JPH1084587A - Remote supervisory system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To attain proper supervision and notice at all times by configuring a system with a 1st slave set group sending outputs of sensors and with a 2nd slave set group which sends measured signal outputs from a monitored count means and provided with a reception function of an operation signal. SOLUTION: A slave set 21a of a 1st slave set group 21 is fitted to a proper part of a body or a clothing of a monitored object person and sends a corresponding signal to a monitor group M with its own switching operation. A slave set 21b is a transmitter with an in-house arrangement sensor and uses the sensor to detect the movement of the monitored person in its house and other operations and to send the detected signal to the monitor group M. A slave set 21c is a small sized transmitter for a loitering aged person. slave sets 22a-22c of the 2nd slave set group 22 are respectively a watt-hour meter, a gas meter and a water supply meter which send coded data to respective management parties and receive instructions and requests from the management parties. Since the transmission of the output of the meters adopts a limited signal form, the data are sent via a simple signal transducer.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the monitoring of an elderly person who is not living alone or who is not alone but stays alone at home for various reasons and / or various devices and equipment such as a watt-hour meter. A remote monitoring system that monitors the condition of the target, issues an alarm, and performs remote control.Especially, ensuring the safe living by enabling the elderly, who are singly and sick, and the status of equipment and facilities to be confirmed from a distance. The present invention relates to a remote monitoring system that can perform a remote monitoring.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Although the average life expectancy has been gradually extended, it has become one of the world's longest living countries. However, even if there is no access, there is no choice but to stay alone due to housing or economic circumstances. Tend to increase.

[0003] These elderly people, called the silver generation, are diverse depending on age, gender, etc., but also have a high rate of physical inconvenience due to illness or injury. In addition, a couple of people who have not fallen unnoticed for several days in their homes, or in extreme cases, have discovered a considerable amount of time after death You may be in contact with reports of painful incidents such as being done.

[0004] Even if a single elderly person or sick person is reported to an acquaintance, a volunteer, or an administration such as a municipality, appropriate measures can be taken in many cases. Some government welfare organizations also have silver telephones, but they are limited to their own will and often do not help in emergency calls. In addition, such an administrative response is not widely used in all regions due to various circumstances on the part of local governments.

[0005] On the other hand, various private security companies have been established and started their activities, but these employ monitoring and communication means by patrols and telephone systems.
Also in this case, it is important how the signal can be properly transmitted.

Further, if the monitored person cannot make a report by his / her own judgment, or if he / she wants to monitor devices / equipment, an appropriate system configuration for signal transmission is required.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, is applicable to elderly people and / or devices and equipment, and is capable of always performing appropriate monitoring and reporting, and It is an object to provide a remote monitoring system that can contribute to the response.

[0008]

As shown in FIG. 1, the object of the present invention is to provide a master unit 10 functioning as a communication controller for transmitting and receiving signals to and from a group of supervisors M via a line system S; The weighing signal output of the first slave unit group 21 and / or the weighing means to be monitored provided with sensors for detecting the state of the monitored person and a transmission function for transmitting the output of the sensors to the base unit 10 is Remote monitoring including a handset group 20 including a second handset group 22 having a transmission function for transmitting to the base unit 10 and a function for receiving an operation signal transmitted to the monitored weighing unit via the base unit. Solved by the system.

The master unit 10 includes a transmitting / receiving unit 12 having an antenna 11 for transmitting and receiving signals to and from a slave unit group 20 and a modem for transmitting and receiving signals via a line system S. (Modulator / double tone modulator) 13 and a control unit (CPU) 14 for controlling each built-in device. Furthermore, a headset may be added to the base unit 10 to provide a function as a telephone, or the modem 13 may be provided with an external telephone connection jack. Note that the line system S can be a dedicated line as well as a subscriber telephone line of each telephone company.

Although not shown, the slave unit group 20 should basically include a sensor unit and a signal transmission unit for monitoring a monitored person. In order to monitor the weighing means to be monitored, a receiving unit for receiving the output signal and a signal transmitting / receiving unit should be provided. in this case,
The type and transmission form of the transmission / reception signals used between the master unit 10 and the slave unit group 20 are not limited, but may include wireless transmission using weak radio waves, ultrasonic waves, infrared rays, and the like, depending on the application and the configuration of the sensor. Wired transmission is also possible, and can be appropriately selected in consideration of a specific installation location or the like.

As the person to be monitored, the form, size, type of sensor, etc. of each of the slave units 21 are taken into consideration.
Not only elderly people, but also people on bed, infants, etc. can be targeted.

