Remote operation system for air conditioning apparatuses, remote operating method for air conditioning apparatuses and base station for performing remote operation of air conditioning apparatuses

• US 6,970,539 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2001
• Issued: 11/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
• Original Assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
• Inventors: Imada, Nobuhiro, Yamamoto, Mitsuhiko, Murai, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAN, WING F
• Application Number:
  US10/296,642
• Publication Number:
  US 20030131089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,653 Days
• Field of Search: 37910201-10207, 379/106.01, 379/106.02, 379/90.01, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 709/223
• US Class Current: 379/102.05
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/42 Transmitting or receiving remote control signals via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2845 Telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/007 with remote control systems remote control in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1016 Telecontrol

Abstract

Connection is established from a communication device having a plurality of platforms, such as a push-button-type telephone 13, a personal computer 14 and a cellular phone 15, to a base station 12 through a public line network 22 and the Internet 20, and an operation guidance is given by means of a voice guidance or a Web page from base station 12, so that the base station 12 remote-controls an electric apparatus 11 in accordance with the user'"'"'s operation on the communication devices 13 to 15. The guide program, voice guidance and Web pages in the base station 12 are made to be updateable in storing operations 24a, 27a, 27b, 27c in the base station 12, so that it is possible to easily add a function thereto and also change the functions. It becomes possible to correspond to various platforms, easily add various functions, and also to easily update the operation menu.

Claims

1. A remote control system of an air conditioning apparatus comprising:

a base station (12) which carries out a remote control operation on an air conditioning apparatus (11) having a predetermined driving system (11a) through a predetermined communication network (25); and

communication devices (13 to 15) which give instructions of the remote control operation of said driving system (11a) to said base station through predetermined communication paths (20, 22), wherein

said communication devices input identification information and a password, and transmit said identification information and said password to said base station,

said base station receives detection result information detected by a sensor of said driving system of said air conditioning apparatus from said air conditioning apparatus through said communication network, makes an identification of said identification information and said password transmitted from said communication devices, and transmits said detection result information to said communication devices only when said identification is successfully confirmed,

said communication devices display or output as one portion of a voice guidance said detection result information transmitted from said base station, and

said base station carries out said remote control operation on the basis of an updatable software program installed therein and said instructions when said identification is successively confirmed and after said detection result information is displayed or outputted as one portion of said voice guidance by said communication devices.

2. The remote control system of an air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said detection result information includes at least information on room temperature detected by said sensor of said air conditioning apparatus.

3. The remote control system of an air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said communication path includes:

a first communication path (22) which connects one kind of communication device (13) to said base station; and

a second communication path (20) which connects another kind of communication device (14, 15) to said base station.

4. The remote control system of an air conditioning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said one kind of communication device (13) is a telephone,

said first communication path (22) is a public line network, and

said second communication path (20) is the Internet.

5. The remote control system of an air conditioning apparatus according to claim 4, comprising:

a first input unit (23) which inputs said instruction from said one kind of the communication device (13) through said first communication path (22); and

a second input unit (21) which inputs said instruction from said another kind of communication device (14, 15) through said second communication path (20), wherein

said first input unit (23) gives a voice guidance to said telephone (13) so as to select the items of said remote control, and

said second input unit (21) gives a display guidance to said another kind of communication device (14, 15) so as to select the items of said remote control.

6. The remote control system of an air conditioning apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

said another kind of communication device (14, 15) is at least one of the personal computer (14) and the cellular phone (15).

7. A remote control system of an air conditioning apparatus comprising:

a base station (12) which carries out a remote control operation on an air conditioning apparatus (11) having a predetermined driving system (11a) through a predetermined communication network (25);

one kind of communication device (13) which gives an instruction for a remote control operation of said driving system (11a) to said base station (12) through the first communication path (22); and

another kind of communication device (14, 15) which gives an instruction for a remote control operation of said driving system (11a) to said base station (12) through a second communication path (20) which is different from said first communication path (22), wherein

said communication devices input identification information and a password, and transmit said identification information and said password to said base station through each of said communications paths,

said base station receives detection result information detected by a sensor of said driving system of said air conditioning apparatus from said air conditioning apparatus through said communication network, makes an identification of said identification information and said password transmitted from said communication devices through each of said communications paths, and transmits said detection result information to said communication devices through each of said communications paths only when said identification is successfully confirmed,

said communication devices display or output as one portion of a voice guidance said detection result information transmitted from said base station, and

said base station carries out said remote control operation on the basis of an updatable software program installed therein and said instructions when said identification is successively confirmed and after said detection result information is displayed or outputted as one portion of said voice guidance by said communication devices.

8. The remote control system of an air conditioning apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

said detection result information includes at least information on room temperature detected by said sensor of said air conditioning apparatus.

