GB2068614A
Expired / Lapsed
GB
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Remote mains switching means
Assignee: Novar ED&S Ltd
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Filing: 1980-02-05
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2000-02-05
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for performing remote switching of electrical appliances by sending signals along a mains supply, consists of a transmitting station 4 which is plugged into the mains supply and which can control remote receiving stations 2 individually, the receiving stations controlling the switching of electrical power to socket outlets 2, 3 which in use supply power to electrical appliances. The signals transmitted by the transmitting station comprise bursts of an audio modulated carrier, the audio frequency being selectable to address different ones of the receiving stations. The duration of the transmitted bursts is selectable to define an enquire or a command mode. The receiving station is switched on and off successively in response to successive command mode signals. In response to an enquire mode signal, information about the switched state of the addressed receiving station is transmitted back to the transmitting station. <IMAGE>
Inventors
No inventors recorded.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
GB
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 08:03
CPC Classifications
H; H02; H02J; H02J13/00; H02J13/13; H02J13/1311; H02J13/1313; Y; Y02; Y02B; Y02B90/00; Y02B90/20; Y04; Y04S; Y04S40/00; Y04S40/12; Y04S40/121
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
193 words
Apparatus for performing remote control of electrical appliances through an electrical mains supply, comprising
a transmitting station for connection to a mains supply and comprising electrical oscillator means for generating a plurality of different modulation frequencies, carrier signal generator means for generating an oscillatory carrier signal for propagation along said mains supply, modulating means for modulating said carrier signal with one of said modulation frequencies to produce a modulated carrier signal, means for selecting the modulation frequency used to modulate the carrier signal, and means for applying a burst of the modulated carrier signal to the mains supply, and
a plurality of receiving stations each arranged to respond to a different one of said modulation frequencies, each receiving station comprising means for receiving the modulated carrier signals from the mains supply, means for producing a control signal indicative of when the modulation frequency of the received modulated carrier signal corresponds to a predetermined frequency associated with the receiving station, and control means for changing between first and second control conditions the manner in which current is supplied to an appliance from said mains supply in response to successive occurrences of said control signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
193 words
Apparatus for performing remote control of electrical appliances through an electrical mains supply, comprising
a transmitting station for connection to a mains supply and comprising electrical oscillator means for generating a plurality of different modulation frequencies, carrier signal generator means for generating an oscillatory carrier signal for propagation along said mains supply, modulating means for modulating said carrier signal with one of said modulation frequencies to produce a modulated carrier signal, means for selecting the modulation frequency used to modulate the carrier signal, and means for applying a burst of the modulated carrier signal to the mains supply, and
a plurality of receiving stations each arranged to respond to a different one of said modulation frequencies, each receiving station comprising means for receiving the modulated carrier signals from the mains supply, means for producing a control signal indicative of when the modulation frequency of the received modulated carrier signal corresponds to a predetermined frequency associated with the receiving station, and control means for changing between first and second control conditions the manner in which current is supplied to an appliance from said mains supply in response to successive occurrences of said control signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
193 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 including in the transmitting station means for selecting the modulated carrier burst to be of first or second different durations to define respectively enquire and command operating modes of the apparatus, receiver means responsive to a burst of carrier signal of a given frequency, and means arranged to provide a display in response to operation of said receiver means; and including in each said receiving station, means for determining if the modulated carrier burst received from the transmitting means is of a duration which indicates the enquire or the command mode, means for causing the control means to change its control condition in response to a determined command mode, carrier signal transmitting means for transmitting to the mains supply a carrier signal for operating the receiver means in the transmitting station, and means for actuating the carrier signal transmitting means in response to said control means being in a predetermined one of said control conditions and the determined mode is the enquire mode, or in response to said determined mode being a command mode which causes said control means to assume said predetermined one of said control conditions.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the transmitting station includes means for disabling operation of said receiver means during the transmission of said modulated carrier burst
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
Apparatus according to claim 2 or 3 wherein said display means comprises a light emitting diode.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
105 words
Apparatus according to any of claims 2 to 4 wherein each said receiving station includes demodulating means for demodulating said carrier burst so as to recover the modulation frequency, filtering means adapted to produce a filter output only if the recovered modulation frequency corresponds to a predetermined frequency associated with the receiving station, and means for determining if the duration of the filter output is greater or less than a given duration selected to be intermediate the transmitted durations of said modulated carrier burst for said enquire and command modes whereby to determine the mode of the modulated carrier signal received by the receiving station.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
43 words
Apparatus according to any of claims 2 to 5 wherein the receiving station includes a relay arranged to switch electrical power from the mains supply on and off successively in response to successive command mode modulated carrier signals received by the receiving station.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
69 words
Apparatus according to any of claims 2 to 6, wherein each said receiving station includes a local oscillator for generating the carrier signal for transmission to the transmitting station, a power amplifier arranged to amplify the output of the local oscillator, the amplifier having a gating control arranged to enable operation of the amplifier only in response to the mode determining means providing an indication of an enquire mode.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said local oscillator is activated for operation only in response to said control means assuming said predetermined one of said control conditions.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein said transmitting station and said receiving stations each include a respective transformer for coupling the carrier signals to and from the mains supply.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus according to any preceding claims wherein said transmitting station and said receiving station are connected to the mains supply.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus for performing remote control of electrical appliances through an electrical mains supply, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus for performing remote control of electrical appliances through an electrical mains supply, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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