# US 10,120,352 B2 · Remote control system, in-home device, relay apparatus, device management method, and program > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,120,352 B2 - Document ID: US10120352B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/021,954 - Filed: 2013-11-14 - Published: 2016-08-04 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2013-11-14 - Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation - Applicants: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation - Inventors: Satoshi Minezawa; Hirotoshi Yano; Masaaki Yabe; Ichiro Maruyama - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10120352B2 ## CPC - G05B 15/02: electric - G08C 17/02: using a radio link - H04L 12/2816: {Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities (arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00)} - H04L 12/2818: {from a device located outside both the home and the home network (access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007)} - H04L 12/283: {Processing of data at an internetworking point of a home automation network} - G08C 2201/40: Remote control systems using repeaters, converters, gateways - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - G08C: TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS FOR MEASURED VALUES, CONTROL OR SIMILAR SIGNALS (fluid pressure transmitting systems F15B; mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member into a different variable G01D5/00; mechanical control systems G05G) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A remote control system (100) includes a home appliance (10) and a relay device (20, 30) for relaying transmission of an operation instruction for controlling the home appliance (10). The home appliance (10) includes a first detector for detecting a communication interruption on a first communication line (41, 42) for transmission of the operation instruction from the relay device (20, 30) to the home appliance (10), a receiver for receiving, from the relay device, an interruption signal indicating a communication interruption on a second communication line (42, 43) for transmitting the operation instruction from a communication device to the relay device (20, 30), and a state changer for changing a state of the home appliance in accordance with a duration of at least one of the communication interruption detected by the first detector or the communication interruption indicated by the interruption signal. The relay device (20, 30) includes a second detector for detecting the communication interruption on the second communication line (42, 43), and a transmitter for transmitting the interruption signal to the home appliance (10) when the communication interruption is detected by the second detector. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A remote control system, comprising: a home appliance; and a relay device configured to relay transmission of an operation instruction to remotely control the home appliance, the home appliance comprising: a first detector configured to detect a first communication interruption on a first communication line for transmission of the operation instruction from the relay device to the home appliance; a receiver configured to receive, from the relay device, an interruption signal indicating a second communication interruption on a second communication line for transmission of the operation instruction from a communication device to the relay device; and a state changer configured to change an operating state of the home appliance to a preset operating state (i) in a first situation that a duration of the first communication interruption exceeds a predetermined threshold, and (ii) in a second situation that a duration of the second communication interruption exceeds the predetermined threshold, the relay device comprising: a second detector configured to detect the second communication interruption on the second communication line; and a transmitter configured to transmit the interruption signal to the home appliance when the second communication interruption is detected by the second detector. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the state changer changes the operating state of the home appliance to the preset operating state when the duration of at least one of the first communication interruption and the second communication interruption exceeds the predetermined threshold only when the home appliance is operated according to the operation instruction transmitted via the relay device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the home appliance further comprises a measurer configured to measure, using a single timer, the duration of at least one of the first communication interruption and the second communication interruption, and the state changer changes the operating state of the home appliance in accordance with the duration measured by the measurer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the home appliance further comprises a first measurer configured to measure the duration of the first communication interruption, the relay device further comprises a second measurer configured to measure the duration of the second communication interruption, the transmitter repeatedly transmits the interruption signal indicating the duration measured by the second measurer, and the state changer changes the operating state of the home appliance in accordance with at least one of the duration measured by the first measurer and the duration indicated by the interruption signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein a control command for controlling the home appliance is transmitted through the second communication line as an operation instruction, the control command generated by the communication device, and the relay device is an adapter for connection of the home appliance to the communication device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein an operating signal indicating details of an operation is transmitted through the second communication line as an operation instruction, and the relay device generates the control command for controlling the home appliance based on the details of the operation indicated by the operating signal, and transmits, as the operation instruction, the control command to the home appliance. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the second detector detects the second communication interruption on the second communication line by repeatedly transmitting a test signal to the communication device and determining whether there is a response of the communication device to the test signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the second detector detects the second communication interruption on the second communication line by determining whether there is a periodic signal transmitted periodically by the communication device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The remote control system according to claim 8, wherein the relay device inquires of the communication device whether the communication device is capable of transmitting the periodic signal, and relays the transmission of the operation instruction only when acquiring a response that the communication device is capable of transmitting the periodic signal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the relay device inquires of the communication device whether the communication device is capable of notifying, to the home appliance or the relay device, a duration of a third communication interruption on a third communication line for transmission of the operation instruction from an external device to the communication device, and relays the transmission of the operation instruction only when acquiring a response that the communication device is capable of notifying the duration. ### Claim 11 A home appliance configured to be remotely controlled according to an operation instruction transmitted via a relay device, the home appliance comprising: a first detector configured to detect a first communication interruption on a first communication line for transmission of the operation instruction from the relay device to the home appliance; a receiver configured to receive, from the relay device, an interruption signal indicating a second communication interruption on a second communication line for transmission of the operation instruction from a communication device to the relay device; and a state changer configured to change an operating state of the home appliance to a preset operating state (i) in a first situation that a duration of the first communication interruption exceeds a predetermined threshold, and (ii) in a second situation that a duration of the second communication interrupts exceeds the predetermined threshold. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The relay device for relaying the transmission of the operation instruction for remotely controlling the home appliance according to claim 11, the relay device comprising: a second detector configured to detect the second communication interruption on the second communication line for transmission of the operation instruction from the communication device to the relay device; and a transmitter configured to transmit, to the home appliance, the interruption signal indicating the second communication interruption on the communication line when the second communication interruption is detected by the second detector. ### Claim 13 An appliance management method for managing a home appliance to be remotely controlled according to an operation instruction transmitted via a relay device, the method comprising: detecting a first communication interruption on a first communication line for transmission of the operation instruction from the relay device to the home appliance; detecting a second communication interruption on a second communication line for transmission of the operation instruction from a communication device to the relay device; transmitting an interruption signal from the relay device to the home appliance, the interruption signal indicating the second communication interruption; and changing an operating state of the home appliance to a preset operating state(i) in a first situation that a duration of the first communication interruption exceeds a predetermined threshold, and (ii) in a second situation that a duration of the second communication interruption exceeds the predetermined threshold. ### Claim 14 A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program, the program causing a computer, installed in a home and remotely controlled according to an operation instruction transmitted via a relay device, to function as: a detector configured to detect a first communication interruption on a first communication line for transmission of the operation instruction from the relay device to the computer; a receiver configured to receive, from the relay device, an interruption signal indicating a second communication interruption on the second communication line for transmission of the operation instruction from a communication device to the relay device; and a state changer configured to change an operating state of the computer to a preset operating state (i) in a first situation that a duration of the first communication interruption exceeds a predetermined threshold, and (ii) in a second situation hat a duration of the second communication interruption exceeds the predetermined threshold.