JPH06225369A - Wireless control system and wireless transmitter - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily confirm a function in a short time by constituting a transmitter so as to wireless-output a diagnostic signal one or more times during a period before it reaches the periodical transmitting time of the diagnostic signal when the power turning-on operation of the transmitter is executed. CONSTITUTION:After a wireless transmitter S to output the diagnostic signal for state monitoring periodically at definite time intervals is installed at a desired abnormality detecting place, a battery 7 is set. Then, power is turned on by operating a setting switch 3, and a worker leaves the place. Thus, every time the prescribed periodical transmitting time elapses from the transmitting time of the diagnostic signal of a first time after the time not much longer than one minute set beforehand elapses from the point of time of the power turning-on operation, the diagnostic signal is outputted successively. Accordingly, a system working state can be confirmed under an actual using condition that the worker is distant from the transmitter S.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to wireless control systems and wireless transmitters.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a wireless control system, for example, when a predetermined abnormal state is detected by a wireless transmitter having a function as a sensor for detecting abnormality, the wireless transmitter sends a control signal to that effect. There is one that is output and transmitted to the wireless receiver side. In such a system, not only the control signal is output from the wireless transmitter when an abnormality is detected,
Even when no abnormality is detected, a so-called diagnostic signal is usually configured to be periodically transmitted to the wireless receiver side at regular time intervals. In this way, if the wireless transmitter transmits and outputs the diagnostic signal periodically, it can be confirmed on the wireless receiver side whether or not the wireless transmitter is operating properly, and the wireless transmitter malfunctions. When a battery runs out or radio wave interference occurs, these can be detected early. Thus, in the conventional case, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, if the time interval Tb for periodically transmitting the diagnostic signal shown by the arrow A from the wireless transmitter is set to 1.2 hours, for example, It has been configured such that the first diagnostic signal is transmitted and output when 1.2 hours have elapsed after the power-on operation of the wireless transmitter was performed.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned prior art, for example, when the wireless control system is installed, the power of the wireless transmitter is turned on in order to confirm whether the system operates properly. However, the diagnostic signal is oscillated when the time set as the regular transmission time, for example, 1.2 hours has elapsed. Therefore, conventionally, there has been a problem in that work efficiency is poor due to waste of time, such as inability to check the system operation until 1.2 hours have elapsed after the system is constructed.

Incidentally, as a measure for solving the above-mentioned difficulty, conventionally, for example, an operator artificially causes a predetermined abnormal situation at a position near the wireless transmitter and causes the wireless transmitter to detect the abnormal situation. Therefore, a method of transmitting and outputting a predetermined control signal from a wireless transmitter has been adopted. However, this method is troublesome because it requires the worker to go to the installation location of the wireless transmitter one by one. Also, if the worker outputs the control signal in the state of being located near the wireless transmitter,
In some cases, the worker may not be able to properly check the transmission / reception state of the wireless signal due to the cause of radio interference, etc., and the above difficulties cannot be solved appropriately.

The present invention has been proposed in view of the above points, and when confirming whether or not the wireless transmitter functions properly after the construction of the wireless control system, the operator waits for a long time. Alternatively, it is an object of the present invention to eliminate the need for an operator to go to the installation position of the wireless transmitter one by one and to easily perform the confirmation work in a short time.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A wireless control system according to the present invention as set forth in claim 1, which is proposed to achieve the above object, periodically issues a diagnostic signal for condition monitoring at regular time intervals. What is claimed is: 1. A wireless control system comprising: a wireless transmitter that outputs wirelessly; and a wireless receiver that performs predetermined signal processing based on a diagnostic signal output from the wireless transmitter, wherein the wireless transmitter has a power-on operation. When the above is performed, the diagnostic signal is wirelessly output at least once before the regular transmission time of the diagnostic signal is reached.

A wireless transmitter according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a timer circuit for measuring time, and a state at every time when a predetermined regular transmission time preset by the timer circuit is measured. A wireless transmitter including a wireless transmission unit that outputs a diagnostic signal for monitoring, wherein when the power supply to the timer circuit or the wireless transmission unit is started, the wireless transmitter is set to a time shorter than a regular transmission time. And a control means for controlling to drive the wireless transmission unit when a predetermined time is counted by the timer circuit.

