Electric appliance monitoring system

• US 6,784,801 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2002
• Issued: 08/31/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TEAC Corporation
• Original Assignee: TEAC Corporation
• Inventors: Fujii, Shigeki, Watanabe, Hiroomi
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US10/198,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20030058101A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 340/311.2, 340/539.14, 340/539.11, 340/657, 340/679, 340/683, 340/5.42, 340/7.32, 340/825.69, 340/533, 340/585, 379/106.01, 455/11.1, 455/88, 455/507, 621/27, 621/30, 621/75
• US Class Current: 340/679
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1418 Removal detected by failure in electrical connection between the appliance and a control centre, home control panel or a power supply
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/028 Communication between parent and child units via remote transmission means, e.g. satellite network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence

Abstract

An electric appliance monitoring system that can report an operational state of an electric appliance includes a monitoring part and a transmission part. The monitoring part monitors the operational state of the electric appliance and outputs a detection signal to the transmission part. The transmission part transmits a signal corresponding to the detection signal output from the monitoring part.

Claims

1. An electric appliance monitoring system, comprising:

a storing part that stores an input secret identification code;

a locking part that locks a predetermined operational state of the electric appliance;

a charge settlement part linked to said locking part;

a monitoring part that monitors an operational state of an electric appliance and outputs a detection signal;

a transmission part that transmits a signal corresponding to said detection signal output from said monitoring part;

a reporting part that reports the operational state of the electric appliance based on a monitoring result corresponding to the signal transmitted from said transmission part; and

an unlocking part that determines whether a secret identification code input after said locking part locks the predetermined operational state matches the secret identification code stored in said storing part, and unlocks the predetermined operational state when the secret identification code input after said locking part locks the predetermined operational state matches the secret identification code stored in said storing part.

2. The electric appliance monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmission part becomes communicative when a mobile phone number is input.

3. The electric appliance monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reporting part reports the operational state of the electric appliance to a user of a mobile phone by using at least one of a speaker and a display screen of said mobile phone.

4. The electric appliance monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the monitoring part is provided between a power plug of the electric appliance and a receptacle, the monitoring part monitoring changes in an electric current at said power plug.

5. The electric appliance monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the secret identification code stored in the storing part is a telephone number of a mobile phone that receives the signal output from the transmission part, and

the unlocking part determines whether the telephone number stored in the storing part matches a telephone number included in sender information output by said mobile phone.

6. The electric appliance monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reporting part is a facsimile apparatus.

7. The electric appliance monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reporting part is a personal computer, and the personal computer reports the operational state of the electric appliance based on a monitoring result corresponding to the signal transmitted from the transmission part via the Internet.

8. The electric appliance monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the charge settlement part allows payment in cash.

9. The electric appliance monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the charge settlement part allows payment with a credit card.

10. An electric appliance monitoring system, comprising:

a storing part that stores input identification information of a mobile phone;

a monitoring part that monitors an operational state of an electric appliance and outputs a detection signal;

a transmission part that transmits to the mobile phone a signal corresponding to said detection signal output from said monitoring part;

a reporting part that reports via the mobile phone the operational state of the electric appliance based on the signal transmitted from said transmission part; and

a locking part that locks a predetermined operational state of the electric appliance, determines whether the identification information stored in said storing part matches identification information of the mobile phone input after the predetermined operational state of the electric appliance is locked, and unlocks the predetermined operational state when the identification information stored in said storing part matches the identification information of the mobile phone.

11. The electric appliance monitoring system as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

a charge settlement part linked to the locking part.

12. The electric appliance monitoring system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the charge settlement part allows payment in cash.

13. The electric appliance monitoring system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the charge settlement part allows payment with a credit card.