Pluggable mechanism for wireless remote control

• US 7,023,357 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2003
• Issued: 04/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Li, Wei, Song, Song, Fu, Rong Yao, Liu, Guan Nuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): YANG, CLARA I
• Application Number:
  US10/646,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20040164621A1
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.72, 340/825.69, 340/310.11, 340/310.18, 307/117, 307/140, 455/423
• US Class Current: 340/12.22
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005

Abstract

A pluggable mechanism for wireless remote control comprising a control panel for controlling an object, the control panel having a receptacle; and a pluggable unit having a plug that is suitable to be plugged into the receptacle of the control panel, and being capable of receiving remote wireless control commands, the pluggable unit cooperates with the control panel to control the controlled object in response to the received wireless control commands when said pluggable unit being plugged into said receptacle of said control panel. The pluggable mechanism of this invention enables wireless remote control on a manually controlled panel and reduces the cost for implementing new wireless communication technologies.

Claims

1. A pluggable mechanism for wireless remote control, comprising:

a control panel for controlling an object, said control panel having a receptacle; and

a pluggable unit having a plug that is suitable to be plugged into said receptacle of said control panel, and being capable of receiving remote wireless control commands, said pluggable unit cooperates with said control panel to control said controlled object in response to said received wireless control commands when said pluggable unit being plugged into said receptacle of said control panel;

wherein said pluggable unit comprises,

a wireless module for receiving said remote wireless control commands and generating control signals in response to said wireless control commands;

an electrical control means for controlling said controlled object in response to said control signals generated by said wireless module; and

an AC-DC converter for converting an alternating current into a direct current and supplying to said wireless module; and

wherein said plug of said pluggable unit has three pins, said control panel further has a manual switch, two input terminals and two output terminals, and said receptacle of said control panel having three contacts;

wherein said two input terminals of said control panel are coupled to two lines of a power supply respectively, a first contact and a second contact of said three contacts of said receptacle are coupled to said two input terminals, a third contact of said three contacts is coupled to an output of said manual switch; and

a first pin and a second pin of said three pins of said pluggable unit are coupled to two inputs of said AC-DC converter respectively, and said electrical control means is connected between said second pin and a third pin of said three pins.

2. A pluggable mechanism for wireless remote control of claim 1, wherein said pluggable unit is capable of receiving wireless control commands transmitted via radio frequency, infrared, laser or ultrasonic wave.

3. A pluggable mechanism for wireless remote control of claim 1, wherein said electrical control means is one selected from a group consisting of electrical switch, digital potentiometer, voltage divider, switch matrix and pulse-width modulation (PWM).

4. A pluggable mechanism for wireless remote control of claim 1, wherein said wireless module in said pluggable unit comprises:

wireless communication means for enabling wireless communication function and receiving said wireless control commands;

a microprocessor for executing a preprogrammed instruction program, processing said wireless control commands received by said wireless communication means and generating control signals; and

a control logic interface for outputting said control signals generated by said microprocessor.

5. A pluggable mechanism for wireless remote control of claim 1, wherein said wireless module in said pluggable unit comprises;

wireless communication means for enabling wireless communication function and receiving said wireless control commands;

a CPU for executing preprogrammed program instructions, implementing a communication protocol stack, processing said wireless control commands received by said wireless communication means and generating control signals;

memory means for storing said wireless communication protocol stack and one or more application programs for the processing of said CPU; and

a control logic interface for outputting said control signals generated by said microprocessor.

6. A pluggable mechanism for wireless remote control of claim 1, wherein said control panel further comprises a microprocessor connected to said receptacle for executing a preprogrammed instruction program and processing said control signals from said pluggable unit;

and a control logic interface for connecting said microprocessor to said electrical control means.

7. A pluggable mechanism for wireless remote control, comprising:

a control panel for controlling an object, said control panel having a receptacle, a manual switch, two input terminals, and two output terminals; and

a pluggable unit having a plug that is suitable to be plugged into said receptacle of said control panel, and being capable of receiving remote wireless control commands, said pluggable unit cooperates with said control panel to control said controlled object in response to said received wireless control commands when said pluggable unit being plugged into said receptacle of said control panel;

wherein said pluggable unit comprises;

a wireless module for receiving said remote wireless control commands and generating control signals in response to said wireless control commands;

an electrical control means for controlling said controlled object in response to said control signals generated by said wireless module; and

an AC-DC converter for converting an alternating current into a direct current and supplying to said wireless module;

wherein said plug of said pluggable unit has three pins, and said receptacle of said control panel has three contacts;

wherein said two input terminals of said control panel are coupled to two lines of a power supply respectively, a first contact and a second contact of said three contacts of said receptacle are coupled to two outputs of said AC-DC converter respectively, a third contact or said three contacts is coupled to a signal input of said electrical control means, said manual switch is connected with said electrical control means in parallel; and

a first pin and a second pin of said three pins of said pluggable unit are coupled to two power inputs of said wireless module respectively, a third pin of said three pins is coupled to an output of said wireless module.

8. A pluggable unit having a plug and being capable of receiving remote wireless control commands,

wherein said pluggable unit cooperates with a control panel to control an object in response to said received wireless control commands when said pluggable unit being plugged into a receptacle of said control panel;

wherein said pluggable unit comprises a wireless module for receiving said remote wireless control commands and generating control signals in response to said wireless control commands;

wherein said plug of said pluggable unit has three pins, a first pin and a second pin of which are coupled to two power inputs of said wireless module, and a third pin of which is coupled to an output of said wireless module.

9. A pluggable unit of claim 8, wherein said wireless module is capable of receiving wireless control commands transmitted via radio frequency, infrared, laser or ultrasonic wave.

10. A pluggable unit of claim 8, wherein said wireless module comprises:

wireless communication means for enabling wireless communication function and receiving said wireless control commands;

a microprocessor for executing a preprogrammed instruction program, processing said wireless control commands received by said wireless communication means and generating control signals; and

a control logic interface for outputting said control signals generated by said microprocessor.

11. A pluggable unit of claim 8, wherein said wireless module comprises:

wireless communication means for enabling wireless communication function and receiving said wireless control commands;

a CPU for executing a preprogrammed instruction program, implementing a communication protocol stack, processing said wireless control commands received by said wireless communication means and generating control signals;

memory means for storing said wireless communication protocol stack and one or more application programs for the processing of said CPU; and

a control logic interface for outputting said control signals generated by said microprocessor.

12. A pluggable unit of claim 8, wherein said pluggable unit further comprises a electrical control means for controlling said controlled object in response to said control signals generated by said wireless module.

13. A pluggable unit of claim 12, wherein said pluggable unit further comprises an AC-DC converter for converting an alternating current into an direct current.

14. A pluggable unit, having a plug and being capable of receiving remote wireless control commands, wherein said pluggable unit cooperates with a control panel to control an object in response to said received wireless control commands when said pluggable unit being plugged into a receptacle of said control panel;

said pluggable unit further comprises a wireless module for receiving said remote wireless control commands and generating control signals in response to said wireless control commands; and

an AC-DC converter for converting an alternating current into an direct current;

wherein said plug of said pluggable unit has four pins, a first pin and a second pin of which are coupled to two inputs of said AC-DC converter respectively, and a third pin and a fourth pin of which are coupled to two outputs of said wireless module.