[0008]

In the wireless control system according to the present invention as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that when the power of the wireless transmitter is turned on after the system is installed or during maintenance and inspection, a diagnostic signal is output. The diagnostic signal is wirelessly output at an early stage before the regular transmission time is reached. Therefore, it is of course possible to confirm whether or not the wireless transmitter operates properly by such a diagnostic signal, and the diagnostic signal is output at an early stage, so that the worker waits wastefully for a long time. There is no need to keep it. Further, it is not necessary for the worker to go to the installation position of the wireless transmitter. Furthermore, after the worker who installed the wireless transmitter turns on the power, a diagnostic signal can be output at a time after the worker leaves the installation location, which prevents the worker from disturbing wireless transmission and reception. It will also be eliminated.

In the wireless transmitter according to the second aspect of the present invention, when the power supply to the timer circuit and the wireless transmission unit is started, a predetermined period shorter than the regular transmission time is set thereafter. When the time is measured, the control means drives the wireless transmission section to wirelessly output the diagnostic signal. Therefore, the diagnostic signal can be output at an early stage before the regular transmission time is reached, and the same effect as in the case of the above-mentioned claim 1 can be obtained.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a wireless control system according to the present invention. This system includes a plurality of wireless transmitters S (S1 to Sn), a wireless receiver R that receives wireless signals transmitted from these wireless transmitters S and determines their contents, and a wireless receiver R that receives the wireless signals. It is composed of a monitor board K and the like for executing desired processing such as alarm generation and notification to the outside through the telephone line L according to the content of the signal. The wireless receiver R may be integrated with the monitoring board K.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the wireless transmitter S shown in FIG. The wireless transmitter S includes a signal processing unit 1 including a CPU and the like.
For (corresponding to the control means according to the present invention), a storage unit 2 functioning as a system memory, a setting switch 3 including a switch for setting a unique ID code, a power on / off or reset switch, and time counting are performed. Timer circuit 4,
An I / I for connecting a wireless transmission unit 5 that outputs a predetermined wireless signal, which will be described later, and a security sensor C.
The O port 6 and the like are interconnected. A battery 7 is applied as an example of a drive source, and a power supply circuit 8 connected to the battery 7 supplies necessary power to each circuit device including the signal processing unit 1. Storage unit 2
Can be used for storing data such as a house code specific to the wireless control system set by the setting switch 3 and an ID code specific to the wireless transmitter S. In the above, it is preferable that the stored data is not erased even when the battery power is exhausted, such as an EEPROM.
It is desirable to use

As the security sensor C, one or more desired sensors such as a sensor for detecting a fire or gas leak can be used according to a user's request, and an abnormal situation such as a fire occurs in the security sensor C. Is detected, a detection signal to that effect is input to the I / O port 6. The security sensor C may be externally attached to the wireless transmitter S or may be built in the wireless transmitter S.

The signal processor 1 includes a security sensor C.
When the abnormality detection signal is received from the wireless transmission unit 5, the wireless transmission unit 5 is driven at that time, and the control signal having the format shown in FIG. 3 is controlled to be wirelessly output. In addition to the output control function of the control signal, the signal processing unit 1 also has the output control function of the diagnostic signal. That is, the signal processing unit 1 basically drives the wireless transmission unit 5 every time a predetermined time (for example, 1.2 hours) preset by the setting switch 3 is clocked by the timer circuit 4 to a predetermined time. The diagnostic signal is controlled to be output wirelessly. However, when the wireless transmitter S is newly turned on by inserting or replacing the battery 7, or when the same operation as the power-on operation is performed by operating the reset switch of the setting switch 3 or the like, the diagnosis is performed. A fixed time (for example, 1 to 5 minutes) preset as a time shorter than the regular transmission time of the signal
Is configured to control the wireless transmission unit 5 to be driven when the time is counted by the timer circuit 4. still,
Although the diagnostic signal basically has no great difference from the control signal of the format shown in FIG. 3, the control signal has data indicating that an abnormal situation has occurred, whereas the diagnostic signal has an abnormality. The difference is that it has data indicating that it is not.

When the wireless receiver R in FIG. 1 receives a control signal or a diagnostic signal from the wireless transmitter S, the house code or ID code added to the signal is registered in advance in the wireless receiver R. When the data matches the data, the content of the signal is discriminated and the alarm generation processing or the like is performed in accordance with the content. The wireless receiver R has a display unit 10 for indicating which wireless transmitter S the diagnostic signal is transmitted from when receiving the diagnostic signal from the wireless transmitter S by an ID code, and the display unit 10. A display lamp 11 or the like is provided which is turned on or blinks at that time.