9. A remote control method of an air conditioning apparatus, wherein said air conditioning apparatus (11) has a predetermined driving system (11a) which is drive-controlled by a predetermined operation unit (11c), said air conditioning apparatus (11) being remote-controlled through an external communication device (13 to 15), said method comprising the steps of:

(a) inputting identification information and a password and transmitting said identification information and said password to a predetermined base station (12) through predetermined communication paths (20, 22) by said communication devices;

(b) receiving detection result information detected by a sensor of said driving system of said air conditioning apparatus from said air conditioning apparatus through said communication network, making an identification of said identification information and said password transmitted from said communication devices, and transmitting said detection result information to said communication devices only when said identification is successfully confirmed, by said base station;

(c) displaying or outputting as one portion of a voice guidance said detection result information transmitted from said base station, by said communication devices;

(d) transmitting, after said step (c), when an input operation regarding a remote control operation of said air conditioning apparatus is performed, a signal for giving an instruction to said air conditioning apparatus in response to said input operation to said base station through said communication paths by said communication devices (13–

15); and

(e) transmitting, after said step (d), a remote control signal used for carrying out said remote control operation to said air conditioning apparatus (11) through a predetermined communication network (25) on the basis of a software program stored in said base station (12) in an updateable manner and said signal for giving an instruction to said air conditioning apparatus, by said base station.

10. The remote control method of an air conditioning apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

said communication path includes:

a first communication path (22) which connects one kind of communication device (13) to said base station; and

a second communication path (20) which connects another kind of communication device (14, 15) to said base station,

said one kind of communication device (13) is a telephone,

said another kind of communication device (14, 15) is at least one of the personal computer (14) and the cellular phone (15),

said first communication path (22) is a public line network,

said first input unit (23) gives voice guidance to said telephone so as to select the items of said remote control,

said second communication path (20) is the internet, and

said second input unit (21) gives a display guidance to said another kind of communication device (14, 15) so as to select the items of said remote control.

11. The remote control method of an air conditioning apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

said detection result information includes at least information on room temperature detected by said sensor of said air conditioning apparatus.

12. A base station (12) carrying out a remote control operation on an air conditioning apparatus (11) having a predetermined driving system (11a) through a predetermined communication network (25) on the basis of an instruction given from a predetermined communication device (13 to 15) through a predetermined communication path (20, 22), wherein

said communication path includes:

a first communication path (22) which connects one kind of communication device (13) to said base station; and

a second communication path (20) which connects another kind of communication device (14, 15) to said base station, and

said base station receives detection result information detected by a sensor of said driving system of said air conditioning apparatus from said air conditioning apparatus through said communication network, makes, when identification information and a password are transmitted from said communication devices through each of said communications paths, an identification of said identification information and said password, transmits said detection result information to said communication devices through each of said communications paths only when said identification is successfully confirmed, and carries out said remote control operation on the basis of an updatable software program installed therein and said instructions when said identification is successively confirmed and after said detection result information is displayed or outputted as one portion of said voice guidance by said communication devices.

13. The base station according to claim 12, wherein

said detection result information includes at least information on room temperature detected by said sensor of said air conditioning apparatus.

14. A base station carrying out a remote control operation on an air conditioning apparatus (11) having a predetermined driving system (11a) through a predetermined communication network (25) on the basis of an instruction that is given from one kind of communication device (13) through a predetermined first communication path (22), or given from the other kind of communication device (14, 15) through a predetermined second communication path (20), wherein

said base station receives detection result information detected by a sensor of said driving system of said air conditioning apparatus from said air conditioning apparatus through said communication network, makes, when identification information and a password are transmitted from said communication devices through each of said communications paths, an identification of said identification information and said password, transmits said detection result information to said communication devices through each of said communications paths only when said identification is successfully confirmed, and carries out said remote control operation on the basis of an updatable software program installed therein and said instructions when said identification is successively confirmed and after said detection result information is displayed or outputted as one portion of said voice guidance by said communication devices.

15. The base station for carrying out a remote control operation on an air conditioning apparatus according to claim 14, wherein

a billing process for charge, which corresponds to the remote control by way of said base station, is carried out.

16. The base station carrying out a remote control operation on an air conditioning apparatus according to claim 14, wherein

said one kind of communication device (13) is a telephone,

said first communication path (22) is a public line network,

said second communication path (20) is the Internet,

said base station comprises:

a first input unit (23) which inputs said instruction from said one kind of communication device (13) through said first communication path (22); and

a second input unit (21) which inputs said instruction from said another kind of communication device (14, 15) through said second communication path (20),

said first input unit (23) gives a voice guidance to said telephone (13) so as to select the items of said remote control, and

said second input unit (21) gives a display guidance to said another kind of communication device (14, 15) so as to select the items of said remote control.

17. The base station according to claim 14, wherein

said detection result information includes at least information on room temperature detected by said sensor of said air conditioning apparatus.