FR2672716A1 - REMOTE CONTROL AND DEVICE FOR THE MEMORY RECORDING OF AN IDENTIFICATION CODE IN THE REMOTE CONTROL. - Google Patents

Abstract

Remote control (1) and recording device (2) relating thereto for memorizing the identification code, for modifying the code registered in the remote control, without having to open the envelope itself. remote control. For this purpose, the memory device (2) has a cavity (13) in its casing (12) to house the casing (3) in its entirety of the remote control. Facing the cavity (13) are provided a coil (23) for generating a magnetic field correlated to the code to be stored, and a light receiving element (19). The remote control in turn comprises a Hall effect transistor (10) and a light emitting diode (9), which, when the remote control (1) is placed in the cavity (13) of the device (2), are respectively facing the coil. (23) and the light receiving element (13). In this way, the code to be memorized supplied to the device (2) by means of a keyboard (16), is transmitted in the form of a magnetic field by the device (2) to the remote control (1), which records it. and retransmits it to the device (2). The latter then compares the code transmitted with the code received, to verify the correct memorization of the code, and the correct operation of the remote control.

Description

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  REMOTE CONTROL AND DEVICE FOR RECORDING IN

  MEMORY OF AN IDENTIFICATION CODE IN THE REMOTE CONTROL

  The present invention relates to a remote control and a device for storing an identification code in the remote control. As is known, the remote controls comprise a transmitting element for the transmission of an identification code, which is intended to be received by an appropriate receiver, associated with a setting element

  step, mounted for example on a motor vehicle.

  The code is memorized in the remote control permanently, for example by cutting appropriate conductive tracks, or in a modifiable way, by providing microswitches which can be positioned manually, or even by using an electric write memory element. last case in particular, we commonly use memory elements that can be erased and rewritten electrically

  several times, such as for example EEPROM memories.

  EEPROM memories are currently written by a suitable programming device, comprising opening the remote control unit, extracting the memory, receiving it in a suitable seat of the programming device, writing it, and finally reassembly inside the case This procedure proves to be disadvantageous when, for the following reasons, it is desired to modify the memorized code. First, the operations linked to opening, removing and reassembling the memory are likely cause damage and breakage of the remote control components, due to imprecise movements, due to the small size of the remote control. Furthermore, this procedure requires that the programming device be available, when it is not normally not accessible to the user of the remote control, who must therefore contact qualified personnel, with

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  an obvious waste of time as well as additional costs. Elements with micro-switches for memorizing the code, called "DIP SWITCH", are even less reliable, insofar as intervention inside the box, to manually modify the position of the switches (which are of dimensions very small) easily causes damage to the remote control circuit, so this is a

  difficult maneuver, requiring a certain skill.

  The object of the present invention is to provide a remote control and a memorizing device relating thereto, with which the writing of the code can be carried out an infinite number of times, without it being necessary to open the casing of the remote control. ,

  thereby eliminating associated problems.

  According to the present invention, a remote control is produced comprising an envelope housing inside an electronic control unit, memory means for an identification code connected to said control unit, and means for transmitting the code.

  connected to said control unit and controlled by it

  ci, characterized in that it comprises reception means connected to said control unit and housed in said envelope, said reception means being designed to receive a signal generated from outside of said envelope and correlated to a new code identification to be memorized, without it being

  necessary to open said envelope.

  The present invention further relates to a device for memorizing the code in the remote control, comprising an envelope housing inside thereof an electronic control unit, connected to an input unit capable of receiving the new identification code to be memorized, and to an output unit capable of supplying said identification code to a remote control, characterized in that said

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  Enve Loppe includes a place to house the envelope of the remote control, for the transmission of the new code,

  without opening the remote control.

  For a better understanding of the present invention, a preferred embodiment will now be described, purely by way of nonlimiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a front view of the device for The memorization of the code, the remote control according to the invention being inserted; Fig 2 is a side view of the storage device, the remote control being inserted; Fig 3 shows a simplified electrical diagram of the storage device; Fig 4 shows a simplified electrical diagram of the remote control; and Fig 5 shows a block diagram of the

memorization procedure.

  Referring to Figs 1 and 2, the remote control and the related storage or programming device, according to the invention, have been respectively

  identified by reference numbers 1 and 2.

