WO2005041524A1

WO2005041524A1 - Remote control system for electric motors, in particular for moving roller shutters and winding curtains, venetian blinds, panel blinds and similar

Info

Publication number: WO2005041524A1
Application number: PCT/EP2004/052444
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michelangelo Speri
Original assignee: Jolly Motor International S.P.A.
Priority date: 2003-10-23
Filing date: 2004-10-05
Publication date: 2005-05-06
Also published as: ITMI20032066A1

Abstract

The following invention refers to a remote control device for electric motors, in particular for moving roller shutters and winding curtains, Venetian blinds, panel blinds and similar, that uses means for the physical and logical transport of the data based on widely used standards. The control system comprises a motor command device (2) connected to the electric motor (1) and a control interface (3) connected to the command device (2). The control interface (3) is based on the TCP/IP logic transport protocol of data and on standards for the physical transport of data such as Ethernet (IEEE 802.3), Bluetooth (IEEE 802.15), Wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11), GSM, GPRS,UMTS and 'conveyed waves' technology (Powerline).

Description

"Remote control system for electric motors, in particular for moving roller shutters and winding curtains, Venetian blinds, panel blinds and similar" * * * * DESCRIPTION The present invention refers to a remote control system for electric motors, in particular for moving roller shutters and winding curtains, Venetian blinds, panel blinds and similar. The use of motor reducers housed inside a single casing positioned at the top of a roller shutter, blind or other for moving it is known and widespread. These devices are generally controlled either with wall-installed pushbuttons connected with wires or with portable radio transmitters linked to radio receivers installed in the motor control system. The technology of telecommunications has recently introduced several new standards for carrying data (e.g. GSM, GPRS, UMTS, Bluetooth,

Wireless LAN, Powerline) which make it possibile to command any device by remote control, and therefore also motor reducers intended for the automation of roller shutters and blinds. In view of this, the object of the present invention is to produce a system for the control of electric motors, particularly but not exclusively for the movement of roller shutters and blinds, that can be commanded by remote control using the above-mentioned existing standards of communication. In accordance with the present invention this object is achieved by means of a remote control system for electric motors as defined in claim 1. More precisely the present invention provides for the definition of a control interface connected directly to the motor command electronic device and based on the TCP IP data transport protocol. This traffic routing protocol enables the command device to be recognised in a common local network (LAN) and, broadening the subject, to be visible and controllable also at Internet network level (WAN). The physical transport means can be one of the previously mentioned technologies (e.g. GSM, GPRS, UMTS, Bluetooth, Wireless LAN, Powerline). In this manner it becomes possible, for example, to command the activation of a specific motor from a personal computer, from a cell phone or even from a palm-top, by sending a command signal to the respective control interface, using the Internet network. These and other characteristics of the present invention will be made evident from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof illustrated as non-limiting example in the enclosed drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows schematically the functional assembly of a motor reducer for roller shutter or blind, constituted by an electric motor, by a motor command device and by a control interface; Figure 2 shows the block diagram that makes up the control interface; Figure 3 shows the overall diagram of the assembly of Figure 1 in greater detail. In Figure 1 the motor is indicated with the numerical 1, the motor command device with 2 and the control interface with 3. The motor command device 2 and the control interface 3 together compose the "motor control system" 4, also highlighted in Figure 1. The control interface 3 can be broken down into three further functional blocks, shown in Figure 2. The interface is in fact logically constituted by a hardware-software applicative layer or subsystem 5 that coordinates the logics of the control interface, by a transport layer or subsystem 6 that deals with the logic transport of the data and by a physical layer or subsystem 7 that deals with the physical transport of the data on a physical transmission means. By integrating the block diagram of Figure 2 with that of Figure 1 the more detailed block diagram of Figure 3 is obtained. The control interface 3, which is preferably integrated in the motor reducer, uses various standards of physical transport of the data such as Ethernet (IEEE 802.3), GSM, GPRS, UMTS, Bluetooth (IEEE 802.15), Wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11) and Powerline. It communicates by means of the known TCP IP transport protocol, that guarantees the possibility of being integrated into the common local networks (LAN) and, more in general, to be visible and controllable also at Internet network level (WAN). The choice of the TCP/IP protocol guarantees the native compatibility of the product with any hybrid network based on this standard and, more importantly, it opens it to the wider concept of "remote control". The applicative layer 5 is intended as the software and hardware part that coordinates the logics of the control interface. It can be supported on proprietor or standardised network services (such as Asun RPC or SOAP for the definition of Web Services based on XML). The motor control system 4 should be intended preferably as part of an electromechanic or electronic device with end-of-stroke, which is interfaced directly with the motor 1. A peculiarity of the control system according to the present invention is that in any case it can be used in the context of domestic and company networks by using the existing physical transport infrastructure and integrating it completely into the networks based on TCP/IP. It is to be noted that the connections made are bi-directional, therefore, in addition to giving commands, it is possible to acquire the operational status of the motor, alarm situations and so on.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Remote control system for electric motors, in particular for moving roller shutters and winding curtains, Venetian blinds, panel blinds and similar, characterised in that it comprises a motor command device (2) connected to the electric motor (1) and a control interface (3) that governs the motor command device (2), said control interface (3) being constituted by a hardware and software applicative subsystem (5) for coordinating the logics of the control interface (3), by a transport subsystem (6) for the routing and logic transport of the data and by a physical subsystem (7) for the physical transport of the data. 2. Control system according to claim 1, characterised in that the transport subsystem (6) of said control interface (3) is based on the TCP/TP transport protocol. 3. Control system according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the physical subsystem (7) of said control interface (3) uses the most commonly used standards for the local networks (LAN) and Internet (WAN). 4. Control system according to the claim 3, characterised in that said standards are as an example: Ethernet (IEEE 802.3), Bluetooth (IEEE 802.15), Wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11), GSM, GPRS, UMTS and "conveyed waves" technology (Powerline).