Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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MULTIMODE APPARATUS
WITH COMMUNICATION AND
CONTROL FEATURES
TECHNICAL FIELD
OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect the present invention relates to novel apparatus having the
capability of communicating with household (and/or other) appliances.
In other aspects, the present invention relates to an apparatus as
characterized
in the preceding paragraph which:
can communicate with appliances via existing electrical wiring;
can process and display messages originated by an appliance and forward
those messages to a designated cellular phone.
can process and display messages transmitted to the apparatus from a cellular
phone.
In yet another respect the present invention relates to novel integrated units
for
apparatus as characterized above which have multiple modes of operation, at
least: (1) a TV
mode in which the unit has the capabilities of a television set, and (2) an
APPLIANCE mode
in which a user can send commands by way of the integrated unit to an
appliance served by
the integrated unit, using an input device such as a cellular phone, a
keyboard, or a remote
control. The integrated unit is also designed to receive and display messages
transmitted to
the unit from a cellular phone.
BACKGROUND
OF THE INVENTION
Heretofore invented have been certain new and novel appliances with
multiple, user-selectable operating modes. These appliances are capable of
carrying out
different ones of multiple functions. A function is called up by choosing the
appropriate,
user-selectable mode. Examples of the operating modes which different ones of
the subject
appliances have and the function of the appliance in each of these modes
appear below.
Mode Function
TELEVISION Allows the user to watch television
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Mode Function
CD Allows the user to play a conventional audio
(or audiovisual)
disk; in this mode the user can also play a
disk of the character
described in U.S. patents Nos. 5,724,102 and
5,801,784 to
retrieve lessons on a particular subject or
information on
performing a task from the disk.
APPLIANCE Gives the integrated unit control over one
or more appliances.
Also, diagnostic information on the controlled
appliances) and
warning messages may be made available to a
user or other
person.
SECURITY/MONITOR Allows one to visually identify and converse
with a person at an
entryway, and to unlock a door at the entryway,
all from the
location of the appliance; the appliance can
also be used in this
mode to monitor any other area remote from
the appliance - a
baby's bedroom, for example.
INTERNET Logs the multimode integrated unit onto the
Internet, bringing up
a dedicated home page with information and,
typically, links to
related pages. A person can also browse the
Internet as with a
conventional browser, send and receive e-mail,
and otherwise
take advantage of the capabilities provided
by the Internet.
Copending application No. 09/116,785 discloses, in detail, systems with
integrated units of the character just described which have an APPLIANCE mode
of
operation. In that mode, the systems disclosed in the '785 application have
the ability to
make information on the status of an appliance available: (a) on a display
screen of the unit,
and (b) to a repair or service facility at a site removed from the loci of the
appliance and the
integrated unit. The systems disclosed in the '785 application also have the
capability of
controlling the operation of appliances in addition to the just-described
appliance monitoring
and reporting features. They also have the capability of supervising more than
one appliance,
and a wide variety of appliances can be monitored. These include, without
limitation:
electric stoves and ovens, refrigerators, freezers, window and central air
conditioning
systems, central heating systems, room heaters, and central vacuuming systems.
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SUMMARY
OF THE INVENTION
The apparatus of the present invention is akin to that disclosed in the '785
application in that it has appliance monitoring, controlling, and reporting
functions. The
systems disclosed herein, however, have integrated units with a GSM or
comparable device
which enables the integrated unit to. call a specified cellular phone and
report the existence of
an appliance-related problem to the person answering the phone. Conversely, a
person using
the designated cellular phone can call the integrated unit and leave a message
on a display
screen component of that unit.
Another novel feature of the apparatus disclosed herein is that a message
identifying an appliance-related problem can be placed on a screen of the
display unit
irrespective of the mode in which the system is operating, preferably in a
manner which is
unobtrusive and does not more than minimally distract the system user (and/or
other
person(s)) from the activity such as watching TV in which he is engaging.
