Physical quantity monitoring and control system and portable information terminal used for the same

• US 7,233,881 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2004
• Issued: 06/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Ikutaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai; Carol S. W.
• Application Number:
  US10/854,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20040243355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,118 Days
• Field of Search: 702/31, 702/182, 702/188, 702/189, 340/511, 340/531, 340/539.26, 340/540, 340/572.1, 340/825.72, 340/870.17, 340/445
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/006 Remote reading of utility meters to a non-fixed location, i.e. mobile location
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/51 Remote controlling of devices based on replies, status thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

To enable indoor and outdoor physical conditions to be detected for very fine control thereof. Self-contained transmitting sensors 10-1 through 10-8 which monitor physical quantities and convert them into electrical data signals for radio-transmission are disposed in desired positions in housing. The wirelessly transmitted data signals are received by a portable information terminal 20 for controlling the operation of a device 30 to be controlled based upon the received information and its information history. By wearing a self-contained transmitting sensor 10-9 on a user 40 physical quantities such as temperature, humidity and illumination at a place in which the user is located can be controlled to desired values wherever the user moves.

Claims

1. A physical quantity monitoring and control system, comprising:

a sensor device having a sensor unit for detecting a physical quantity and a transmitter unit for wirelessly transmitting information related to said detected physical quantity; and

a portable information terminal for receiving said information transmitted from said transmitter unit of said sensor device, and for generating a control signal to control an operation state of an object based on the received information, and for wirelessly transmitting the control signal to the object, said object separate and distinct from said portable information terminal, said operation state of said object affecting said physical quantity.

2. The physical quantity monitoring and control system as defined in claim 1, wherein said portable information terminal learns a scheme to determine said operation state based on said received information and a history of changes in said operation state.

3. The physical quantity monitoring and control system as defined in claim 1, wherein said portable information terminal comprises a display for displaying operation states of said object based on said received information.

4. The physical quantity monitoring and control system as defined in claim 1, wherein said portable information terminal comprises a display for displaying said received information.

10. The physical quantity monitoring and control system as defined in claim 1, wherein said portable information terminal learns a scheme to control said operation state of said object based on said received information and based on a history of changes in said operation state.

12. The physical quantity monitoring and control system of claim 1,

wherein the object comprises an air conditioner;

wherein the physical quantity detected by the sensor unit is a temperature; and

wherein the control signal generated by the portable information terminal allows for controlling the operation state of the air conditioner to cause the air conditioner to lower or elevate a particular temperature of blown wind.

5. A portable information terminal, comprising:

a receiving device for receiving information related to a detected physical quantity that is wirelessly transmitted from a sensor;

a processing unit for generating a control signal that controls an operation state of an object based on said received information, said operation state of said object affecting said physical quantity; and

a transmitting unit for wirelessly transmitting the control signal to the object, said object separate and distinct from said portable information terminal.

6. The portable information terminal as defined in claim 5, wherein said portable information terminal learns a scheme to determine said operation state based on said received information and a history of changes in said operation state.

7. The portable information terminal as defined in claim 5, wherein said portable information terminal comprises a display for displaying operation states of said object based on said received information.

8. The portable information terminal as defined in claim 5, wherein said portable information terminal comprises a display for displaying said received information.

9. The portable information terminal as defined in claim 5, wherein said portable information terminal is a cellular phone.

11. The portable information terminal as defined in claim 5, wherein said portable information terminal learns a scheme to control said operation state of said object based on said received information and based on a history of changes in said operation state.