DE10126816A1 - System for remote communication with household appliances - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention aims at providing a system for remote communication using household appliances (11), which can already be used in a functionally reliable manner taking into consideration current and future normalization efforts. To this end, the appliance interface (12) can be switched to network modules (13) of different protocols, including at least one DECT radio protocol, by means of a preferably adjustable or reprogrammable adaptation network (14). A mobile telephone (16), a radio telephone (17) or a web-panel (18) can be used to query the current operating status of a specific household appliance(11), by means of a domestic DECT base station (15), or to intervene in the programme flow thereof. A further network module (13) acts on a simple transmitter (21) in order to radio control the consumers which are connected to the network.

Description

The invention relates to a system according to the preamble of claim 1.

Such a system was developed by the company IBM under the name "Arigo" Data transmission via the household electricity network (so-called powerline communication) propagates (Computer Zeitung No. 32 of August 10, 1995, p. 16: "The Arigo system monitors and automates the household; IBM's modern brownies communicate via the energy network "). Data transmission via the Energy network is subject to considerable physical and administrative Limitations. Mainly because of the large susceptibility to faults, it has not yet enforce. On the other hand, she is still one of the candidates in the current standardization efforts, but in the opinion of experts because of conflicting interests will not lead to success in the foreseeable future.

The invention is therefore based on the technical problem, such Communication system with remote control and remote access options of household appliances on the one hand more reliable and on the other hand more flexible and in particular, to be interpreted for the future.

This object is according to the present invention by the main claim specified combination of their essential characteristics solved.

After this solution for the household environment is on the port of the internal serial Data bus of the respective household appliance, its operating status from a distance can be queried or influenced, initially a universal interface connected, which can be switched via hardware or software, at least is equipped for a transition to a DECT radio module as it is e.g. B. under the type designation SIEMENS-MD32 for wireless Industrial networking is commercially available. Such a switch can also be made to others Network peripherals can be provided, such as on the already mentioned powerline Communication, on infrared LANs or on the short-range radio protocol BLUETOOTH.

The communication via DECT protocol shows the technically Advantage of great resistance to interference and in economic terms the advantage up to towards the handset of the DECT base station on a functional, wireless Communication network. In addition to theirs anyway already registered mobile phones (cordless) expediently at least one also on an external DECT module as a relay station working cellular phone (cell phone) connected to a larger one To be able to operate the communication radius around the DECT base station. For the visual Representation of operating states and the influence on operating states of the A workstation computer can be used for household appliances also communicates with the base unit via a DECT interface; unless the solution, which is clearly less complex in terms of apparatus, is preferred Information and ways to interact through a commercial present available web panel with upstream DECT module.

To use this system even conventional, technically simple and therefore reasonably priced socket radio remote controls are available at discounters To be able to use it is also within the scope of the present invention viewed independently worthy of protection, whose transmitter a DECT module directly or upstream via the adaptation network.

To deepen the description of the invention and with regard to additional advantages and further training is in addition to the subclaims to the following Description of a highly abstracted sketch in the drawing Realization example for a communication system equipped according to the invention with Connection of various terminal variants referenced.

In the case of a modern household appliance 11 , for example in the manner of a washing machine or a dishwasher, the current operating state can be read out or influenced via its internal serial data bus 12 . This takes place via a network module 13, for example by wire, via communication on a separate house ripple control according to the EIB protocol or on the energy supply network (powerline communication); or wirelessly, for example, via an infrared interface based on the type of peripheral connection to a workstation computer, via a radio interface, for example according to the BLUETOOTH protocol, or via a DECT radio link.

In order to keep the communication system open for current and future standards, the respective network module 13 is not connected directly to the device interface 12 , but via an adaptation network 14 , which can be switched over or reprogrammed to different protocols of different network modules 13 .

At least one permanent switchover to the DECT standard is preferably provided among the various protocols, so that a network module 13 connected here can communicate directly with the DECT base station 15 with which it is registered. The operating state of the household appliance 11 (for example "second spin cycle active, another minute" or "all program steps completed, please remove laundry") can then be called up and output acoustically or visually via its cordless mobile telephones 16 ; or you can use the telephone keypad to intervene in the washing process (for example, "skip the next spin").

The base station 15 is connected to the public telephone network 22 . With a radio telephone 17 , operating states of the devices connected via DECT to the base station 15 can therefore be queried and influenced via the public telephone network.

Furthermore, a web panel 18 can be connected wirelessly to the base station 15 via a DECT network module 13 in order to be able to present the operating states and program intervention options more clearly than on the small display of a cordless or radio telephone 16 , 17 .

Finally, it is taken into account in the drawing to control from the mobile phone 16 , the radio telephone 17 or the web panel 18 from consumers who, for. B. are connected to remote-controlled lamp connections or switch top devices 20 for sockets 19 . In the simplest case, these controls are mere impulse switching commands without feedback, as can be implemented via socket attachment devices 20 with receivers for radio remote control, which are inexpensively available on the market. In order to be able to maintain this technology, according to a further development of the present invention, its transmitter 21 is also equipped with a DECT network module 13 , namely for taking over commands from the base station 15 .

In any case, there is a system for remote communication with household appliances 11 that is already functionally reliable in relation to the current and future standardization efforts if, according to the invention, the device interface 12 can be switched to network modules 13 of different protocols via a preferably switchable or reprogrammable adaptation network 14 , among which at least one DECT Radio protocol is included. An operating state on the selected household appliance 11 can then be queried from the mobile telephone 16 , the radio telephone 17 or the web panel 18 via a domestic DECT base station 15, or the program sequence can be interfered with. Expediently, a further transmitter module 13 acts on a simple transmitter 21 for radio remote control of consumers connected to the network.

Claims (6)

1. System for remote communication with household appliances ( 11 ), the internal bus of which is connected to a communication network, characterized in that an adaptation network ( 14 ) is provided between the interface ( 12 ) to the device bus of the household appliance ( 11 ) and the communication network. optionally switchable, at least for a transition to a DECT radio module ( 13 ). 2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the adaptation network ( 14 ) is optionally set up for transition to at least DECT protocol, EIB protocol, powerline communication or Bluetooth standard. 3. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the DECT network modules ( 13 ) communicate in the wireless communication network with a DECT base station ( 15 ). 4. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the adaptation network ( 14 ) provides communication via a DECT base station ( 15 ) and the public telephone network ( 22 ) to a radio telephone (cell phone 17 ). 5. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a web panel ( 18 ) with DECT network module ( 13 ) is provided for the information display and / or selection. 6. System in particular according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a radio remote control transmitter ( 21 ) for switching sockets ( 19 ) or other consumer connections is equipped with a DECT network module ( 13 ) for commanding via the base station ( 15 ).