Apparatus and method for remotely controlling household appliances

• US 6,956,461 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2001
• Issued: 10/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoon, Sang Chul, Han, Gyeong Hae, Jeon, Duck Goo
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US09/941,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20020073183A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• Field of Search: 340/310.01, 340/310.08, 340/310.06, 340/825.71, 340/825.22, 340/825.72, 340/870.01, 340/870.16, 340/286.02, 340/310.1, 340/531, 709/222, 709/224
• US Class Current: 340/12.52
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0421 Multiprocessor system
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5458 Monitor sensor; Alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2843 Mains power line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0654 using network fault recovery ring fault isolation or reconfiguration in loop networks without recovery actions by a network management system H04L12/437
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/50 Address allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]

Abstract

An apparatus and method for remotely controlling household appliances connected to a home network. A power line and a network processor is installed in each household appliance, enabling a household appliance user to remotely control the appliances from a place outside of as well as inside a home. Information about all conditions of the household appliances can be displayed on a screen displayable household appliance so that the user can recognize the operations of the appliances even during spare moments. A low-price built-in server is installed in each household appliance to assign the corresponding appliance a unique IP address simply over the Internet to be controlled according to an external user control command. A home server is connected to each of the household appliances such that the corresponding appliance receives a control command, sent in transit by a user from a mobile terminal.

Claims

1. An apparatus for remotely controlling household appliances, comprising:

a first network processor for performing remote communication with an external Internet network to receive external remote control information therefrom, said first network processor being connected to a home network to transmit the received remote control information to an associated one of said household appliances and receive information regarding a current state of each of said household appliances to transmit the received state information to said external Internet network; and

a plurality of second network processors each connected between the output of said first network processor and the input of an associated one of said household appliances via a power line for receiving said remote control information from said first network processor and transmitting the state information of the associated household appliance to said first network processor.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first network processor includes a transmitter/receiver module provided at its output stage for performing information transmission and reception operations with said second network processors over said power line, and each of said second network processors includes a transmitter/receiver module provided at its input stage for performing information transmission and reception operations with said first network processor over said power line.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said second network processors includes a communication module installed in the associated household appliance and connected directly to said home network constructed among said household appliances using said power line, for generating information about an operating state of the associated household appliance and user notification information according to characteristics of the associated appliance.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein a specific one of said second network processors includes a screen display communication module installed in a screen displayable one of said household appliances for collecting the operating state information and user notification information generated by said communication modules, analyzing the collected information and displaying the analyzed results on a screen of the displayable household appliance to provide a visual indication thereof to a user.

5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein each of said communication modules includes:

an insulation transformer for performing a signal transformation operation to smooth the flow of information between the associated household appliance and said power line; and

a signal processor for generating the operating state information of the associated household appliance and user notification information according to the characteristics of the associated appliance, appending a unique code assigned to the associated household appliance to the generated operating state information and user notification information, transmitting the resulting information through said insulation transformer, receiving said remote control information through said insulation transformer, extracting said unique code from the received remote control information and then processing said remote control information.

6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein said screen display communication module includes:

an insulation transformer for performing a signal transformation operation to smooth the flow of information between said specific household appliance and said power line; and

a signal processor for generating the operating state information of said specific household appliance and user notification information according to the characteristics of said specific appliance, appending a unique code assigned to said specific household appliance to the generated operating state information and user notification information, transmitting the resulting information through said insulation transformer, receiving said remote control information through said insulation transformer, extracting said unique code from the received remote control information and then processing said remote control information.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein said screen display communication module further includes means for analyzing said user notification information and flickering information displayed on the screen or varying the color thereof if the analyzed result indicates an urgent situation.

8. A method for remotely controlling at least one household appliance, comprising the steps of:

a) controlling the operations of various components in said household appliance, checking operating states of said components and generating fault/repair information upon occurrence of a fault in said appliance;

b) performing a communication processing function and a signal coupling function to generate an automatic service call according to said fault/repair information generated at said step a);

c) gaining access to a service center over an Internet network using a unique identification code and transmitting fault/repair records to said service center; and

d) allowing said service center to receive the transmitted fault/repair records if said unique identification code is valid and then to display a reception acknowledgement message containing information about a visit time of a repairman and the degree of said fault.