Yet another advantage of apparatus as described herein is that icons
representing the different appliances supervised by the integrated unit of the
apparatus
automatically appear when the APPLIANCE mode of operation is selected.
Selecting an icon
brings up a screen displaying the status of the associated appliance and,
optionally, one or
more icons which can be employed to control the operation of the appliance.
Still another novel feature of the systems disclosed herein is the use of
network interface boards (NIBs) in the integrated units of the apparatus and
the inclusion of a
complementary NIB in each associated appliance. The NIBs embed messages in
network
communications protocols, and strip the protocols to retrieve the messages.
This schemata
allows in place electrical wiring to be used to transmit messages between the
integrated unit
of the apparatus and the associated appliances.
The objects, advantages, and features of the present invention will be
apparent
to the reader from the foregoing and the appended claims and as the ensuing
detailed
description and discussion of the invention proceeds in conjunction with the
accompanying
drawing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. I is a block diagram of a system which includes: (a) a set of household
appliances, and (b) a multimode information/entertainment (MIE) appliance
which has:
( 1 ) the ability to communicate with household appliances and with a cellular
telephone; and
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(2) appliance supervisory/control capabilities; the MIE appliance is
constructed, and
communicates with the household appliances and the cellular phone in accord
with the
principles of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a pictorial view of an overhead cabinet installation which includes
one representative MIE appliance that embodies the principles of the present
invention and
can be employed in the system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a plan view of a remote control which can be used to operate the
FIG. 2 MIE appliance;
FIGS. 4A and 4B, taken together, show, in block diagram form, the operating
components of an integrated unit which is a component of the FIG. 2 MIE
appliance along
with certain associated units such as input devices, a power supply, a module
for controlling
access through an entryway, and a camera for surveilling an area removed from
the unit;
FIG. 4C is a pictorial view of a mode selection register and video/audio
switch
arrangement which is incorporated in the integrated unit and the relation of
those devices to
other components of the MIE appliance;
FIG. 5 is a flow diagram showing how a user of the FIG. 2 MIE appliance can
employ that apparatus to control the operation of a household appliance - in
this exemplary
instance, an oven;
FIG. 6 shows in flow diagram form how a user can control the operation of the
oven by calling the MIE appliance from a cellular phone;
FIG. 7 shows, again in flow diagram form, how a representative household
appliance - in this case, the FIG. 1 refrigerator - can send a "problem
exists" message to the
MIE appliance and, if the problem is not timely corrected, have the message
forwarded to a
designated cellular phone;
FIG. 8 shows a representative image which appears on a screen of an MIE
appliance display unit when operation of the MIE appliance in an APPLIANCE
mode is
selected;
FIG. 9 is an image that appears on the screen if a user selects an "oven
control" option from the FIG. 8 image;
FIG. 10 is an image that appears on the screen if a household appliance-
associated sensor detects a problem - in this case a refrigerator door having
been left open;
and
FIG. 11 is an image that appears on the screen if a user selects a "cellular
phone" message option from the FIG. 8 image.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
OF THE INVENTION
Refernng now to the drawing, FIG. 1 depicts a complement 20 of household
appliances and a MIE appliance 22 embodying the principles of the present
invention. The
M>D appliance has an integrated unit (or module) 24; a remote control 26; and,
optionally, a
keyboard 28. The integrated unit 24 of the system 22 communicates with the
representative,
illustrated appliances in complement 20 - oven 30, refrigerator/freezer 32,
dishwasher 34,
and washer/dryer 36 - via installed electrical wiring 38 and the power cords
(or local
electrical wiring) 40-46 of the appliances. The integrated unit 24 is also
designed to
communicate with a specified cellular phone 48.
Exemplary MIE 22 has the following modes of operation:
TELEVISION
CD
INTERNET
SECURITY/MONITOR
APPLIANCE
How MIE appliance 22 functions in each of the first four modes is described
above in that section of the specification entitled SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION.
