Control network system of household electric appliance

• US 6,980,079 B1
• Filed: 07/13/2000
• Issued: 12/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Shintani, Yasuyuki, Ueno, Reiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Holloway, III, Edwin C.
• Application Number:
  US09/787,030
• Time in Patent Office: 1,993 Days
• Field of Search: 340/3.1, 340/3.51, 340/825.22, 340/825.24, 340/825.25, 340/521, 340/286.01, 340/825.52, 348/61, 369/2
• US Class Current: 340/3.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators

Abstract

In a control network system of household electric appliances, particularly, an each introduction of a household electric appliance thereto does not cause a change in the means of acquiring operation data by a controller, and the electric power consumption of a controller is made less.

A home network system is simplified and made efficient.

As a means for the above, an accessible device in a common manner to household electric appliances is incorporated into a controller by object processing using communications middlewares, and a device for linked operations is incorporated into household electric appliances. Then, it is noted that each household electric appliance needs a specific kind of another appliance and operation data thereof.

Claims

1. A method of setting a transmitting condition of data of a first appliance in a home network system for controlling a plurality of appliances including the first appliance and a second appliance linked with the first appliance, the method comprising:

transmitting by the first appliance a demand querying the second appliance whether to be operated in linkage with the first appliance;

deciding by the first appliance based on a response from the second appliance that the second appliance should be operated in linkage with the first appliance;

transmitting by the first appliance first demand information for querying information about a transmitting condition of data indicating an operational status of the second appliance for linked operation of the first appliance and the second appliance;

receiving by the first appliance in response to the first demand information, response information from the second appliance; and

transmitting by the first appliance to the second appliance second demand information to set the transmitting condition of data indicating the operation status of the second appliance for linked operation of the first appliance and the second appliance, when the response information does not contain information about the transmitting condition of the data indicating the operational status of the second appliance, or the transmitting condition has not yet been in the second appliance.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving by the first appliance data indicating the operational status of the second appliance based on the transmitting condition set in the second appliance.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information about the transmitting condition of the data indicating the operational status of the second appliance comprises first transmission designating information for designating that the transmission of the data be performed upon change in the operational status of the second appliance and second transmission designating information for designating that the transmission of the data be performed in a broadcast manner or to a specific address.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information about the transmitting condition of the data indicating the operational status of the second appliance comprises first transmission designating information for designating tat the transmission of the data be performed periodically, an information about an interval for the transmission of the data, and second transmission designating information for designating that the transmission of the data be performed in a broadcast manner or to a specific address.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the information about the transmitting condition of the data of the operational status of the second appliance comprises information about a recipient of the data of the operational status of the second appliance.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the information about the transmitting condition of the data of the operational status of the second appliance comprises information about a recipient of the data of the operational status of the second appliance.

7. A first appliance in a home network system for controlling a plurality of appliances including a first appliance and a second appliance, the first appliance comprising:

first means for transmitting a demand for querying the second appliance whether to be operated in linkage with the first appliance;

means for deciding based on a response from the second appliance that the second appliance should be operated in linkage with the first appliance;

second means for transmitting demand information for querying information about a transmitting condition of data indicating an operational status of the second appliance for linked operation of the first appliance and the second appliance;

means for receiving, in response to the demand information, response information from the second appliance; and

means for demanding the second appliance to set the transmitting condition of the data indicating the operational status of the second appliance for linked operation of the first appliance and the second appliance, when the response information does not contain information about the transmitting condition of the data indicating the operational status of the second appliance, or the transmitting condition has not yet been set in the second appliance.

8. A method of controlling an appliance in a home network system for controlling a plurality of appliances, the method comprising:

transmitting by the first appliance a demand querying the second appliance whether to be operated in linkage with the first appliance;

deciding by the first appliance based on a response from the second appliance that the second appliance should be operated in linkage with the first appliance;

maintaining in a first appliance, condition information about the appliance and setting information for communicating the condition information to a second appliance;

transmitting from the first appliance, the condition information to the second appliance in accordance with the communication settings; and

controlling a linked operation for controlling an efficient operation of the second appliance in accordance with the condition information of the first appliance.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the setting information comprises first timing information indicating communication of the condition information upon every change in the condition information or second timing information indicating periodic communication of the condition information.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the setting information comprises information indicating presence or absence of at least one of the first and second timing information.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the setting information comprises information about a time interval of the periodic communication.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the setting information comprises information about an address of a receiver.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the setting information comprises information about a time interval of the periodic communication.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the setting information comprises information about an address of an informed system-connected object.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the setting information comprise information about a time interval of the periodic communication.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the setting information comprises information about an address of an informed system-connected object.

17. The method according to claim 8, wherein the setting information comprises information about an address of an informed system-connected object.

18. The method according to claim 9, wherein the setting information comprises information about an address of an informed system-connected object.

19. The method according to claim 10, wherein the setting information comprises information about an address of an informed system-connected object.

20. A method of controlling a first appliance in a home bus system for controlling a plurality of appliances comprising a first appliance and a second appliance, the method comprising:

transmitting by the first appliance a demand querying the second appliance whether to be operated in linkage with the first appliance;

deciding by the first appliance based on a response from the second appliance that the second appliance should be operated in linkage with the first appliance;

maintaining condition information in the first appliance;

transmitting predetermined data to the second appliance when the condition information meets designated transmitting conditions; and

controlling a linked operation for controlling an efficient operation of the second appliance in accordance with the condition information of the first appliance.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein information about the transmitting conditions comprises first information about a transmission designation indicating that transmission is made for every change in the condition information, and second information about a transmission designation indicating that transmission is made to a broadcast address or to a specific address.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the information about the transmitting conditions comprises information about a receiver.