  In detail, the remote control 1 comprises an envelope 3 or external container, substantially in the form of a slightly flattened llélépipède, formed of two half shells embedded one inside the other (see in particular Fig 2) The envelope 3 has a passage orifice 4, for example of triangular shape, disposed in an eccentric position, for the reasons which will be described in the rest of the text One of the largest surfaces of the envelope, bearing the reference 3 a, and constituting the front face of The remote control is provided with a start button 6, for putting the code transmitter into service, according to a known technique. Inside the envelope 3 is a printed circuit board, which in turn contains a plurality of components 7, among which is a light-emitting diode (LED) 8 to indicate the operation of the transmitter, an emitting diode 9 with infrared rays, a Hall effect transistor 10, as well as other elements described in more detail with respect to FIG. 4 The light-emitting diode 8 in particular is arranged facing an orifice provided on the face 3 a of the envelope, the emitting diode 9 is directed towards a lateral surface of the envelope, and is preferably aligned, or at least inserted into a corresponding orifice (not illustrated) of the same envelope, while the transistor 10 is disposed towards the face opposite to face 3 a, indicated by the reference 3 b, and defining the rear surface of the envelope of the remote control. The storage device 2 also comprises an outer envelope 12, also in the form of a slightly flattened parallelepiped, formed of two half shells embedded one inside the other The envelope 12 is of dimensions substantially greater than those of the envelope 3 of the remote control, and is provided, on one of its largest faces, bearing the reference 12 a, with a cavity 13 of dimensions and shape corresponding sensitively to those of the envelope 3 The depth of the cavity 13 is however substantially less than the height of the remote control Inside the cavity 13 is disposed a stud 14, whose shape and position correspond substantially with the shape and position of the orifice 4 of the remote control, so as to allow The insertion of the remote control inside the cavity 13, only when the remote control is placed in the predetermined position and orientation Consequently, when ue the remote control is positioned correctly, it protrudes from the cavity 13 by a certain height. 4 -

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  The front face 12 a of the device 2 has a moving start switch 15, between a stop position and a start position, a keyboard 16 with twelve keys, comprising ten digits, from 1 to 0, and two special symbols "#" and "*", as will be explained in more detail below, and a display device 17 with sixteen characters for example Finally, on the front face 12 a is provided a turret or lug 18, positioned so as to face the emitting diode 9, when the remote control 1 is housed in the cavity 13 This turret 18 houses a photosensitive element, for example a receiving diode 19, having a sensitivity spectrum which coincides with the frequencies emitted by the emitting diode 9, and either

  exactly aligned with it.

  The envelope 12 of the device 2 for memorizing the code also contains a printed circuit board 21 on which the components 22 of the device are fixed, including a coil 23 which generates a magnetic field re Lifted by The Hall effect transistor 10, mounted in the remote control 1 Specifically, as this La is represented by dotted lines in FIG. 1, the coil 23 is substantially aligned with the transistor 10, when the remote control 1 is inserted in the cavity 13, for memorizing or code modification, like

  this will be explained in the following.

  The more general block diagram of the devices 1 and 2 is shown in Figs 3 and 4 In detail, in Fig 3 relating to the storage device 2, there is a central processing unit 25, of the microprocessor type; a power supply unit 26 (more specifically one or more interchangeable type batteries, and accessible by means of a conventional movable door, provided in the casing 12 and not illustrated in the figures); a power stabilizer 27 re linked to the battery via the switch 15 and having an output (on which the

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  is present The supply voltage of the entire circuit) Related to the central unit 25; a recovery device 28, having an input connected to the output of the power supply stabilizer 27, and an output connected to the central unit Le 25; a clock generator 29, which generates as an output a clock signal or "clock" sent to the central unit Le 25; the receiving diode 19, linked to the positive supply supplied by the component 27, and to the ground via a resistor 30; an amplifier 31, at the intermediate point between the receiving diode 19 and the resistor 30; an integrator 32 having an input connected to the output of the amplifier 31 and an output linked to the central unit Le 25; and a control device 33, controlled by the central unit

  25, and in turn controlling the coil 23.

  The remote control 1 i L illustrated in FIG. 4 comprises a central processing unit 40; a power supply unit 41, (also constituted in this case by one or more batteries of interchangeable type, and accessible via a gate Lon mobi Le c Lassique placed in the envelope Loppe 3 and not i L Glossy in the Figures) having an output (on which Le is present The supply voltage of the entire circuit) connected to the central unit Le 40; a smoothing device 42 having an input linked to the output of the supply unit 41 and an output connected to the central unit; a Clock generator 43 generating at output a L clock signal or "c Lock" transmitted to the central unit; The Ha LL effect transistor 10 re linked to the central unit 40; The LED 8 having its anode connected, via a resistor 44, to the supply voltage supplied by the battery 41, and its cathode connected to the central unit Le 40; a Lotage pi device controlled by the central unit Le 40 and pi Lotant the emitting diode 9; a memory 46, in particular Binding an EEPROM, for the memorization of the code, re Binded in a bidirectional manner L Le to the unit centra Le 40; and the push button 6 having a terminal connected to ground, and the other terminal re linked to a tab of the central unit 40, so as to connect this tab to ground. When the button 6 itself is actuated, to sending the procedure for transmitting the code, during normal operation of

The remote control.

