JP3175454B2 - Cordless remote control device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wireless remote control device for transmitting and receiving operating signals such as operating conditions and operation signals to and from a water heater main body by wireless communication, that is, a cordless remote control device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, wired remote control water heaters for transmitting and receiving various operation states and operation contents between a water heater main body and a remote control remote controller have been widely used in ordinary households. It has become a presence. In addition, with the spread of remote control, improvement in usability of the remote controller has been demanded.

The general configuration of a conventional remote control water heater will be described with reference to FIG. The water heater main body 11 and a plurality of remote control remote controllers (hereinafter, referred to as remote controllers) 12a, 12b, and 12c are bus-connected by two power cables, respectively. These remote controllers 12a, 12b, and 12c are powered by a water heater. It is supplied from the main body 11. Operating state data from the water heater main body 11 and remote controllers 12a, 12b,
The switch operation data from 12c is generated by the communication means 13 of the water heater body 11 and the communication means 14 of the remote controllers 12a, 12b, 12c by adding a transmission / reception address and transmission type data to generate a communication packet, and a signal is transmitted to the power supply of the power cable. Are superimposed on the remote control 12a, 12b, 12
c and the water heater main body 11 were transmitted and received.

[0004]

However, in the above-described remote control water heater, when the remote controller and the water heater body are changed from a wired system to a wireless system, communication is performed using radio waves. Radio waves may collide with other cordless water heaters, and an operation instruction signal from the remote controller to the water heater body may not reach the water heater body.

[0005] A signal instructing the water heater main body to ensure the safety of hot water supply, for example, a signal indicating that the operation is instructed to "turn off the operation" or "switching the tap water temperature from high to low". In the case of a signal, etc., in order for the user to recognize that these operation signals have not been transmitted to the water heater main unit, it is necessary to watch the remote control for an error display for a while after operating the remote control in order to recognize that there is no abnormality display. Did not.

[0006] Further, once it is determined that communication is impossible, the remote controller may be operated again to display an abnormal display until communication can be normally performed. I was

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a cordless remote control device according to the present invention comprises a transmitting means for transmitting an instruction signal to a main unit, and a normal reception signal of the instruction signal received from the main unit. Receiving means,
When the communication because it does not receive the normal reception signal from the main device after sending an instruction signal to the main device is determined to not be successful, display means for displaying that it is now a communication error or
And / or a notifying means for alerting by sound that the communication error has occurred.

Further, the present invention provides a data request signal for requesting transmission from the main unit even after the communication error is determined.
The data request transmission control means to be transmitted and the communication error determination is canceled when a normal reception signal is received from the main device,
Normal return control means for stopping transmission of data requests and notification of communication errors.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention With the above configuration, after transmitting the instruction signal from the cordless remote control device to the main device, the communication without receiving the normal reception signal corresponding to the instruction signal from the main device is determined to not be terminated properly At this time, the fact that the communication error has been confirmed is displayed on the display means, and is notified by a sound by the notification means to call attention.

In addition, even after the communication error is determined, the data
By transmitting the data request signal, the remote control device continues to wait for a normal reception signal from the main device. Upon receiving the normal reception signal from the main device, the normal recovery control unit releases the communication error determination and gives an instruction to stop the transmission of the data request signal from the data request transmission control unit, and also stops the notification of the communication error of the notification unit. Instructs the remote control device to return to the normal state.

[0011]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, 1 is a remote control device (hereinafter referred to as a remote controller), 2 is a transmitting means for transmitting an operation instruction signal to the water heater main body, 3 is a receiving means for receiving a normal reception signal from the water heater main body, and 4 is a reception signal. Display means such as a liquid crystal display for displaying the contents of the information, 5 is a notifying means for calling a buzzer sound when a communication error is determined, 6 is a data request signal for requesting transmission from the water heater body after the communication error is determined. Means for periodically transmitting data request, means 7 for normal return control means for canceling the communication error determination when communication becomes normal after the communication error is determined, 8 for remote control control means, and 9 for key operation of the operation instruction symbol Is a water heater main body controlled by the remote controller 1.