Operation of the appliance in the APPLIANCE mode is discussed below.
It is not necessary that MIE appliance 22 have all five of the operating modes
identified above. One or more of these modes may be omitted or a mode may be
disenabled,
typically with a provision for mode activation as described in copending
application
No. 09/478922 filed 6 January 2000.
Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the integrated unit 24 of system 22 includes:
a display unit 52 with a flat screen 54. The display unit 52 is mounted to the
integrated unit
by a universal coupling 56 which allows the display unit screen to be rotated
and tilted to face
a viewer and to be folded up against the bottom 58 of integrated unit cabinet
59 when MIE
appliance 22 is not in use. The details of the universal coupling are not part
of the present
invention and will accordingly not be described herein. The universal coupling
is, however, .
disclosed in detail in copending application No. 09/516,427 filed 1 March,
2000, to which the
reader may refer, if desired.
Messages warning of existing or potential problems are displayed on the
screen 54 of display unit 52. If the message is not acted upon in a specified
period of time,
integrated unit 24 forwards the warning message to cellular phone 48.
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Commands and data can be inputted to module 24 by onboard controls 60 or
with the remote control 26 or optional keyboard 28. Remote control 26 and
keyboard 28 will
be referred to hereinafter only to the extent that they are relevant to an
understanding of the
present invention. Details of these devices can be found in U.S. Patent No.
5,724,102 and in
copending application No. 09/466,103 filed 12 December 1999.
Audio speakers 62 and 64 are attached to opposite ends of integrated unit 24.
This eliminates speaker wires and otherwise facilitates the installation of
MIE appliance 22
and enhances the appearance of the installation.
The integrated unit 24 of system 22 with speakers 62 and 64 is designed to be
mounted in an overhead cabinet system 66; it is more specifically designed to
be mounted
beneath two adjacent center cabinets 68 and 70. Those cabinets are located
between outer
overhead cabinets 72 and 74 of greater depth.
Cabinets of the character illustrated in FIG. 2 are often supplied in
conventional widths and heights. The module 24 of MIE appliance 22 is
preferably designed
and dimensioned for compatibility with such cabinets of standard dimensions.
The two shorter or shallower cabinets 68 and 70 between longer cabinets 72
and 74 define a downwardly opening, horizontally extending recess 76. The
assembly 78 of
integrated unit 24 and audio speakers 62 and 64 is dimensioned to fit into
recess 76 with:
(a) the ends 80 and 82 of assembly 78 abutting outer cabinets 72 and 74, and
the upper wall
84 of the assembly flush with the bottoms 86 and 88 of the two outermost
cabinets.
Details of the arrangement for mounting integrated unit assembly 78 to
cabinets 68 and 70 appear in the copending'427 application and will not be
unnecessarily
repeated here.
Refernng now primarily to FIG. 2, the illustrated module 24 also has a player
94 for a conventional or interactive, laser readable disk 96. This player is
optional; it can be
provided or omitted, depending upon the market for which the system is
intended.
Commands for operating the TV and disk player and for selecting the mode of
operation of MIE appliance 22 can be inputted by the above-mentioned remote
control 26 or
keyboard 28 or by the FIG. 2 onboard pushbutton controls 60. One
representative onboard
control is identified in FIG. 4A by reference character 98.
The operating components of integrated unit 24, together with certain
ancillary
devices which may be activated in different operating modes of MIE appliance
22, are
depicted schematically in FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C.
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The integrated unit operating components include a mode selection register
100 and a video/audio switch 102, both activated when a particular one of the
appliance 22
operating modes is selected. The video/audio switch channels the input
available in the
selected operating mode to the screen 54 of display unit 52 and to audio
speakers 62 and 64.
As a single example, when the TELEVISION mode is selected, a connection to a
source for a
television signal such as an antenna, a cable, and/or a VCR is made through
switch 102.