  The procedure for memorizing the code in the remote control according to the invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 4, and to the diagram of

circulation of Fig 5.

  The procedure for memorizing or programming the code begins with the activation of the memorization device 2, by the reader, when the latter switches the switch 15 from the stop position to the on position ( which coincides with the closing of the switch 15 shown in Fig 3), as indicated by the block 50 In this phase, the remote control 1 is not placed in the appropriate cavity 13 Then, the unit centers the 40 of the storage device 2 performs a phase of checking the correct functioning of its components (block 51), according to a known technique, and displays a corresponding message on the display device 17 Then, the central unit 40 requests the positioning of the remote control 1 in the cavity 13, by displaying an appropriate message on the display device 17 (b Loc 52), and waits for the positioning to be correctly carried out, with the stud 14 inserted in the passage orifice 4 of the outlet block 3 of the remote control Then, the central unit 40 displays a new message on the display device Lisation 17, requesting the composition of the new code to be memorized (block 53) The user must then dial the desired code, composed of a predetermined number of digits, using the c Lavier 16 Meanwhile, the digits entered by the user are also displayed on the display device 17, to verify that they are correct At the end of this operation, The central unit 7 -

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  asks the user if the code inserted is correct, via an appropriate message on the display device 17, with the code entered in its entirety (block 54) if the code is not correct, L 'uti Reader indicates this fact by pressing one of the two special keys (for example the "#" key); consequently, the central unit 40 cancels this code (b Loc 55) and requests another code, returning to block 53 In the opposite case, that is to say if the code is correct, the user confirms the code that he just inserted by pressing the other special key, for example the

touch "*".

  Then, the central unit The 40 assumes The sending of the code, which has just been entered, to the remote control 1, authorizing at this time The piloting device 33 which supplies the coil 23 In particular, The coil 23 is supplied so as to generate a magnetic field correlated to each digit of the code, for example of a size correlated to the digit sent at this precise moment, or, even better, with a pulse code In this way, all the digits composing the code are transmitted one after the other During this phase, the central unit 40 also sends a corresponding message for transmitting the code to the display device 17 (block 56) The magnetic field generated by the coil 23 is picked up by the Hall effect transistor 10, which then transforms it into an electrical signal which can be processed by the central unit 25 of the remote control This electrical signal is then stored in the EEPROM memory 46 (block 57) and is retained relayed by the remote control 1 to the storage device 2, for control (block 58) Specifically, the central unit 40 of the remote control assumes, at this time, control of the control device 45, which controls the light emitting diode 9, which therefore emits an infrared light coding the code, exactly as

  During normal operation of the remote control.

  Since the remote control is housed in the cavity 13, the diodes 9 and 19 facing each other, the code emitted by the diode 9 in the form of infrared rays is picked up by the receiving diode 19, which transforms it into an electric signal and transmits it to the central unit of the storage device 2 This then has the role of comparing the code received with the code previously transmitted (block 59) in the case where the two codes are equal (YES output of block 60 ), The central unit Le 40 sends a message on the display device Lisation 17, confirming The correct outcome of the operations (block 61), and requests confirmation of the code again from the user (b Loc 62) In the case where the user would like to change the code again, the user will have to press the "#" key, and in this case, the central unit will have the task of canceling the code which has just been saved, to return to block 55 and start again The programming phases from block 53 to request the code Otherwise, that is to say in the case where the user does not wish to change again The code, The central unit The 40 displays a stop request message (block 63 ) through the use of switch 15, thereby terminating the procedure. If, on the contrary, the codes compared by the central unit are not equal, that is to say if there has been one that there is probably a problem of transmission of the code from the programming device to the remote control, or to the During the transmission which followed, in the reverse direction, or even during the recording phase in the memory 46 (output NOT of block 60), the central unit sends on the display device Lisation 17 a message of warning for the user (block 64) and consequently asks him if he wants to carry out another test (block 65) the request for new L The attempt to memorize the code, is carried out by the user by means of Pressing the "#" key (YES output from 9 -

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  block 65), and in this case the central unit The 40 has the role of canceling the code previously recorded (block 55), and

  resumes the programming phases from block 53.

  Otherwise (NO output from block 65), the central unit goes to block 63, requesting the device to stop

  memorization 2, and ending operations.

  The advantages which can be obtained by using the remote control and the memorization device described here, are the following First, the recording in memory of the code can be carried out without the remote control being opened, and without it being necessary to d '' remove the memory concerned, or move certain microswitches, which thereby completely eliminates any risk of damage to the circuit and rupture of the components linked to imprecise or incorrect handling of these elements during the extraction phases and reassembly of the components, or

  change the position of the switches.