With the above configuration, when an operation instruction signal, for example, "turn off operation" or "switch the hot water temperature from high temperature to low temperature" is input by the operating means 9 on the remote control 1, the operation instruction is issued by the remote control control means 8. An instruction to transmit a signal to the main device is issued, and the transmission unit 2 wirelessly transmits the signal to the main device.

As shown in FIG. 2A, when the communication is normally performed, the remote controller control means 8 transmits an operation instruction signal by the transmission means 2 and a normal reception signal is transmitted from the water heater main body 10, Since the receiving means 3 of the remote control 1 receives the normal reception signal, the remote control control means 8 determines that the communication has been completed.

As shown in FIG. 2 (b), when the receiving means 3 cannot receive a normal received signal, the remote control means 8 sends the operation instruction signal transmitted by the transmitting means 2 to the water heater main body. It is determined that there is not, and the same operation instruction signal is transmitted again.

If no normal reception signal is received in response to the fourth operation instruction signal, the remote controller control means 8 determines that a communication error has occurred, displays a communication error determination message on the display means 4, and simultaneously sounds the buzzer sound of the notification means 5. To call attention.

After the communication error is determined, a data request signal is periodically transmitted from the transmission means 2 to the water heater main body 10 according to an instruction of the data request periodic transmission control means 6, and a normal reception signal is transmitted to the water heater main body 10. Keep waiting to come back from. When a normal reception signal is returned from the water heater main body 10 in response to the data request (third) transmission and received by the reception means 3, the normal recovery control means 7
To turn off the display of the communication error determination on the display means 4 and the notification means 5 and stop the buzzer sound. At the same time, it is possible to stop the data request periodic transmission control of the data request periodic transmission control means 6 and return the remote controller 1 to a normal state.

[0017]

As described above , according to the present invention, when a remote control is wireless, if a communication error is determined due to radio wave collision or interference, the display means and the notification means display and sound. The user does not need to keep watching the display of the remote control to confirm whether the remote control operation has been normally performed. If a signal such as `` turn off '' or `` switch the hot water temperature from high temperature to low temperature '', which is an operation instruction signal for ensuring safety of hot water supply by operating the remote control, is not transmitted to the water heater main body, Even if the user overlooks the display of the remote controller or forgets to see it, the user can be alerted by sound and can inform the user that the operation of the remote controller has not been transmitted normally, so that safety is improved.

In addition, even after a communication error is determined,
Since the transmission of the strike signal is continued, when the communication becomes possible thereafter, the communication error is stopped and the communication can be returned to the normal state naturally. Therefore, the notification of the communication error does not remain, so that it is possible to reduce the number of calls for complaints to the store, the construction company, etc. due to the user assuming that the malfunction has occurred.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a control block diagram of a cordless remote control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2A is a diagram illustrating communication contents when communication is normally completed in the device; FIG. 2B is a diagram illustrating communication contents when a communication error is determined in the device;

FIG. 3 is a control block diagram of a conventional remote control device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 remote control 2 transmission means 3 reception means 4 display means 5 notification means 6 data request periodic transmission control means 7 normal return control means 8 remote control control means

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Hiroshi Takechi 1006 Kadoma Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture Inside Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-63-179698 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) F24H 1/00 F24H 1/10 H03J 9/00-9/06 H04Q 9/00-9/16

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] And 1. A transmission means for transmitting an instruction signal to the main device, a receiving unit normal reception signal corresponding to the instruction signal received from the main device, said receiving means after transmitting the command signal to the main device Display means for displaying that a communication error has occurred if the normal reception signal is not received or
Notification means for calling attention with sound and / or sound, and communication error confirmation
The data request that requests transmission from the main unit
Data request transmission control means for transmitting a signal,
If a normal reception signal is received from the main unit, a communication error
The data request signal transmission and communication error
And a normal return control means for stopping the display and / or notification of the message .