Abstract: A monitoring system for preventing crime in a home, includes a plurality of terminals for monitoring whether predetermined monitoring points are in a stationary or nonstationary state. Further, the monitoring system includes a central processing device for controlling the setting/canceling of alarm operations of the terminals. The central processing device has a communication unit that receives stationary/nonstationary information from the terminals and transmits predetermined information including commands to the terminals. Each terminal has a communication unit that transmits stationary/nonstationary information to the central processing device and receives the predetermined information from the central processing device. Thus bidirectional communication can be achieved between the central processing device and the terminals.

Abstract: A monitoring system which is suitable for, for example, preventing crime for a residence, includes a plurality of terminals (31, 32, . . . ) for monitoring whether predetermined monitoring points are in a stationary state or a nonstationary state, and a central processing device (10) for controlling a setting/canceling operation of alarm operations of the terminals (31, 32, . . . ). The central processing device (10) has a communication unit that receives information related to the stationary/nonstationary states from the terminals and transmits predetermined information including commands to the terminals. Each terminal has a communication unit that transmits information related to stationary/nonstationary states to the central processing device and receives the predetermined information from the central processing device. Thus bidirectional communication can be achieved between the central processing device and the terminals. The plurality of terminals (31, 32, . . .

Abstract: A cooking apparatus such as a rice cooker includes means for obtaining a value or a combination of values indicative of an amount of food that is to be cooked, and a fuzzy inference section for operating on that value or combination of values to determine a level of heating power to be supplied to a heater element of the apparatus, during at least one part of the cooking process. The amount-indicating value can be obtained for example as a rate of change of temperature of the food while it is being heated to boiling point. The apparatus can further be configured to determine a plurality of cooking control parameters, by fuzzy inference operation, based on a specified degree of final hardness of the cooked food, which can be selectively inputted by the user.

Abstract: A zone of a floor to be cleaned is subdivided into a plurality of blocks, the position of each block is memorized in a memory of a self-running cleaning apparatus, and the status of each block such that a wall or an obstacle is placed on the block or the block is passed by the cleaning apparatus thereon is also memorized in the memory. The cleaning apparatus moves across the blocks having neither wall nor obstacle thereon and which have not been passed by the cleaning apparatus on the basis of a predetermined priority order in running direction.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner with fuzzy control comprises a detector for detecting condition of sucking of dust, such as an amount of dust, a kind of dust and/or a kind of a surface of a floor to be cleaned. A fuzzy inference section responsive to the condition of sucking of dust determines an appropriate sucking force and controls the vacuum cleaner's sucking force through fuzzy inference.

Abstract: The washing machine controller has a cleaning sensor, a variation detecting device, a time counter, a washing time inference unit and a control unit. The cleaning sensor detects a turbidity of water in a washing tub of the washing machine. The variation detecting device detects a variation of the detected turbidity. The time counter measures a saturation time period, from a start of washing operation to a time point of saturation. The time point of saturation is determined when the detected turbidity becomes less than a predetermined value. The washing time inference unit uses a fuzzy inference operation to make an inference as to an additional washing time necessary for the cleaning operation after the time point of saturation based on the saturation time period and the detected turbidity. The fuzzy inference operation incorporates human experience in to the washing time determination process. The control unit stops the washing operation when the additional washing time expires.

Abstract: A zone of a floor to be cleaned is subdivided into a plurality of blocks, the position of each block is memorized in a memory of a self-running cleaning apparatus, and the status of each block such that a wall or an obstacle is placed on the block or the block is passed by the cleaning apparatus thereon is also memorized in the memory. The cleaning apparatus moves across the blocks having neither wall nor obstacle thereon and which have not been passed by the cleaning apparatus on the basis of a predetermined priority order in running direction.