External components controlled by the integrated unit 24 of MIE appliance 22,
in this case in a SECURITY mode of operation, are incorporated in an entryway
module
identified by reference character 104 in FIG. 4A. These components include a
microphone
106, an entryway speaker 108, and an electrically operated door latch 110.
Optionally
located at the same entryway (not shown) as module 104 is a camera 112 which
is designed
to display an image of a person at the entryway on display unit screen 54.
Camera 112 can
otherwise be used to monitor an alternate location such as a baby's bedroom.
The operation
of an entryway security system of the character just described is disclosed in
detail in
copending application No. 09/116,825 filed 16 July 1998, to which the reader
may refer if
desired.
Other major operating components of integrated unit 24, primarily located on
secondary board 114 or controller board 116, are listed below along with the
function of each
component.
Reference
Component Function
Character
Components on ControllerInclude a CPU (not shown) and
other
Board 116 components which control the
operation of
MIE appliance 22
118 Audio Amplifier Boosts the signal available from
controller
board 116 to a level high enough
to drive
audio speakers 62 and 64
120 TV Tuner Like a conventional TV tuner,
creates a
signal that is displayed on flat
screen 54
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Reference
Component Function
Character
122 Power Supply Converter Converts AC power to (typically)
12V DC
for powering the MIE appliance
electrical
components
124 Pushbutton Interface Operatively connects onboard
controls 98 to
controller board 116
126 Infrared Detector Receiver for IR signals transmitted
from an
input device such as remote control
26 or
keyboard 28
Also located on or operatively associated with secondary board 114 are the
following additional components:
Reference
Component Function
Character
130 Telephone Line Modem Used in the INTERNET mode of
operation
of MIE appliance 22 in logging
onto the
Internet
132 GSM (or other) CellularConnects to a designated cellular
Phone phone to
Module notify one of a problem with
an appliance
and/or to send and receive messages
as
described below
135 AC Power Supply Furnishes power to integrated
unit 24
136 TV Antenna (may insteadFunctions conventionally
be a
cable or other TV signal
input- .
VCR, DVD, etc.)
138 GSM Antenna Transmits and receives cellular
phone signals
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It was suggested above that appliance module 24 can transmit and receive data
via a telephone line as well as by cellular phone linkups. The telephone line
is shown in
FIG. 4A and identified by reference character 140.
As shown in FIG. 4A, module 24 also has a USB port 142 as well as links (or
connections) 144, 146, and 148 for transmitting appropriately formatted data
to a printer and
to video and audio devices--viz., display unit screen 54 and speaker units 62
and 64.
The module 24 of MIE appliance 22 preferably also has an Ethernet port 150.
This: (1) allows MIE appliance 22 to be networked to compatible devices, and
(2) allows
appliance 22 to be connected to the Internet via a DSL or other broad
bandwidth link.
TELEVISION, CD (if present), APPLIANCE, SECURITY / MONITOR, and
INTERNET modes of operation of MIE appliance 22 may be selected by the user of
that
appliance with push button mode controls 152, 154, 156, 158, and 160 of remote
control 26
(see FIG. 3) or with corresponding pushbuttons of keyboard 28, or with
corresponding ones
of the onboard controls 60.
Referring now to FIG. 4C, the electronic video/audio switch 102 of module 24
is illustrated as a mechanical switch in the interest of clarity. This switch
has five positions
labeled 1-5.
The pressing of one of the five mode buttons 152 - 160 causes the
corresponding number--shown in the following table--to be placed in mode
selection register
100.
Mode Number
CD 1
TELEVISION 2
SECURITY/MONITOR 3
INTERNET 4
APPLIANCE 5
Video switch 102 is thereupon set to the number in selection register 100,
causing MIE
appliance 22 to operate in the selected mode.