In the wireless control system having the above-described structure, when the system is constructed, first, the wireless transmitter S is installed at a desired abnormality detection position and then the battery 7 is set, or when the battery 7 is already set. The operator may move away from the place by operating the setting switch 3 to turn on the power. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, at the time when a preset short constant time Ta (for example, 1 minute) has elapsed from the time of the power-on operation, the arrow A1
The first diagnostic signal shown in is output. Further, thereafter, the diagnostic signal indicated by the arrow A is sequentially output each time a predetermined regular transmission time Tb (for example, 1.2 hours) elapses from the first transmission timing of the diagnostic signal.

Therefore, the operator who installs the system does not need to wait for 1.2 hours as the regular transmission time to confirm whether or not the wireless control system operates properly. It is possible to output a desired diagnostic signal in 1 minute and confirm the operating state of the system. In addition, if there is one minute after the power-on operation, the worker who installed the wireless transmitter S can move away from the installation place of the wireless transmitter S.
It is also possible to avoid such a worker from causing an obstacle to radio waves transmitted by wireless, and it is possible to confirm the system operation state under conditions that match actual usage conditions.
On the wireless receiver R side, when such a diagnostic signal is received, the indicator lamp 11 lights up or blinks, and at the same time, the unique ID code of the wireless transmitter S which has transmitted the diagnostic signal is displayed on the display unit 10. Therefore, the individual wireless transmitters S can be clearly distinguished and checked, which is convenient.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the diagnostic signal A1 is output only once before the periodical transmission of the diagnostic signal is executed, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, after outputting a diagnostic signal multiple times at intervals of 1 minute,
It may be configured to shift to normal regular transmission. In short, the diagnostic signal may be output at least once before the regular transmission time is reached.

[0018]

As can be understood from the above description, according to the wireless control system of the present invention described in claim 1 and the wireless transmitter of the present invention described in claim 2, the power-on operation is performed. Since the diagnostic signal can be output from the wireless transmitter at an early stage before the regular transmission time is reached, it is necessary to confirm whether the wireless transmitter is functioning properly after system installation. It is not necessary for the worker to wait until the predetermined long time set as the regular transmission time elapses, or for the worker to step by step to the installation position of the wireless transmitter, In addition, a special effect that the confirmation work can be easily performed is obtained. Further, according to the present invention, since the diagnostic signal can be output after a lapse of a certain time after the power-on operation of the wireless transmitter, the diagnostic signal is output in a state where no worker is present near the wireless transmitter. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the operator from interfering with the transmission / reception of the wireless signal, and there is also an advantage that the work of confirming the system operating state can be appropriately performed in a situation that matches the actual system use condition.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a wireless control system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a wireless transmitter according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a format of a wireless signal output from a wireless transmitter.

FIG. 4 is a time chart showing an example of transmission timing of a diagnostic signal in the wireless transmitter according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a time chart showing an example of a diagnostic signal transmission timing in a conventional wireless transmitter.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 signal processing unit (control means) 2 storage unit 3 setting switch 4 timer circuit 5 wireless transmission unit 6 I / O port 7 battery 8 power supply circuit C security sensor S wireless transmitter R wireless receiver

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Hideaki Okada 1048, Kadoma, Kadoma City, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A wireless transmitter that periodically outputs a diagnostic signal for condition monitoring at regular intervals.
A wireless control system including a wireless receiver that performs predetermined signal processing based on a diagnostic signal output from the wireless transmitter, wherein the wireless transmitter is a diagnostic signal when a power-on operation is performed. Before reaching the regular sending time,
A wireless control system configured to wirelessly output a diagnostic signal at least once. 2. A timer circuit for measuring time, and a wireless transmission section for outputting a diagnostic signal for condition monitoring every time a predetermined regular transmission time set in advance by the timer circuit is measured. When the power supply to the timer circuit and the wireless transmission unit is started, the wireless transmission is performed when a predetermined time set to a time shorter than the regular transmission time is measured by the timer circuit. A wireless transmitter comprising control means for controlling to drive the unit.