The monitoring of the monitored weighing means, ie,
As described above, the monitoring of various meters such as a watt-hour meter, a gas meter, and a water meter for water supply has the function of converting and transmitting the measured value signal received from the monitored metering means in the slave unit 22. Thus, the conversion and transmission of those weighing value signals can be performed. Such monitoring is
For example, it can be configured to perform automatic measurement at a fixed time, but it can also be configured to perform timely measurement and signal transmission in accordance with an instruction from the master device 10.

Further, in the remote monitoring system of the present invention,
When at least one of the slave unit groups 22 is selected from a plurality of selected states and / or measured values in the monitored weighing means.
Alternatively, it is possible to configure a conversion transmitter that encodes the integrated value of the selected time and transmits the corresponding signal. That is, by considering the configuration of the monitored weighing means connected to the slave unit group 22, an apparatus having a plurality of selection states,
For example, it is possible to monitor the selection state of a channel such as a television receiver or a cable karaoke. According to such a configuration, it is possible to more reliably monitor the selection state, for example, to investigate the audience rating and the use time.

In addition, the configuration of the sensor can be variously selected depending on what the state of the monitored person is to be detected, and a non-contact switch such as a contact switch, a proximity switch or an ultrasonic switch which is manually operated, or A small video camera or the like may be employed, and these may be used in combination as appropriate. More specifically, detection targets include various types of operations, such as opening and closing doors of toilets of the monitored person, passing through corridors, opening and closing doors of kitchens, turning on and off lights, turning on and off TVs, and opening and closing bath doors. By detecting with the sensor, the activity state of the monitored person is detected. For example, if the monitored person is a single elderly person, if the opening and closing of the toilet door is detected, the safety of the day is confirmed. It is. Alternatively, the sensor may be a switch operated by the monitored person himself. In this case, for example, if the monitored person becomes ill, the guardian is notified of the state by his / her own switch-on operation. .

Thus, at least one of the slave units 21 can be constituted as an emergency transmitter which is worn on the monitored person and which performs transmission by a transmission operation by the monitored person. At least one of the slave units 21 can be configured as an emergency transmitter that detects a change in the state of the monitored person using the various sensors and automatically transmits a signal according to the corresponding change.

As described above, the first slave unit group 21 in the slave unit group 20 transmits a detection signal to the sensor unit for detecting the detection target of the monitored person and the master unit 10. Although a transmitting unit for transmitting is provided, the second
In addition, in consideration of the application and purpose, a signal to be transmitted from the supervisor M to the monitored weighing means, for example, display,
Means for transmitting a warning, the contents of a response measure, a notice, and the like may be provided.

Moving one step further, each of the second slave unit groups 22 is provided with an operating means for performing an appropriate treatment for the object to be measured by the monitored measuring means, such as a temperature switching operation, a flow rate switching or control, and the like. It is also possible to add control means of an operation unit for performing the various operations described above.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described based on examples with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing a preferred embodiment of the remote monitoring system according to the present invention. The same components as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the master unit 10 has the configuration shown in FIG. 1, that is, the antenna 11, the transmission / reception unit 12, the modulation / demodulation unit 13, the control unit (CPU) 14, and the like. In this embodiment, an external telephone 30 is connected. In this embodiment, for the sake of simplicity of explanation, the switching mechanism of the subscriber's telephone equipment and the dedicated line equipment is simply abbreviated as a line system S, and is connected to a supervisor group M via a line L.
In this case, the monitor group M for the monitored person is a partner of the first slave unit group 21 that transmits the detection result of the monitored state, such as a contracted security company, a volunteer group, or a government agency. There may be parents such as social welfare agencies, medical institutions, relatives or acquaintances at remote locations.

Further, as the monitoring group M for the monitored meter means, that is, the watt hour meter, gas meter, water meter, TV viewing state measuring instrument, etc., the second child which is attached to each of them and transmits the measured value is provided. There may be a power company, a gas company, a water service company, a video research company, a vending machine management company, and the like, which are counterparts of the machine group 22.

The slave unit 21a of the first slave unit group 21 is attached to an appropriate part of the body or clothing of the monitored person, and a corresponding signal is transmitted to the guardian of the monitor group M by a switching operation of the slave unit 21a. This is an example of the type of transmission. That is, the slave unit 21a is configured as a body-mounted emergency transmitter. As specific examples, various forms such as a wristwatch type, a pendant type, a clothing pocket storage type, a clothing attachment type using a magic fastener, and the like can be used.