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Additional details of the operating components of MIE appliances of the same
general character as appliance 22 are to be found in the following U.S. patent
and copending
applications hereby incorporated by reference herein.
UNITED STATES
PATENT
Patent NumberTitle Issue Date
5,724,102 Systems in which Information can be Retrieved3-03-1998
from an
Encoded, Laser Readable Disc
COPENDING U.S.
APPLICATIONS
Application NumberTitle Filing Date
09/466,103 Keyboard I 12-17-1999
09/116,825 Integrated Units with Home Security 7-16-1998
and
Monitoring Capabilities
09/479,274 Appliance with Multiple Modes of Operation1-05-2000
09/116,785 Integrated Units with Diagnostic Capabilities7-16-1998
09/478,922 Appliances 1-06-2000
The functions of the other buttons on remote control 26 and the keys on
keyboard 28 are described in the '102 patent and in the copending'103
application and
accordingly have been omitted in this specification as they are not germane to
an
understanding of the present invention.
Refernng still to the drawings, FIG. 8 shows a display 162 that appears on
screen 54 when a user of MIE appliance 22 selects the APPLIANCE mode of
operation by
pressing remote control mode button 160. This display includes a banner 164
with the
current date and time and icons 166, 168, 170, and 172 respectively
representing oven 30,
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refrigerator/freezer 32, dishwasher 34, and washer/dryer 36 of FIG. 1. Also,
the display may
include a warning such as the one identified by reference character 174. This
aspect of
invention is discussed in detail below.
In the typical, FIG. S scenario, to which the ensuing disclosure is for the
most
part directed in the interest of clarity and brevity, the MIE appliance user
employs remote
control 26 or keyboard 28 to select oven icon 166. This brings up on screen 54
of display
unit 52 the display shown in FIG. 9 and identified by reference character 176.
This display
includes date and time banner 164 and a block 178 in which the status of oven
30,
represented by oven icon 166, is displayed. In the typical scenario under
discussion, the user
of MIE appliance 22 wishes to turn oven 30 off and accordingly selects OFF
button 180 in
display block 178 with remote control 26 or keyboard 28. Thereupon, a "oven
off' command
is. transmitted from controller board 116 (see FIGS. 1 and 4A) to appliance
network interface
board (NIB) 128. NIB 128 embeds this command in an appropriate network
protocol and
sends the message over electrical wiring 38 and local power cord 40 to oven
30. An oven
NIB 182 (see FIG. 1 ) detects the message, strips off the network
communications protocol,
and sends the "oven off' command to the oven controller 183 of oven 30 which,
upon receipt
of the command, turns oven 30 off.
Oven NIB 182 detects a signal from the oven controller 183 confirming that
the oven has been turned off, embeds this confirming message in the network
communications protocol, and sends the message to NIB 128 of the MIE appliance
integrated
unit 24. NIB 128 strips the network communications protocol from the
confirming message
and transmits the latter to controller board 116. This results in a
confirmation that the oven
has been turned off being displayed to the MIE appliance user. In the
embodiment of the
invention under discussion, the OFF label of icon 180 (see FIG. 9) changes to
START, and
the color of the oven icon 166 changes from yellow to green. In the event that
an appliance
becomes disconnected from the existing electrical wiring over which the MIE
appliance
communicates with said appliance, the respective appliance icon on the MIE's
display screen
will be greyed out and will become inaccessible to the user.
Commands are selected by using LEFT, RIGHT, UP, and DOWN buttons
200, 202, 204, and 206 of remote control 26 (see FIG. 3) or the corresponding
buttons of
keyboard 28 -- if present -- to move the cursor arrow (see FIGS. 8 and 9) icon
190
representing the desired action. GO button 192 (see FIG. 3) is pressed to
execute the
command.
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Turning now to FIG. 6, the user of MIE appliance 22 may also use cellular
phone 48 to transmit the "oven off' command to oven 30. To do this, (see FIG.
