HEATING SYSTEM WHICH TRANSMITS SIGNALS THROUGH AC POWER LINE

A heating system includes a gas appliance and at least a remote control device and a communication between the gas appliance and the remote control device is via an AC power line. When a user input a command through the remote control device, a command signal is modulated and sent to the AC power line. A controller of the gas appliance receives the modulated command signal through the AC power line, and demodulates it to control the gas appliance accordingly. On contrary, a working signal generated by the gas appliance is modulated and sent to the AC power line. The remote control device receives the modulated working signal through the AC power line, and demodulates it to show the related message on a screen.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The detailed description and technical contents of the present invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the drawings are illustrative only but not used to limit the present invention.

As shown inFIG. 1, a heating system1of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a gas appliance and a plurality of remote control devices38. In an embodiment, the gas appliance is a gas water heater10, which includes a heater12and a first power line communication module30. Each remote control device38has a remote control40and a second power line communication module48. The first power line communication module30is connected to the second power line communication module48through an AC power line L for the communication between the remote control40and the heater12.

As shown inFIG. 2, the heater12has a burner14, an igniter16, a water pipe18, a gas supplier20, and a first controller22. The first controller22controls the burner14, the igniter16, and the gas supplier20. The gas supplier20is connected to the burner14to supply the burner14with gas. The igniter16lights a fire to burn the gas so that the burner14heats water in the water pipe18. A plurality of sensors24are provided in the heater12to detect the burner14, the igniter16, and the gas supplier20, and the sensed results are transmitted to the first controller22. A control panel26and a screen28are provided on the heater12and are connected to the first controller22for user to input commands and to show information of the heater12.

The first power line communication module30includes a first processor32and a first coupler34. In an embodiment, the first processor32is a field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA) to arrange necessary circuit modules therein according to the hardware, and the first coupler34is a pulse transformer. The first processor32has an universal serial communication interface buffer321, a data modulator322, a first modulated data register323, and an active data transceiver324, a second modulated data register325, a data demodulator326, a demodulated data register327, wherein the universal serial communication interface buffer321, the data modulator322, the first modulated data register323, and the an active data transceiver324are in serial connection to form a signal transmitting path, and the second modulated data register325, data demodulator326, the demodulated data register327, and universal serial communication interface buffer321are in serial connection to form a signal receiving path. In an embodiment, the first controller22is electrically connected to the universal serial communication interface buffer321through RS-232 serial communication. The active data transceiver324and the second modulated data register325are connected to the power line L through the first coupler34.

The first controller22of the heater12and the first processor32are electrically connected to a first power supply. In an embodiment, the power supply is a switching power supply36to supply the first controller22and the first processor32with power.

As shown inFIG. 3, each remote control40has a second controller42, a screen44and a control panel46, wherein the screen44and the control panel46are electrically connected to the second controller42. The second controller42is stored with an identification code for the very remote control40.

Each second power line communication module48has a second processor50and a second coupler52. In an embodiment, the second processor50is a field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), and the second coupler52is a pulse transformer. The second processor50has an universal serial communication interface buffer501, a data modulator502, a first modulated data register503, an active data transceiver504, a second modulated data register505, a data demodulator506, and a demodulated data register507. The same as the first processor32, the universal serial communication interface buffer501, the data modulator502, the first modulated data register503, and the active data transceiver504are serially connected to form a signal transmitting path, and the second modulated data register505, the active data transceiver504, the data demodulator506, and the demodulated data register507are serially connected to form a signal receiving path. In an embodiment, the second controller42is electrically connected to the universal serial communication interface buffer501, and the active data transceiver504and the second modulated data register505are coupled to the power line L through the second coupler52.

The second controller42of the remote control40and the second processor50is connected to a second power supply. In an embodiment, the second power supply is a switching power supply54to supply the remote control40and the second processor50with power.