  In addition, the modification of the code can be carried out at any time, and an infinite number of times, by a simple procedure, which does not require any particular skill or knowledge, but simply by following the instructions provided by the memory device itself. , through messages

displayed.

  Recording in memory does not require any special instrument or device, since the programming device is associated with the remote control, and consists essentially of a

envelope of reduced dimensions.

  The method of recording in memory described is entirely reliable, insofar as the verification of the accuracy of the code transmitted and memorized in the remote control is carried out immediately, and also includes a verification of the proper functioning of the remote control in its entirety, insofar as, in practice, with the retransmission of the code from there 2672716 the remote control towards the memorizing device, by means of the means assigned to the transmission of the code during the normal operation of the remote control for the control remote from a starting device, it is not only the accuracy of the code that is checked, but also the correct functioning of

the transmitter (diode 9).

  Finally, i L is clear that it is possible to make any modifications and variants to the remote control and to the storage device described and illustrated here, without thereby departing from the protective framework of the present invention. In particular, the positioning system and orientation of the remote control relative to the storage device can also be different, being based for example only on the shape of the casing 3, or only on the shape and position of the stud 14 The type of coding of the signal of the code generated by the coil 23 may be different, while remaining compatible with the technological possibilities, and moreover, the transmission system, from the memory recording device to the remote control may also vary, and in particular , Instead of being based on the generation of a magnetic field generated by a coil, it is possible to exploit other emission techniques. When memorizing a new code, there may be various elements for confirming the data entered, or for displaying the phases of

code programming.

Claims (14)

  1 remote control (1) comprising a loppe envelope (3) housing inside an electronic control unit (40), memory means (46) for an identification code related to said control unit, and means for transmission (9) of the code re Linked to said control unit and controlled by this L Le ci, characterized by the fact that e L Le comprises reception means (10) connected to Said control unit and housed in Said Loppe Enve (3), said receiving means (10) being designed to receive a signal generated from the exterior of said Loppe enve and correlated to a new identification code to be registered, without it being necessary. to open said envelope.   2 remote control according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that said reception means comprise transducer means (10) able to pick up a magnetic field and generate a signal   electric correlated to the external magnetic field sensed.   3 remote control according to claim 2, characterized in that said transducer means   (10) are constituted by a Hall effect transistor.   4 Remote control Lon Any of the   Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the Le   comprises means (9) capable of transmitting to the outside a signal relating to the new identification code received, by means of said means reception (10).   Remote control according to claim 4, characterized by the fact that said means capable of performing retransmission consist of said code transmitting means (9).   6 remote control according to claim 5, characterized by the fact that said transmitter means   code include a light emitting element (9).   7 Device (2) for memorizing a code   in a remote control (1) according to one of claims 12 - 13 2672716   1 to 6, comprising a Loppe envelope (12) Housing a control unit (25) inside, linked to an input unit (16) capable of receiving a new identification code to be stored, and to a unit outlet (23) capable of supplying said identification code to a remote control, characterized in that the said Loppe enve (12) comprises a location (13) for housing the Loppe enve (3) of the remote control (1), for Transmission of the new code, without opening the remote control.   8 Device according to Claim 7, characterized in that the said output unit comprises means (23) capable of generating a correlated magnetic field   to the new identification code to register.   9 Device according to claim 8, characterized by the fact that said output unit comprises a coil (23).   Device according to Claim 9, characterized in that the said coil (23) is arranged opposite from said location (13).   11 Device according to any of   Claims 7 to 10, characterized in that it   includes receiving means (19) for receiving   of the coded signal emitted by the remote control.   12 Device according to claim 11, for the recording in memory of an identification code in an infrared remote control, characterized by the fact that said receiving means comprise   an infrared light receiving element (19).   13 Device according to one of claims 11 or   12, characterized by the fact that said envelope Loppe (12) has a shape of para LLélépipède flattened defining a larger face (12 a), in Laque Lle is provided said eemp Lacement (13) and on lacquer L Le are provided a c Lavier (16) for the introduction of a new code, and a display device (17), said envelope having a sail Lie (18) adjacent to said location 14 2672716   and supporting said receiving means (19), said output unit (23) being arranged opposite said location. 14 Device according to claim 13, characterized in that said location (13) has a reference stud (14) for the   correct positioning of the remote control (1).   Device according to one of claims 11 or   12, characterized in that it comprises means (59) capable of comparing the code transmitted by said output unit (23) with the code received by said reception means (19), and means (60, 61, 64, 17) capable of providing correct code or wrong code signaling. 16 remote control and device for storing in memory a code in a remote control, such as   described with reference to the accompanying drawings.