 379/102.05, 455/419
• US Class Current: 236/51
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/57 using telephone networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/007 with remote control systems remote control in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1016 Telecontrol
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00

Abstract

An air conditioner control system and method uses a PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network). The system allows a remote control operator to control a plurality of air conditioners through the PSTN by providing receiving modules connected to the air conditioners which have unique IDs assigned thereto and which all use same telephone line. In an electronic device, a control program is driven to control and monitor the air conditioners. A transmitting module connected to the electronic device converts and codes a control command signal into a DTMF (Dual Tone Multi-Frequency) signal, and transmits the DTMF signal through the PSTN to a receiving module connected to a corresponding air conditioner, so that the air conditioner can be remotely controlled.

Claims

1. An air conditioner control system that uses a PSTN to control a plurality of air conditioners, said control system comprising:

an electronic device having a control program driven to control the plurality of air conditioners;

a transmitting module that converts and codes an initial control command signal input through the control program into a DTMF signal and transmits the DTMF signal to the PSTN; and

a receiving module that receives the DTMF signal transmitted from the transmitting module over the PSTN and transmits a final control command signal based on the DTMF signal to an air conditioner identified in the DTMF signal,

wherein the receiving module comprises;

a telephone line connector connected to the PSTN that receives the DTMF signal transmitted by the transmitting module;

a signal decoder that converts and decodes the DTMF signal received by the telephone line connector into the final control command signal that can be utilized by the air conditioner; and

a microcomputer that transmits the final control command signal converted and decoded by the signal decoder to the air conditioner, and transmits operating state data of the air conditioner operated according to the final control command signal to the PSTN.

2. The air conditioner control system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said electronic device comprises a screen display unit that displays operating state data of the air conditioner, and

wherein the control program is implemented by a GUI and displayed on the screen display unit.

3. The air conditioner control system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said transmitting module comprises:

a serial communication connector that serially receives the initial control command signal input into the electronic device;

a signal coder that converts and codes the initial control command signal received by the serial communication connector into the DTMF signal;

a telephone line connector connected to the PSTN that transmits the DTMF signal converted and coded by the signal coder; and

a microcomputer that controls a flow of signals such that the initial control command signal received by the serial communication connector is converted and coded by the signal coder and transmitted through the PSTN as the DTMF signal.

4. The air conditioner control system as set forth in claim 3, wherein the control command signal comprises:

a first packet including a unique ID identifying the air conditioner to be controlled; and

additional packets including control information.

5. The air conditioner control system as set forth in claim 4, wherein the first packet further includes a command for simultaneously selecting or releasing the air conditioners.

6. The air conditioner control system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the receiving module further comprises:

a DIP switch in which a unique ID assigned to the air conditioner is set and input.

7. The air conditioner control system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the microcomputer transmits the final control command signal to the air conditioner having a unique ID that is the same as the unique ID set and input in the DIP switch.

8. An air conditioner control system that uses a PSTN to control a plurality of air conditioners, said control system comprising:

a telephone that generates and transmits a DTMF signal representing control commands for the air conditioners through manipulation of a plurality of keys; and

a plurality of receiving modules that each receive the DTMF signal from the telephone through the PSTN and transmit a control command signal based on the DTMF signal to an air conditioner identified in the DTMF signal.

wherein each of the receiving modules comprises;

a telephone line connector connected to the PSTN to receive the DTMF signal transmitted by the telephone;

a signal decoder that converts and decodes the DTMF signal received by the telephone line connector into the control command signal that can be utilized by the air conditioner; and

a microcomputer that transmits the control command signal, converted and decoded by the signal decoder, to the air conditioner, and transmits operating state data of the air conditioner operated according to the control command signal to the PSTN.

9. The air conditioner control system as set forth in claim 8, wherein the receiving module further comprises:

an automatic response unit that converts the operating state data of the air conditioner operated according to the control command signal into voice data and transmits the voice data to the PSTN.

10. The air conditioner control system as set forth in claim 9, wherein the microcomputer is configured to transfer the operating state data of the air conditioner to the automatic response unit for conversion to voice data, only if the control command signal indicates that the telephone transmitted the DTMF signal.

11. The air conditioner control system as set forth in claim 8, wherein the receiving module further comprises:

a DIP switch in which a unique ID assigned to the air conditioner is set and input.

12. The air conditioner control system as set forth in claim 11, wherein the microcomputer transmits the control command signal to the air conditioner having a unique ID that is the same as the unique ID set and input in the DIP switch.

13. A method of operating an air conditioner control system that uses a PSTN, comprising:

receiving an initial control command signal including a telephone number associated with at least one air conditioner to be controlled and control command information input through one of an electronic device and a telephone;

converting and coding the initial control command signal into a DTMF signal;

transmitting the DTMF signal to a destination of the telephone number through the PSTN;

receiving the DTMF signal with a receiving module connected to the air conditioner;

converting and decoding the received DTMF signal into a final control command signal;

transmitting the final control command signal to the air conditioner; and

transmitting operating state data of the air conditioner operated according to the final control command signal to one of the electronic device and the telephone through the PSTN.

14. The method as set forth in claim 13, further comprising:

operating a timer upon first receiving the DTMF signal at the receiving module, generating a time-out error if the DTMF signal is not completely received during a predetermined time, and transmitting a retransmission request; and

identifying a checksum at an intermediate time-point and at a completion time-point when the DTMF signal is received and checking a transmission error.

15. The method as set forth in claim 13, further comprising:

determining whether a unique ID assigned to the air conditioner matches a unique ID contained in the DTMF signal; and

converting and decoding the DTMF signal into the final control command signal and transmitting the final control command signal to the air conditioner if the IDs match.

16. The method as set forth in claim 13, further comprising:

operating the air conditioner to perform a control operation in response to the control command signal;

generating operating state data of the air conditioner and transmitting the generated operating state data to the receiving module;

checking for transmission error and transmitting the operating state data from the receiving module to one of the electronic device and the telephone; and

receiving and externally outputting the operating state data from the one of the electronic device and the telephone.

17. The method as set forth in claim 16 further comprising:

transmitting the operating state data to the electronic device if a transmitter ID contained in the control command signal corresponds to the electronic device, and converting the operating state data into voice data for transmission to the telephone if the transmitter ID corresponds to the telephone.