Home network power saving device and method for the same

• US 7,219,243 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2002
• Issued: 05/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lim, Hyung Taek
• Primary Examiner(s): Elamin; A.
• Application Number:
  US10/515,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20060155395A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,784 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/310, 713320-324, 713/330, 713/340, 363/20, 363/21
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25289 Energy saving, brown out, standby, sleep, powerdown modus for microcomputer
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house

Abstract

A home network system with a standby power saving function and a method for saving standby power thereof, wherein various home appliances exchange information with a home server from time to time. At least one home appliance for a home network is provided in the home network system to exchange information with the home server over a network line. The home appliance includes a controller for analyzing data received over the network line and generating and outputting a home appliance control signal in accordance with the analyzed result, a load for operating/stopping the home appliance in response to the home appliance control signal from the controller, a low voltage transformer (LVT) for receiving an external voltage and supplying a drive voltage to the controller to operate the load and controller, and an LVT relay and a power supply unit for cooperating to selectively supply the drive voltage and a standby voltage to the controller according to whether the home appliance is in operation. When the home appliance is in a standby mode, the supply of external power is interrupted and only the minimum power necessary for the controller is supplied, thereby making it possible to save the same amount of standby power as that of LVT leakage power.

Claims

1. A home network system with a standby power saving function, comprising:

at least one home appliance including a controller for analyzing data received over a network line and generating and outputting a home appliance control signal in accordance with the analyzed result, a low voltage transformer (LVT) for supplying a drive voltage to said controller, and power control means for controlling the supply of the drive voltage from said LVT to said controller according to whether said home appliance is in operation; and

a home server for transmitting and receiving data to/from said home appliance over said network line,

wherein said power control means includes;

an LVT relay turned on/off for supplying or blocking an external voltage from a main power line to said LVT according to whether said home appliance is in operation, said LVT relay being disposed directly between the main power line and the LVT; and

power supply means connected between said LVT and said controller for supplying said drive voltage from said LVT or a charged voltage to said controller, said power supply means being disposed directly between the LVT and the controller.

2. The home network system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said home appliance further includes load means for operating/stopping said home appliance in response to said home appliance control signal from said controller.

3. The home network system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said load means includes:

a load relay turned on/off in response to said home appliance control signal from said controller; and

a motor driven/stopped in response to the turning-on/off of said load relay for operating/stopping said home appliance.

4. The home network system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said power supply means includes a charger for performing a charging operation when said external voltage is supplied to said LVT and supplying said charged voltage to said controller when said external voltage is not supplied to said LVT such that the supplied charged voltage corresponds to a minimum amount of power necessary for information exchange of the controller with the home server.

5. The home network system as set forth in claim 4, wherein said power supply means further includes:

a power supply circuit for supplying said drive voltage from said LVT to said controller when said external voltage is supplied to said LVT; and

a diode connected between said power supply circuit and said controller for preventing a reverse voltage from being applied from said power supply circuit to said controller.

6. The home network system as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said home server is adapted to determine whether said home appliance is in operation and send a home appliance operation/nonoperation indication signal to said controller in accordance with the determined result; and

said controller is adapted to control the turning-on/off of said LVT relay in response to said home appliance operation/nonoperation indication signal from said home server such that said external voltage is supplied or blocked to said LVT according to whether said home appliance is in operation.

7. A method for controlling power of a home network system, said method comprising:

analyzing, via a controller included in a home appliance, data received over a network line from a home server to determine if the home appliance is to be in an operation mode or a standby mode;

supplying, via a low voltage transformer (LVT), a drive voltage to said controller based on whether the controller determines the home appliance is to be in the operation mode or in the standby mode; and

controlling, via a power control device, the supplying of the drive voltage from said LVT to said controller according to whether the controller determines said home appliance is to be in the operation mode or in the standby mode,

wherein said controlling step further includes;

turning on and off an LVT relay to supply or block an external voltage from a main power line to the LVT according to whether the controller determines said home appliance is to be in the operation mode or in the standby mode, said LVT relay being disposed directly between the main power line and the LVT; and

supplying, via a power supply device connected between said LVT and said controller, said drive voltage from said LVT to the controller or supplying a charged voltage to the controller according to whether the controller determines said home appliance is to be in the operation mode or in the standby mode, said power supply device being disposed directly between the LVT and the controller.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7, further comprising:

operating/stopping, by a load device, the home appliance in response to the analyzing step by the controller.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8, wherein said operating/stopping step further includes:

turning on and off a load relay in response to the analyzing step by the controller; and

driving or stopping a motor in response to the turning on and off of the load relay.

10. The method as set forth in claim 7, wherein said power supply device includes a charger configured to perform a charging operation when said external voltage is supplied to said LVT and to supply said charged voltage to said controller when said external voltage is not supplied to said LVT such that the supplied charged voltage corresponds to a minimum amount of power necessary for information exchange of the controller with the home server.

11. The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein said power supply device further includes:

a power supply circuit configured to supply said drive voltage from said LVT to said controller when said external voltage is supplied to said LVT; and

a diode connected between said power supply circuit and said controller and configured to prevent a reverse voltage from being applied from the power supply circuit to said controller.

12. The method as set forth in claim 7, further comprising:

determining, by said home server, whether said home appliance is in operation and sending a home appliance operation/nonoperation indication signal to said controller in accordance with the determined result; and

controlling, via said controller, the turning on and off of said LVT relay in response to said home appliance operation/nonoperation indication signal from said home server such that said external voltage is supplied or blocked to said LVT according to whether said home appliance is in operation.

13. A home network system with a standby power saving function, comprising:

at least one home appliance; and

a home server connected to said at least one home appliance over a network line and configured to transmit and receive data to and from said home appliance,

wherein the at least one home appliance includes;

a controller configured to analyze data received over the network line and to output a home appliance control signal in accordance with the analyzed result;

a low voltage transformer configured to supply a drive voltage to the controller;

an LVT relay configured to be turned on and off to thereby supply or block an external voltage from a main power line to said LVT according to whether said home appliance is in operation, said LVT relay being disposed directly between the main power line and the LVT;

a power supply circuit connected between said LVT and said controller and configured to supply said drive voltage from said LVT or a charged voltage to said controller, said power supply means being disposed directly between the LVT and the controller.

14. The home network system as set forth in claim 13, wherein said home appliance further includes a load circuit configured to operate said home appliance in response to said home appliance control signal from said controller.

15. The home network system as set forth in claim 14, wherein said load includes:

a load relay configured to be turned on and off in response to said home appliance control signal from said controller; and

a motor configured to be driven and stopped in response to the turning on and off of said load relay for operating said home appliance.

16. The home network system as set forth in claim 13, wherein said power supply circuit includes a charger configured to be charged when said external voltage is supplied to said LVT and to supply said charged voltage to said controller when said external voltage is not supplied to said LVT such that the supplied charged voltage corresponds to a minimum amount of power necessary for information exchange of the controller with the home server.

17. The home network system as set forth in claim 16, wherein said power supply circuit further includes:

a constant voltage circuit configured to supply said voltage from said LVT to said controller when said external voltage is supplied to said LVT; and

a diode connected between said constant voltage circuit and said controller and configured to prevent a reverse voltage from being applied from said constant voltage circuit to said controller.

18. The home network system as set forth in claim 13, wherein:

said home server is configured to determine whether said home appliance is in operation and send a home appliance operation/nonoperation indication signal to said controller in accordance with the determined result; and

said controller is configured to control the turning-on/off of said LVT relay in response to said home appliance operation/nonoperation indication signal from said home server such that said external voltage is supplied or blocked to said LVT according to whether said home appliance is in operation.