23. The method according to claim 20, wherein information about the transmitting conditions comprises a transmission designation indicating that transmission is made periodically, information about a time interval for transmission, and information about a transmission designation indicating that transmission is made to a broadcast address or to a specific address.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the information about the transmitting condition comprises information about a receiver.

25. A method of controlling a second appliance in a home bus system for controlling a plurality of appliances comprising a first appliance and a second appliance, the method comprising:

transmitting by the first appliance a demand querying the second appliance whether to be operated in linkage with the first appliance;

deciding by the first appliance based on a response from the second appliance that the second appliance should be operated in linkage with the first appliance;

receiving and maintaining in a second appliance, data transmitted from the first appliance;

self-controlling by the second appliance in accordance with the data; and

controlling a linked operation for controlling an efficient operation of the second appliance in accordance with the condition information of the first appliance.

26. A method of controlling a second appliance in a home bus system for controlling a plurality of appliances comprising a first appliance and a second appliance, the method comprising:

transmitting by the first appliance a demand querying the second appliance whether to be operated in linkage with the first appliance;

deciding by the first appliance based on a response from the second appliance that the second appliance should be operated in linkage with the first appliance;

receiving in a second appliance, data transmitted from the first appliance;

linking between second and first appliances based on the received data;

storing information in the second appliance, about the first appliance upon linkage with the first appliance; and

controlling a linked operation for controlling an efficient operation of the second appliance in accordance with the condition information of the first appliance.

27. A method of setting conditions for transmission of data about a first appliance in a home bus system for controlling a plurality of appliances comprising the first appliance and a second appliance, the method comprising:

transmitting demand information from a first appliance for querying presence or absence of the second appliance, wherein the first appliance is for controlling the second appliance by a communication linkage;

receiving in the first appliance, response information transmitted by the second appliance in response to the demand information transmitted by the first appliance;

transmitting by a first appliance, a setting demand to the second appliance for causing the second appliance to set transmitting conditions, when the response information does not include information about the second appliance transmitting conditions or when transmitting conditions are not set; and

controlling a linked operation for controlling an efficient operation of the second appliance in accordance with the condition information of the first appliance.

28. A first appliance in a home bus system for controlling a plurality of appliances, comprising:

transmitting means for transmitting from a first appliance a demand for querying another appliance whether to be operated in linkage with the first appliance;

deciding means for deciding based on a response from another appliance that another appliance should be operated in linkage with the first appliance;

condition control means for maintaining attribute information indicating a condition of the appliance;

setting information maintenance means for maintaining setting information designating a transmission method for every piece of the attribute information;

attribute transmission means for transmitting the attribute information to another appliance, in accordance with the setting information; and

linked operation means for controlling an efficient operation of a second appliance in accordance with the condition information of the first appliance.

29. A first appliance in a home bus system for controlling a plurality of appliances comprising a first appliance and a second appliance, the first appliance comprising:

means for transmitting a demand from the first appliance for querying another appliance whether to be operated in linkage with the first appliance;

means for deciding based on a response from another appliance that another appliance should be operated in linkage with the first appliance;

condition control means for maintaining a condition of the first appliance;

means for maintaining transmitting conditions information for transmission to another appliance;

data transmission means for transmitting a predetermined data to the second appliance when the first appliance meets the transmitting conditions; and

linked operation means for controlling an efficient operation of the second appliance in accordance with the condition information of the first appliance.

30. A first appliance in a home bus system for controlling a plurality of appliances, comprising:

means for transmitting from a first appliance a demand for querying another appliance whether to be operated in linkage with the first appliance;

means for deciding based on a response from another appliance that another appliance should be operated in linkage with the first appliance;

reception means for receiving data transmitted from another appliance;

conditions maintenance means for maintaining interlock conditions for interlock with another appliance;

interlock control means for performing interlock control on the appliance when the received data meets the interlock conditions; and

linked operation means for controlling an efficient operation of another appliance in accordance with the condition information of the first appliance.

31. A first appliance in a home bus system for controlling a plurality of appliances, comprising:

transmission means for transmitting demand information for querying presence or absence of another appliance to be linked with the appliance;

reception means for receiving response information transmitted from another appliance in response to the demand information;

conditions setting demand means for transmitting a setting demand to another appliance for setting transmitting conditions, when the response information does not include information about the transmitting conditions for transmission to the appliance, or when information about the transmitting conditions is not set; and

linked operation means for controlling and efficient operation of another appliance in accordance with the condition information of the first appliance.

32. The appliance according to claim 31, wherein the transmitting conditions indicate conditions for said another appliance to transmit data to the appliance, the data indicating an operating condition of said another appliance.

33. The appliance according to claim 32, further comprising a linked control means for performing a linked operation in accordance with data about an operating condition of said another appliance, the data being transmitted from said another appliance.

34. A first appliance in a home bus system for controlling a plurality of appliances, comprising:

transmission means for transmitting demand information for querying presence or absence of another appliance to be linked with the first appliance;

reception means for receiving demand information from another appliance, the demand information querying presence or absence of another appliance to be operated in linkage with the first appliance;

conditions maintenance means for maintaining information about transmitting conditions for linkage with another appliance;

search means for searching for the information about transmitting conditions for linkage with the appliance from the conditions maintenance means;

transmission means for transmitting response information comprising the information about transmitting conditions, in response to the demand information; and

linked operation means for controlling an efficient operation in another appliance in accordance with the condition information of the first appliance.

35. The appliance according to claim 34, further comprising an operation condition data control means for maintaining an operating condition, wherein

the appliance is for transmitting an operating condition of the appliance to another appliance, in accordance with the transmitting conditions.