In a normal use mode, an emergency signal is transmitted to a guardian of the monitoring group M by a switching operation based on an abnormality judgment by the monitored person. In this case, it is desirable to be configured so that it is possible to confirm whether or not the transmission is due to an erroneous operation by asking the parent or guardian. In the case of such a child device 21a, it is used for a case where a single elderly person, a sick person, a physically handicapped person, etc. are located in an environment where they are always or occasionally alone and can perform switching operation at their own discretion. Suitable.

The slave unit 21b is an example of a type to be attached to an appropriate position around the monitored person, that is, a transmitter with a sensor arranged in a house. The transmitter, which is the slave unit 21b, detects the movement of the monitored person in the dwelling, the operation such as TV operation, and other operations by the sensor, and outputs the obtained detection signal to the monitor group M.
Is to be communicated to parents. Specific examples of the sensor include a switch for confirming opening / closing of a toilet door, a switch for confirming passage through a corridor, a switch for confirming access to a kitchen,
In addition, a switch capable of detecting exercise necessary for daily life can be used. Types of switches include a switch that operates according to the opening and closing of a door, a photoelectric switch using a beam of visible light or infrared light, a video camera, a moving object detecting element using a CCD, a sound collecting microphone, and the like. By operating such a switch or the like, it is estimated that the monitored person has moved to the relevant position, and if the monitored person is an elderly person living alone, it is confirmed that it is safe. Also in the case of the slave unit 21b, it is desirable that a confirmation operation from the monitor group M side, for example, an inquiry by voice, a zooming operation of the video camera, and the like can be performed in the same manner as the above case.

The above-mentioned slave unit 21b is effective even when an operation by the monitored person cannot be expected.
For example, for infants and people with disabilities who have problems using their fingers,
Alternatively, it can be applied to monitoring in a case where proper self-judgment cannot be expected. Of course, as mentioned above,
Even if the monitored person can expect the operation by his / her own judgment, it is troublesome to perform such operation at any time, and the user can always know the situation without bothering the monitored person. It is convenient.

The other handset 21c is configured as a small transmitter for the wandering old man to be attached to the monitored person who is a wandering old man, and transmits a pulse output at an appropriate time interval, or protects the monitoring group M. A response output is sent in response to an inquiry from a user. In such a slave unit 21c, the monitored person loses his / her judgment or is extremely weak.
It is used when the athletic ability is normal, that is, an elderly man who loses his ability to judge and wanders no matter where he is. Attach it to a part of the body and use it to confirm your current location.

In such a case, detailed monitoring can be continued as long as the monitored person is within the range of radio waves. In addition, by this monitoring, it can be simply determined whether or not the vehicle is within a range where radio waves can reach. When it is desired to monitor a wide moving range of the monitored person, for example, the monitoring can be performed in combination with a navigation system using an artificial satellite. Furthermore, by combining with a mobile phone system, a PHS system, or the like, it is possible to continue capturing a monitoring person who moves over a wide range.

Note that each type of slave unit 21a to 21c as disclosed herein includes a currently known and available circuit element such as a micro switch, a photoelectric switch, or the like.
This can be achieved by combining switches such as an ultrasonic switch, a video camera, and the like, a signal transmission circuit, a signal reception circuit, a signal transmission / reception circuit, a pulse generation circuit, and the like.

Slave units 22a-2 in second slave unit group 22
2c encodes the respective measured values of various measuring instruments such as a watt hour meter, a gas meter, and a water meter, and
Here, it is a transceiver that transmits to an electric power company, a gas company, or a water service manager, and receives instructions, requests, and the like from the manager. Since transmission of these meter outputs is in a limited signal form, transmission can be performed via a simple signal converter.

The signal transmission medium can be wirelessly transmitted by radio waves or infrared rays, but may be wired transmission because it is a fixed part. In addition, the signal form with the master unit 10 may be individually transmitted in a time-division manner, or may be further multiplexed and transmitted. As for the signal transmission timing, each measuring instrument manager may set a date and time in advance and perform the transmission at a regular time, or may respond to a data transmission request from the manager. The type of the weighing device is not limited at all, and in addition to the above examples, the operation frequency of the flow meter of the LP gas cylinder or the rental device, the number of operations of the copying machine, the printer, or the like can be included.

The slave unit 22d is a transmitter for transmitting the selected state of the channel of the television receiver. The system of this embodiment is laid down,
By attaching 2d, reliable video research can be performed. By operation from a monitor, in this case, a video research company, it is possible to check on / off of a television power supply, a channel selection state, a viewing duration, and the like in a timely manner.

