Disabled persons multiple appliance/window remote control system

• US 5,782,036 A
• Filed: 05/10/1996
• Issued: 07/21/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fiorenza Bertieri
• Original Assignee: Fiorenza Bertieri
• Inventors: Miller, Richard L., Bertieri, Fiorenza
• Primary Examiner(s): REDMAN, JERRY E
• Application Number:
  US08/644,310
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 49/25, 318/53, 318/266, 318/331, 318/430, 318/469
• US Class Current: 49/25
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/77 using wireless control
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/40 Control units therefore
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/42 for multiple openings
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/21 of identical elements, e.g. of identical compression springs
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/941 using an optical detector H03K17/968 takes precedence

Abstract

A disabled persons multiple appliance and window remote control system that allows a disabled person to remotely and automatically operate at least one of at least one appliance and at least one window by merely aiming a remote control at any of the at least one of the at least one appliance and the at least one window regardless of which one of the at least one of the at least one appliance and the at least one window the disabled person desires to operate that includes a programmable infrared remote control and a separate and local control system. The programmable infrared remote control has an infrared transmitter that generates separate infrared signals associated with each of the at least one of the at least one appliance and the at least one window. And, the separate and local control system is associated and in electrical communication with each of the at least one of the at least one appliance and the at least one window and with each other and receives the infrared signal from the programmable infrared remote control, so that the disabled person can remotely and automatically operate the at least one of the at least one appliance and the at least one window by merely aiming the programmable infrared remote control at any the separate and local control system associated with any of the at least one of the at least one appliance and the at least one window regardless of which one of the at least one of the at least one appliance and the at least one window the disabled person desires to operate.

Claims

1. A disabled persons multiple appliance and window remote control system that allows a disabled person to remotely and automatically operate at least one of at least one appliance and at least one window by merely aiming a remote control at any of the at least one of the at least one appliance and the at least one window regardless of which one of the at least one of the at least one appliance and the at least one window the disabled person desires to operate, comprising:

a) a programmable infrared remote control having an infrared transmitter generating separate infrared signals associated with each of the at least one of the at least one appliance and the at least one window; and

b) a separate and local control system being associated and in electrical communication with each of the at least one of the at least one appliance and the at least one window and with each other and receiving said infrared signal from said programmable infrared remote control, so that the disabled person can remotely and automatically operate the at least one of the at least one appliance and the at least one window by merely aiming said programmable infrared remote control at any said separate and local control system associated with any of the at least one of the at least one appliance and the at least one window regardless of which one of the at least one of the at least one appliance and the at least one window the disabled person desires to operate;

each separate and local control system including an infrared receiver and a power line transceiver associated with each of the at least one of the at least one appliance and the at least one window and for communicating with other said separate and local control systems, so that when said power line infrared receiver associated with the at least one of the at least one appliance and the at least one window detects presence of an associated said infrared signal of said programmable infrared remote control, the associated one of the at least one of the at least one appliance and the at least one window is operated and when said infrared receiver of said separate and local control system receives said infrared signal of said programmable infrared remote control detects presence of said infrared signal of said programmable infrared remote control that is not associated with the one of the at least one of the at least one appliance and the at least one window, said separate and local control systems sends a power line signal over conventional AC power lines in a home using said power line transceiver.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein said programmable infrared remote control includes a hand-held housing that has a keypad, an infrared transmitter, and a programming receiver, so that said programmable infrared remote control can be programmed to mimic signals produced by various remote controls to control their associated appliances.

3. The system as defined in claim 2, wherein said keypad of said hand-held housing of said programmable infrared remote control is in electrical communication with a memory unit.

4. The system as defined in claim 3, wherein said infrared transmitter of said hand-held housing of said programmable infrared remote control is in electrical communication with said memory unit of said programmable infrared remote control and transmits said infrared signal of said programmable infrared remote control in response to a button pressed on said keypad of said hand-held housing of said programmable infrared remote control.

5. The system as defined in claim 3, wherein said programming receiver of said hand-held housing of said programmable infrared remote control is in electrical communication with said memory unit of said programmable infrared remote control so as to allow said programmable infrared remote control to be programmed by other remote control units associated with various other appliances.

6. The system as defined in claim 5, wherein said infrared remote control is programmed by receiving infrared signals from the other remote control units by way of said programming receiver of said hand-held housing of said programmable infrared remote control.

7. The system as defined in claim 6, wherein said memory unit of said programmable infrared remote control contains memory for storing code sequences associated with functions of the other remote control units, so that said programmable infrared remote control may subsequently mimic said code sequences and when an appropriate button on said keypad of said hand-held housing of said programmable infrared remote control is pressed, said programmable infrared remote control transmits, from said infrared transmitter of said hand-held housing of said programmable infrared remote control, signals identical to those received from the other remote control units during programming.

8. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein said power line transceiver is capacitively linked to the conventional AC power lines in the home by capacitor, so that said capacitor allows said power line signal to enter said power line transceiver but substantially prevents power from the conventional AC power lines in the home from entering said power line transceiver and thereby prevents damage to said power line transceiver.

9. The system as defined in claim 8, wherein said separate and local control system is partially enclosed in a housing which is replaceably plugged into the conventional AC power lines in the home by way of a conventional AC power line wall socket.

10. The system as defined in claim 9, wherein said infrared receiver is mounted in said housing at a position where it is in a direct line of sight with a large area of its environment.

11. The system as defined in claim 9, wherein said separate and local control system further includes a local switch that is mounted on said housing for locally manually actuating the associated one of the at least one of the at least one appliance and the at least one window, if so desired.

12. The system as defined in claim 9, wherein said housing of said separate and local control system has an appliance socket that is identical to the conventional AC power line wall socket which replaceably receives a conventional appliance plug of the at least one of at least one appliance and at least one window is an appliance.

13. The system as defined in claim 8;

further comprising a dedicated receiver for receiving said infrared signal of said programmable infrared remote control and transmitting said power line signal over the home conventional AC power lines in the home using a dedicated power line transmitter when said programmable infrared remote control is not within range of any said infrared receiver, so that said dedicated receiver can act in effect as a relaying mechanism when the disabled person can not be moved in the range of said infrared receiver of any said separate and local control system.

14. The system as defined in claim 1;

further comprising a timer for allowing the at least one of the at least one appliance and the at least one window to operate automatically without the disabled person having to manually operate said programmable infrared remote control each time operation thereof is desired.

15. The system as defined in claim 1;

further comprising a buzzer for a sounding a sound for a short period of time prior to actual operation of any of the at least one of the at least one appliance and the at least one window and providing a warning that the any of the at least one of the at least one appliance and the at least one window is going to be operational.

16. The system as defined in claim 1;

further comprising a window power relay and a window motor operatively connected to each window when any of the at least one of the at least one appliance and the at least one window is a window;

each said window power relay controlling an associated said window motor upon receiving said infrared signal associated with a particular window of the at least one window.