6), the user
calls the GSM module 132 of MIE appliance integrated unit 24. Once the
connection is
made, the user enters by way of the cellular phone keyboard a numerical code
corresponding
to the "oven off' command. This command is received by GSM module 132 and
transmitted
to controller board 116. Controller board 116 then sends the "oven off'
command to
appliance NIB 128, wherein the command is embedded in the network protocol,
and
transmitted to the NIB 182 of oven 30, in the same fashion as if the "oven
off' command
were originated by remote control 26 or keyboard 28. The confirming message is
in this case
displayed on screen 54 and also relayed via GSM module I 32 of the integrated
unit 24 to
cellular phone 48.
Turning next to FIGS. 7 and 10, it was pointed out above that, if a problem
with a household appliance supervised and controlled by MIE appliance 22
occurs, a warning
message will be displayed on the screen 54 of display unit 52 irrespective of
the mode in
which the MIE appliance is operating. In the representative example to which
FIGS. 7 and
are directed, the user of MIE appliance 22 (or another person) has selected
the TV mode
of operation by pressing push button 156 on remote control 26 or,
alternatively, if a keyboard
is present, by pressing the corresponding mode selection button on the
keyboard. It is further
assumed in this scenario that, while TV is being watched, the door of
refrigerator/freezer 32
is left ajar. This condition is detected by the refrigerator controller 185
which sends a "door
ajar" alarm to the NIB 184 of the refrigerator. The refrigerator NIB 184
embeds the "door
ajar" alarm in the selected network communication protocol and sends the alarm
over power
cord 42 and installed electrical wiring 38 to the appliance NIB 128 of the
supervising MIE
appliance 22 (see FIG. 4B). Here, the network protocol is stripped away and
the alarm
message transmitted to the MIE controller board 116, which sends the message
to the screen
54 of MIE display unit 52. To minimize interference with the viewer's
activities, the warning
message is preferably displayed toward the bottom of screen 54 in a window as
identified by
reference character 174 in FIG. 10.
At the same time, and as shown in FIG. 7, a countdown timer 173 (see
FIG. 4a) is started. At the end of the timing period, controller board 116
determines whether
the problem has been remedied; i.e., whether the refrigerator door has been
closed. If it has,
the warning message display 174 is removed from screen 54, and the program
ends. If the
refrigerator door has not been closed before the time lapses, controller board
116 sends the
"door ajar" message to GSM module 132 which calls cellular phone 48 and
displays the
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alarm message on the cellular phone screen (not shown) to the person answering
the phone.
Where the fault which initiated the warning message is not remedied, the
message display
window 174 remains on the screen for a preset length of time and is then
removed.
How messages received from the appliances supervised by MIE appliance 22
and messages received from cellular phone 48 are displayed is shown in more
detail in
FIG. 11. These messages appear on screen 54 in window 194 irrespective of
their origin.
Scroll UP and scroll DOWN buttons 196 and 198 allow a user to bring up in
window 194
messages which are hidden if window 194 is filled and there are additional
messages. The
cellular phone icon 208 is displayed (see FIG. 8) to alert the MIE appliance
user that one or
more messages have been received from cellular phone 48. A scroll button is
selected with
LEFT, RIGHT, UP, and DOWN buttons 200, 202, 204, and 206 and activated with GO
button 192.
Integrated unit 24 can also be used for purposes not discussed above, for
example, energy management. As an example, many utilities charge a premium for
electricity used at a rate above a floor level, especially during peak hours.
It may happen that
oven 30 is turned on while dishwasher 34 is running. If it does, integrated
unit 24 can put the
dishwasher into a pause mode in which it does not consume electricity so that
the floor level
is not exceeded and the premium avoided.
The invention may be embodied in many forms without departing from the
spirit or essential characteristics of the invention. The present embodiment
is therefore to be
considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of
the invention is
indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and
all changes
which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are
therefore intended
to be embraced therein.
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