Home automation system having user controlled definition function

• US 5,579,221 A
• Filed: 12/30/1994
• Issued: 11/26/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Mun, Yong-Soon
• Primary Examiner(s): Envall, Jr., Roy N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US08/366,558
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 364/188-190, 364/140-146, 340/286.01, 340/286.02, 340/825.06, 340/701, 340/703, 340/310 R, 340/286.06, 340/825.37
• US Class Current: 700/83
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/21043 Device address and subdevice address and function address
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2843 Mains power line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators

Abstract

A home automation system having a user controlled definition function is operated in response to input of an inherent call code. The system includes power line controller PLC modules for switching power to appliances connected thereto in response to receipt of a control code; monitoring devices for displaying input video information; a video display processing device having a font memory and a video memory for assessing font data corresponding to a character code received from the font memory in response to receipt of the character code and for providing a video signal corresponding to the assessed font data to the monitoring device; a control device for providing to the video display processing device character code corresponding to a user defined number, device name, call code, and control code in response to a set user defined function; the control device also stores the user defined number, the call code, and the control code in an address region corresponding to the user defined number, and transmits the call code and control code in response to input of the user defined number; and an interfacing device for transmitting the call code and control code output from the control device to the power line controller PLC modules.

Claims

1. A home automation system having a user controlled definition function and operated in response to input of a call code, said system including power line controller modules each for switching power to an appliance in response to receipt of a control code and variable visual display means for displaying input video information, said home automation system comprising:

video display processing means having a font memory and a video memory, for assessing font data received from said font memory corresponding to a character code in response to receipt of said character code and providing a video signal corresponding to assessed font data to said variable visual display means;

control means for providing to said video display processing means said character code input as alphanumeric characters corresponding to a user defined number, a name of said appliance, said call code and said control code in response to a user defined function mode, said control means storing said name of said appliance, said call code and said control code in a storage region having an address corresponding to said user defined number, and transmitting said call code and said control code to interfacing means in response to input of said user defined number; and

said interfacing means for transmitting said call code and said control code output from said control means to said power line controller modules.

2. The home automation system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

abnormal state sensing means for scanning outputs of one or more sensors, and generating a system code, a channel code and a secret code indicative of a sensed abnormal occurrence when a security signal from said one or more sensors is detected; and

warning signal generating means for generating an audible signal in response to said sensed abnormal occurrence.

3. The home automation system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said control means further comprises warning means for providing to said warning signal generating means a warning signal corresponding to said sensed abnormal occurrence detected by said abnormal state sensing means.

4. The home automation system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising input means for providing the input of said alphanumeric characters to said control means, said input means comprising a remote controller.

5. A home automation system for controlling operation of a plurality of appliances each connected to a respective one of a plurality of power line controller modules, said system comprising:

input means for entering an alphanumeric name of one of said plurality of appliances to be controlled, a house code representative of a household corresponding to said one of said plurality of appliances to be controlled, a unit code representative of one of said plurality of power line controller modules to be controlled, a control code representative of one of an ON and OFF function of said one of said plurality of appliances to be controlled and a user defined number representative of a memory address where said alphanumeric name, said house code, said unit code and said control code are stored after entry;

controller means for providing character code corresponding to said user defined number, said alphanumeric name, said house code, said unit code and said control code to video display processing means, said video display processing means for accessing font data received from a font memory corresponding to said character code in response to receipt of said character code and providing a video signal corresponding to accessed font data to variable visual display means; and

interfacing means for receiving said house code, said unit code and said control code from said controller means, and transmitting said house code, said unit code and said control code to said plurality of power line controller modules to enable control of said one of said plurality of appliances in response to input of said user defined number.

6. The home automation system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said input means comprises a remote controller for providing alphanumeric inputs to said controller means.

7. The home automation system as claimed in claim 6, further comprised of said input means for sequentially entering said alphanumeric name, said house code, said unit code, said control code and a delay factor for each one of said plurality of appliances to be controlled, said delay factor indicative of a time when control over a corresponding one of said plurality of appliances is commenced;

and

said controller means for enabling sequential operation of each said one of said plurality of appliances to be controlled in dependence upon said house code, said unit code, said control code and said delay factor for each said one of said plurality of appliances to be controlled.

8. The home automation system as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:

abnormal state sensing means for scanning outputs of sensors for said plurality of appliances, and generating a system code, a channel code and a secret code indicative of a sensed abnormal occurrence when a security signal from said sensors is detected; and

warning signal generating means for generating an audible signal in response to said sensed abnormal occurrence.

9. The home automation system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said control means further comprises warning means for providing to said warning signal generating means a warning signal corresponding to said sensed abnormal occurrence detected by said abnormal state sensing means.

10. The home automation system as claimed in claim 5, further comprised of said input means for entering said alphanumeric name, said house code, said unit code, said control code and a delay factor for each one of said plurality of appliances to be controlled, said delay factor indicative of a time when control over a corresponding one of said plurality of appliances is commenced;

and

said controller means for enabling sequential operation of each said one of said plurality of appliances to be controlled in dependence upon said house code, said unit code, said control code and said delay factor for each said one of said plurality of appliances to be controlled.

11. The home automation system as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

abnormal state sensing means for scanning outputs of sensors for said plurality of appliances, and generating a system code, a channel code and a secret code indicative of a sensed abnormal occurrence when a security signal from said sensors is detected; and

warning signal generating means for generating an audible signal in response to said sensed abnormal occurrence.

12. The home automation system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said control means further comprises warning means for providing to said warning signal generating means a warning signal corresponding to said sensed abnormal occurrence detected by said abnormal state sensing means.

13. A method for controlling a home automation system having input means for entering key data, variable visual display means for displaying said key data, control means for controlling operation of said system, a plurality of appliances and a corresponding plurality of power line controller modules, said method comprising the steps of:

entering for one of said plurality of appliances, via said input means, a user defined number, an alphanumeric designation representative of a user defined name for said one of said plurality of appliances, a control code representative of one of an ON function and an OFF function of said one of said plurality of appliances, a house code representative of a household corresponding to said one of said plurality of appliances, and a unit code representative of one of said plurality of power line controller modules corresponding to said one of said plurality of appliances;

displaying, on said variable visual display means, said user defined number, said alphanumeric designation, said control code, said house code and said unit code for said one of said plurality of appliances;

storing said alphanumeric designation, said control code, said house code and said unit code in a memory address represented by said user defined number in response to entry of a data storage key;

transmitting said house code, said unit code and said control code to said one of said plurality of power line controller modules in response to input of said user defined number; and

performing one of said ON and OFF functions of said one of said plurality of appliances in dependence upon said control code.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

scanning outputs of sensors for said plurality of appliances, and generating a system code, a channel code and a secret code indicative of a sensed abnormal occurrence when a security signal from said sensors is detected; and

generating an audible signal to alert the user in response to said sensed abnormal occurrence.