While a user inputs a command, such as change temperature, through any one of the control panels46of the remote control devices38, the second controller42generates a serial command signal, which includes the identification code of the remote control40. The command signal is transmitted to the data modulator502of the second processor50through the universal serial communication interface buffer501to be modulated into a second carrier wave signal, and then the second carrier wave signal is saved in the first modulated data register503waiting for the active data transceiver504. Next, the second carrier wave signal is transmitted to the second coupler52through the active data transceiver504. The second coupler52couples the second carrier wave signal to the power line L to transmit the second carrier wave signal to the first power line communication module30through the power line L. The first coupler34of the first power line communication module30receives and decouples the second carrier wave signal from the power line L, and then saves it in the second modulated data register325of the first processor32waiting for the active data transceiver324. Next, the signal is transmitted to the data demodulator326through the second modulated data register325to be decoded to obtain a control signal, and then the control signal is saved in the demodulated data register327waiting for the universal serial communication interface buffer321. At last, the control signal is transmitted to the first controller22through the universal serial communication interface buffer321. The first controller22check the identification code in the control signal to identify which remote control device38gives the command and control the gas water heater10to change the temperature accordingly.

When the gas water heater10runs according to the command, the first controller22will generate a working signal, a signal of water temperature for example, and transmits it to the remote control device38which sends the command. The working signal includes the identification code of the remote control device38which sends the command. The water temperature signal is transmitted to the first processor32and modulated by the data modulator322to obtain a first carrier wave signal, and then the first coupler34couples the first carrier wave signal to the power line L to transmit it to the remote control devices38through the power line L. The first carrier wave signal is decoupled by the second coupler52and decoded by the second processor50in each remote control device38to obtain a message signal, which tells the water temperature. Next, the second controller42checks the identification code in the message signal and only the remote control40with the same identification code will shows the water temperature on the screen44.

It is noted that we take RS-232 for the serial communication interface in above embodiment. In practice, any serial communication interface, such as RS-422, RS-485, I2C, and SPI, should be incorporated in the present invention.

In conclusion, the present invention provides a communication between the gas water heater10and the remote control devices through the AC power line, which may be the present power network, to overcome the problem of the conventional system as described above.

Except for the gas water heater, the present invention may be applied in all kinds of gas appliance.

As shown inFIG. 4, a heating system2of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention has a gas fireplace and a remote control device84. The gas fireplace60has a heater62and a first power line communication module78. The remote control device84has a remote control86and a second power line communication module88. The first power line communication module78, the remote control86and the second power line communication module88are the same as above, so we do not describe the detail again.

As shown inFIG. 5, the heater62has a burner64, an igniter66, a gas supplier68, and a first controller70. The first controller70controls the burner64, the igniter66, and the gas supplier68.

The gas supplier68is connected to the burner64to supply the burner64with gas. The igniter66lights a fire to burn the gas. A plurality of sensors72are provided in the heater62to detect the burner64, the igniter66, and the gas supplier68, and the sensed results are transmitted to the first controller70. A control panel74and a screen76are provided on the heater62and are connected to the first controller70for user to input commands and to show information of the heater62.

The first controller70of the heater62is electrically connected to a first processor80of the first power line communication module78through a first power supply. In an embodiment, the power supply is a switching power supply83to supply the first controller70and the first processor80with power.

When a user inputs a command through a control panel of the remote control devices84to control the fireplace60, such as enlarging the flames, a second controller generates a serial command signal accordingly, which includes the identification code of the remote control device84. The command signal is modulated by a second processor90, and then a second coupler92couples the modulated signal to the power line L to transmit it to the fireplace60through the power line L. In the fireplace60, the modulated signal is decoupled and demodulated by the first coupler82and the first processor80to control the heater62accordingly.

How to send a control message from the fireplace60to the remote control device84through the power line L and show it on a screen is the same as above, so we do not describe the detail here.

In conclusion, the present invention provides a communication between the gas fireplace60and the remote control device84through the AC power line, which may be the present power network, to overcome the problem of the conventional system as described above.

The switching power supply is small and light to be integrated in a circuit board. The first processor and the second processor as described above are FPGA to modulate and demodulate the signals because the FPGA may set various circuits. In practice, the first controller and the first processor of the gas appliance may be integrated in a FPGA, and the second controller and the second processor may be integrated in another FPGA to reduce the number of the electronic devices on the circuit board and reduce the cost. Except for the FPGA, complex programmable logic device (CPLD) may be used in the present invention.

The description above is a few preferred embodiments of the present invention, and the equivalence of the present invention is still in the scope of claim construction of the present invention.