Description

CURRENT CONTROL DEVICE

[0001] The present invention relates to a current control device that provides remote monitoring and control of the household appliances.

[0002] In state of the art applications, various systems that generate warnings in the event the current drawn in the house goes below or above a certain value are provided for externally monitoring and controlling the household appliances such as a washing machine, dishwasher, oven, coffee machine, kettle, iron etc. that do not have remote control means..

[0003] In state of the art United States of America Patent No US4558310, a system is described that comprises a current sensor which senses alternating current in a conductor, such as a main line supplying electrical power to household appliances, and responds to the sensed current value by providing an alarm/warning signal when the sensed current exceeds or is less than a preset value for a predetermined short period of time.

[0004] In state of the art Japanese Patent No JP2002044748, a home control system is explained that detects abnormal consumption of current in electrical appliances. The said home control system comprises a controller that receives a command from a communication device using the power line carrier system to which the household appliances are connected. The controller detects an abnormal consumption current of the appliance and sends the information to a main controller.

[0005] In state of the art Korean Patent No KR20030078410, a home automation system is made reference to that rapidly transmits by short message system (SMS) the information about an abnormal state. The said system comprises a wireless signal receiver unit that detects wireless signals, a memory that stores the telephone numbers to be called in case of an emergency and SMS messages and a controller that decides on the abnormal state, selects and sends the related message.

[0006] The aim of the present invention is the realization of a current control device that provides remote monitoring and control of household appliances.

[0007] The current control device realized in order to attain the aim of the present

invention is explicated in the claims.

[0008] During the installation of the current control device of the present invention, each household appliance is operated by the user one by one to record the current drawn in the memory of the device or a selection is made from the current values drawn by different models and brands of household appliances recorded in the memory by the producer during manufacturing for identifying the appliances at home.

[0009] If the user cannot find the corresponding appliance model in the memory then the household appliances are operated one by one or the appliances that can be operated together at different times will all be connected to the power network and the maximum current value drawn will be determined by the current meter and recorded in the memory. The amount of current that can be drawn when different appliance combinations are operated together, are defined and recorded in the memory as operation profiles such as night profile, day profile, vacation profile, standard profile. If the user cannot find the suitable operation profile from among the alternatives recorded by the producer, then the desired combination is entered and the specified appliance is connected to the power network, the maximum amount of current drawn is determined and stored in the memory.

[0010] In an embodiment of the present invention, the current control device can be activated when one of the operation profiles in the memory is selected by the user, for example the vacation profile or daytime usage profile. In the vacation profile assuming that only the refrigerator operates at home, if the current drawn from the power network is exceeded, the control unit can determine and warn the user from which appliance/appliances the excess current originates.

[0011] The current meter situated on the power network to which the household appliances are connected, detects the amount of current drawn and sends it to the control unit. The control unit compares the measured amount of current with the current value corresponding to the selected operation profile. If the current amount drawn is different from the recorded current value, then the control unit determines from which appliance/appliances the excess current originates by means of the values recorded in the

memory and the communication unit is activated. The communication unit can send a warning to the user by transmission methods such as a short message, e-mail or telephone etc.

[0012] In another embodiment of the current control device of the present invention, the user can send a message to the communication unit for turning off the active appliance about which an operating warning is received. According to the command delivered to the communication unit, the line connected to the operating appliance is turned off by the control unit. Thus a probable risk is easily averted.

[0013] The current control device designed to fulfill the objective of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:

[0014] Figure 1 - is the schematic view of the current control device of the present invention.

[0015] The elements shown in the figures are numbered as follows:

1. Current control device

2. Current meter

3. Memory

4. Control unit

5. Communication unit

[0016] The current control device (1) of the present invention comprises at least one current meter (2) that is situated on the electric line to which the household appliances (C) are connected that determines the current drawn, at least one memory (3) wherein the current amount that is drawn by each household appliance (C) and the different operational profiles of the appliances (C) entered by the producer is recorded, a control unit (4) that decides which appliance/appliances (C) are operating and whether there is an emergency case by comparing the current values measured by the current meter (2) with the current values recorded in the memory (3) and a communication unit (5) that contains the contact addresses to be contacted in case of an emergency, that automatically transmits to the recorded contact addresses the information of which appliance/appliances (C) are operating according to the exceeded current value.

[0017] Before the current control device (1) of the present invention is connected

in the circuit, each household appliance (C) is connected to the power network one by one by the user to determine the current drawn by the household appliances (C) and the value read at the current meter (2) is recorded in the memory (3) or the appropriate ones are selected from the maximum and minimum current values drawn by different models and brands of household appliances (C) that are recorded in the memory (3) by the producer to complete the installation process. Furthermore, the appliances (C) that will always be operating and/or the household appliances (C) that will be used in different usage profiles are all connected to the network at the same time for recording the maximum current values to be drawn in the memory (3).

[0018] The current meter (2) situated on the power network to which the household appliances (C) are connected determines the current drawn by the appliances (C) and transmits to the control unit (4).

[0019] The current value measured by the current meter (2) is compared with the values recorded during installation phase and/or the selected values by the control unit (4). If the current value delivered by the current meter (2) is different from the recorded current value, the control unit (4) determines from which appliance/appliances (C) the excess current originates and the communication unit (5) is activated to warn the user or the related units.

[0020] Depending on the warning delivered by the communication unit (5) and the control unit (4), the suitable one/ones of the messages recorded in the unit (5) is automatically selected to be transmitted to the defined contact addresses for warning about which household appliance/appliances (C) are operating.

[0021] In another embodiment of the present invention, the current control device (1) is actuated by the user via selecting one of the operation profiles recorded in the memory (3) by the producer (standard, weekend, vacation, night etc.) or the operation profiles entered by the user during installation phase. The current drawn by the household appliances (C) that are in operation is determined by the current meter (2) and compared with the maximum value that the operation profile will draw recorded in the memory (3) by the control unit (4). In the event that the current drawn is greater

than the recorded current value, the communication unit (5) is activated. The communication unit (5) automatically selects the suitable prerecorded message and sends it to the recorded contact addresses (e-mail or cell phone etc.). These messages can contain information about which appliance/appliances (C) are operating etc...

[0022] In another embodiment of the current control device (1) of the present invention, a current meter (2) is connected to the outlet of each fuse, and the current values drawn by the appliance/appliances (C) connected to the fuse can be measured on a one-to-one basis. Thus, through the notification that the user sends to the communication unit (5), the fuse outlet to which the household appliances (C) are connected can be closed by the control unit (4) for deactivating the desired household appliances (C).

[0023] In the current control device (1) of the present invention, the device (1) is actuated by specifying the current drawn from the operating household appliances (C), and if excess current is detected by the control unit (4) of the device (1), the probable risks in case the appliances continue operating are prevented by transmitting the information about which appliance/appliances (C) is operating to the contact addresses prerecorded in the memory (3) of the device (1).