DE29620142U1 - system - Google Patents

Description

PATENT ATTORNEYS:

Dipl.-Ing. A. Wasmeier

Dipl.-Ing. H. Graf

Admitted to the European Patent Office · Professional Representatives before the European Patent Office

Patent Attorneys PO Box 10 08 26 93008 Regensburg

German Patent Office Zweibrückenstr. 12

80297 Munich

D-93008 REGENSBURG P.O. BOX 10 08 26

D-93055 REGENSBURG GREFLINGERSTRASSE 7

phone
fax (0941)79 20 85
(0941)79 20 86
{0941)79 51 06 telegram Patented Rgb. Our sign
Our Ref. Date
Date Sch/g 17,441 18.11 .1996 gr-ra

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Applicant:

Fritz Schäffel Schlei&heimer Straße 85386 Eching

Title:

system

Accounts: Bayerische Vereinsbank (bank code 750 200 73) 5 839 Postgiroamt München (bank code 700 100 80) 893 69-801 Place of jurisdiction Regensburg

A17441.DOC

13.11.96 09:20

system

The innovation relates to a system according to the generic term of protection claim 1.

Sockets controlled by remote control, i.e. radio (433 MHz) for connecting electrical consumers, particularly in the form of plug housings, are known.

The aim of the innovation is to demonstrate a system with which a large number of consumers can be individually switched using these sockets, for example switched on or off, dimmed, etc. To solve this problem, a system is designed in accordance with the characterizing part of claim 1.

In the new system, the control device of the at least one central unit is, for example, a PC, which uses a special program to switch a large number of remote-controlled sockets at freely selectable or programmable times. The respective control commands, which include an address code identifying the respective socket as well as a switching and control command, are stored in the PC together with the corresponding time and/or date information. The high storage capacity makes it possible to use a large number of control commands, namely to switch a large number of sockets at different times.

Further developments of the innovation are the subject of the dependent claims.

The innovation is explained below using the figures and examples. They show:

Fig. 1 shows a block diagram of the new system; Fig. 2 shows the block diagram of one of the switchable sockets.

In the figure, 1 is a control center consisting of the usual PC or computer 2, the keyboard 3 and the screen 4. To one of the outputs or to one of the interfaces,

A17441.DOC

•'V.4:

For example, a transmitter 5 is connected to the serial interface of the computer 2, which delivers a modulated radio signal (in the range of 433 MHz) to its antenna 6. The transmitting device 5 consists, among other things, of the actual transmitter 7 and a control circuit 8, which is controlled by the computer 2 with a coded control signal 9, with which the transmitter 7 or its frequency is frequency-modulated or amplitude-modulated, for example.

The control signal 9 contains, among other things, address bits 10 and switching or information bits 11 as well as possibly other bits not shown, for example for testing or identification purposes.

12.1 - 12.2 ... 12.&eegr; designate various sockets that can be switched by remote control, which in the embodiment shown are each designed as a plug housing. The sockets 12.1 - 12.&eegr; or their housings therefore each comprise a plug 13 that fits into a conventional socket (protective socket) and a controlled socket 14 on the housing. A consumer 15.1, 15.2... 15.&eegr; is connected to the socket 14. The consumers are, for example, a radio, a stereo system, a lamp, a coffee machine, etc.

Each socket 12 comprises a receiver 16 tuned to the frequency of the transmitter device 5 with an antenna 17, a control circuit 18 and a circuit 19 that switches the respective socket 14. Each control circuit 18 consists, as shown in Figure 2, of a microprocessor circuit 20 to which the following elements are assigned, among others: Input keyboard 21,

Display and control display 22,

Program and data memory 23.

The receiver 16 and the circuit 19 are also assigned to the microprocessor 20.

A17441.DOC

Using the input 21, an address code identifying the respective socket 12.1, 12.2... 12.&eegr; can be entered, which is then stored in the memory. Whenever a signal is emitted by the transmitting device 5, the address code 9 contained in the received signal is compared with the stored address code in the sockets 12.1 -12.&eegr;. If there is a match, the socket 12.1 -12.&eegr; addressed in this way or its circuit 19 is switched in the manner corresponding to the coded information 11, for example switched on or off. Of course, other functions are also conceivable, for example dimmer functions, etc.

In the embodiment shown, the PC 1 serves as a timer. Depending on a predefined program and a PC-internal clock, the individual sockets 12.1 12.n are individually controlled at predefined, freely programmable times via the transmitter device 5, for example to switch on or off the consumers 15.1 - 15.n.

The large storage capacity of the PC 1 makes it possible to store a large number of addresses or address codes 9 with the associated times and with the commands assigned to these times, for example switching on and off, and to use this stored data to individually switch a large number of consumers 15.1 -15.&eegr;, for example in a residential building.

In principle, it is also possible to use a clock with a timer function to control the transmitter 5 instead of the PC 1, i.e. a clock that enables wireless switching of the individual sockets 12.1 - 12.&eegr; via the signal from the transmitter 5 in the manner described above, i.e. in particular with the signals coded differently for the individual sockets 12.1 - 12.&eegr;. This clock, which then also has an alarm function, for example, already contains the transmitter 5.

A17441.DOC

The innovation has been described above using exemplary embodiments. It goes without saying that numerous changes and modifications are possible without thereby departing from the inventive concept underlying the innovation.

A17441.DOC

List of reference symbols

1 Headquarters

2 PQ calculator

3 Keyboard

4 Screen

5 Transmitter

6 Antenna

7 channels

8 Control

9 Signal

10 Address code

11 Information

12 socket &Iacgr; 3 plug

14 controlled socket

15 consumers

16 recipients

17 Antenna

18 Control electronics

19 Circuit

20 Microprocessor

21 Input keyboard

22 Display

Claims (6)

Protection claims 1. System for controlling consumers (15), each of which is connected to a supply network via a radio-controllable socket (12), and with at least one transmitting device (5) for individually controlling the switchable sockets (12), characterized in that the transmitting device (5) is a component of at least one control center (1) which has a programmable control circuit (2) with a timer function which controls the transmitting device (5) for emitting the radio control signals. 2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the control circuit with timer function is programmable in order to emit control signals (9) at predetermined times, each of which contains an address code (10) identifying a specific socket (12) and a control command (11). 3. System according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the control device (2) has at least one memory for storing the control signals (9) and the associated times. 4. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control device (2) or the control center (1) is formed by a PC to which the transmitting device (5) is connected. 5. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control device (2) or the control center (1) is formed by a clock, for example by an alarm clock. 6. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transmitting device (5) is integrated into the control device. A17441.DOC