Wireless remote controller, wireless remote control method, and air conditioner using the same

• US 6,909,379 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2002
• Issued: 06/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Air Conditioning Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Air Conditioning Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Niizato, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHIMIZU, MATSUICHIRO
• Application Number:
  US10/120,973
• Publication Number:
  US 20020154026A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.72, 315/149, 341/173, 341/176, 307/116, 359/172, 359/159, 359/176, 359/142
• US Class Current: 340/12.22
• 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 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/88 Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link

Abstract

In a wireless remote controller for transmitting a control signal to each of plural control target units to control the operation of each of the control target unit, the power of the control signal to be transmitted to a desired one of the control target units is varied (lowered) in accordance with an operation which is expected to be executed by the desired control target unit. The wireless remote controller and the control target unit are associated with each other in an address connected relationship, and only when a control signal for casing the control target unit to perform a specific operation other than normal operations is transmitted to the control target unit, the address connected relationship is set to an address-free state, and the power of the control signal is varied (lowered) so that the control signal affects only the control target unit.

Claims

1. A wireless remote controller for transmitting a control signal to control target equipment for controlling operation of the control target equipment, comprising:

a control signal generator for generating the control signal in accordance with an operation to be executed by the control target equipment and transmitting the control signal thus generated to the control target equipment; and

a controller for varying the power of the control signal to be generated by said control signal generator in accordance with an operation which is expected to be carried out by the control target equipment

wherein the power of the control signal to be transmitted to the control target equipment is varied in accordance with an operation which is expected to be executed by the control target equipment, the wireless remote controller and the control target equipment are associated with each other in an address-connected relationship, and only when a control signal for causing the control target equipment to perform a specific operation other than normal operations is transmitted to the control target equipment, the address-connected relationship is set to an address-free state and the power of the control signal is reduced.

2. The wireless remote controller as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power of the control signal to be transmitted to the control target equipment is lowered only when the control signal to be transmitted to the control target equipment is a specific control signal for causing the control target equipment to perform the specific operation other than normal operations.

3. The wireless remote controller as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power of the control signal is lowered.

4. The wireless remote controller as claimed in claim 3, wherein the control target equipment comprises at least two control target units, and the power of the control signal is lowered so that the control signal only reaches one of the control target units which is expected to carry out the specific operation.

5. The wireless remote controller as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control signal generator generates the control signal by making current flow therethrough, and the output power of the control signal is varied by varying the intensity of the current flowing said control signal generator.

6. The wireless remote controller as claimed in claim 5, wherein said control signal generator includes a power source, a transmission LED, a first resistor, a first transistor and a second transistor connected in series, and further includes a second resistor connected in parallel to said second transistor and wherein

the power of the control signal is varied by turning on/off said second transistor.

7. The wireless remote controller as claimed in claim 6, wherein said controller outputs a turn-on/off signal to the base of each of said first and second transistors to thereby turn on/off said first and second transistors.

8. An air conditioner having at least two indoor units and at least one wireless remote controller, each of said indoor units being controlled on the basis of a control signal from said wireless remote controller,

wherein power of the control signal for transmittal to one of said indoor units is varied in accordance with an operation which is expected to be executed by said indoor unit, the wireless remote controller and the control target equipment are associated with each other in an address-connected relationship, and only when a control signal for causing the control target equipment to perform a specific operation other than normal operations is transmitted to the control target equipment, the address-connected relationship is set to an address-free state and the power of the control signal is reduced.

9. The air conditioner as claimed in claim 8, wherein the power of the control signal to be transmitted to each of said indoor units is lowered only when the control signal to be transmitted to said indoor unit is a specific control signal for making said indoor unit carry out a specific operation other than normal operations.

10. The air conditioner as claimed in claim 9, wherein the specific operation is an operation of upwardly and downwardly moving a grille of each indoor unit.

11. The air conditioner as claimed in claim 8, wherein the power of the control signal is lowered.

12. The air conditioner as claimed in claim 11, wherein the power of the control signal is lowered so that the control signal only reaches one of said indoor units which is expected to carry out the specific operation.

13. The air conditioner as claimed in claim 8, wherein said wireless remote controller comprises

a control signal generator for generating the control signal in accordance with an operation to be executed by each indoor unit and transmitting the control signal thus generated to each indoor unit;

and

a controller for varying the power of the control signal to be generated by said control signal generator in accordance with an operation which is expected to be carried out by one of said indoor units.

14. A method for transmitting a control signal from at least one wireless remote controller to each of a plurality of control target units and for controlling operation of one or more of said control target units based on the transmitted control signal, comprising the steps of:

associating the wireless remote controller and each of the control target units in an address connected relationship, and

varying the power of the control signal to be transmitted to a desired one of the control target units only when the control signal to be transmitted to the control target unit concerned is a specific control signal for causing the control target unit concerned to perform a specific operation other than normal operations so that the control signal reaches only a desired one of the control target units, wherein the address-connected relationship is set to an address-free state, and power of the control signal is reduced.