The slave unit 22d having such a configuration is configured as follows.
For example, by attaching it to a vending machine, it is possible to monitor the frequency of use, the remaining amount of a specific product, device abnormality, and the like. Based on the monitoring result, replenishment, collection of money, maintenance, and the like can be performed in a timely manner. As a result, the operation rate of the monitored object such as a vending machine is improved, and an improvement in profit can be expected.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the master unit 10. As shown in FIG. Antenna 11, transmission / reception unit 12, modulation / demodulation unit 13, control unit 14 for transmitting / receiving signals to handset group 20
Are the same as those in FIG. The storage unit 15 is connected to the control unit 14, and stores necessary data such as programs required for the operation of the control unit 14.

An interface unit 16 is connected between the transmission / reception unit 12 and the control unit 14, and converts an appropriate signal format for each element.

The master unit 10 shown here can be appropriately constructed by combining commonly known circuit elements. It goes without saying that the transmission / reception unit 12 is appropriately changed depending on the transmission medium with the slave unit group 20, but by providing a wired connection unit (not shown) in addition to the wireless transmission according to the type of the slave unit, The transmission can be configured to occur separately or jointly.

[0035]

According to the present invention, the disadvantages of the prior art can be solved, and the invention can be applied to people and / or devices / equipment, and can always carry out appropriate monitoring / notification and contribute to appropriate responses. And a remote monitoring system that can perform A wide range of applications is possible while using the subscriber's telephone line for signal transmission and using the system elements obtained using the master unit and slave unit configured using conventionally known components. Become. Each child device can adopt a different configuration as appropriate according to the purpose of use. For example, the presence / absence of a human body abnormality and a request for a remote location can be transmitted quickly and reliably.

According to the remote monitoring system of the present invention,
In addition to the signal transmission function inherent in the monitoring system, the measurement values of various measuring instruments are transmitted, and automatic meter reading becomes possible, which can contribute to the reduction of labor costs in various businesses. Further, it is possible to prevent the vending machine from being out of stock or to effectively manage products in the LP gas sales business.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of a remote monitoring system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a remote monitoring system according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a master unit in the remote monitoring system of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 master unit 11 antenna 12 transmitting / receiving unit 13 modulating / modulating unit (MODEM) 14 control unit (CPU) 20 slave unit group 21 first slave unit group 22 second slave unit group 30 external telephone S line system M monitor group

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A master unit (10) functioning as a communication controller for transmitting and receiving signals to and from a group of monitors (M) via a line system (S), and sensors for detecting a state of a monitored person. A transmission function of transmitting an output of the sensors to the master unit (10).
A transmission function of transmitting a weighing signal output of the slave unit group (21) and / or the monitored weighing means to the master unit (10), and a receiving function of an operation signal transmitted to the monitored weighing means via the master unit. Slave unit group (2) including a second slave unit group (22) having
0) and a remote monitoring system comprising: 2. The master unit (10) and the slave unit group (20).
2. The transmission and reception of a signal between the terminal and the terminal is performed by a weak radio wave.
Remote monitoring system. 3. The master unit (10) and the slave unit group (20).
2. The remote monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein transmission and reception of a signal between the remote monitoring system and the wireless communication device are performed by infrared rays. 4. The master unit (10) and the slave unit group (20).
2. The transmission and reception of a signal between the device and the device is performed via an ultrasonic wave.
Remote monitoring system. 5. An emergency transmitter, wherein at least one of the slave units (20) is an emergency transmitter that is worn on a monitored person and performs a call by a calling operation performed by the monitored person.
3 or 4 remote monitoring systems. 6. An at least one of the slave units (20) is an emergency transmitter that detects a change in the state of the monitored person by a sensor and automatically transmits a signal according to the corresponding change. 2, 3, 4 or 5 remote monitoring systems. 7. At least one of the slave units (20) is a conversion transmitter for encoding a measured quantity of the monitored weighing means and transmitting a corresponding signal.
5 or 6 remote monitoring system. 8. A method in which at least one of the slave units (20) is a plurality of selected states and / or an integrated value of selected times, which is a measured value in the monitored weighing means.
The remote monitoring system according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7, which is a conversion transmitter for encoding and transmitting a corresponding signal. 9. A conversion in which at least one of the slave units (20) encodes a decreasing value or a quantity corresponding to a remaining amount, which is a measured value of the monitored weighing means, and transmits a corresponding signal. Claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, which is a transmitter.
6, 7 or 8 remote monitoring systems. 10. At least one of the slave units (20) displays a required display on the monitored weighing means in response to an operation signal transmitted from the monitor group (M) via the master unit (10). , An operation unit for performing an instruction, a state switching operation, and other corresponding processing.
6, 7, 8 or 9 remote monitoring systems. 11. The master unit (10) and the slave unit group (2)
The remote monitoring system according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10, wherein an image signal is included in a transmission / reception signal between the image data and the transmission signal.