JP2015211332A - Remote control system and remote controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To achieve the power saving of a remote controller by positively controlling the on/off-states of a plurality of sensors provided in a remote controller.SOLUTION: A remote control system includes a remote controller 100 having: a microphone sensor 191 for detecting a voice issued by a user; a motion sensor 192 for detecting the movement of a remote controller 100 by the user; switching means 194 for switching the on/off-states of those sensors 191 and 192; communication means 193 for performing radio communication with an STB(Set Top Box) 200; and clocking means 195 for performing clocking as an opportunity to switch the microphone sensor 191 or the motion sensor 192 from an on-state to an off-state. The switching means 194 switches the on/off-states of those sensors 191 and 192 on the basis of various signals from the inside and outside of the remote controller 100.

Description

  The present invention relates to a remote control system and a remote controller, and more particularly to a remote control system and a remote controller including a plurality of sensors such as a microphone sensor and a motion sensor.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a wireless operation terminal that can cope with diversification of services on the Internet and multi-functionalization of controlled devices. The wireless operation terminal (remote controller) includes a microphone unit (microphone sensor) for obtaining audio data and a motion detection unit (motion sensor) that detects the movement of the wireless operation terminal.

  Since this type of remote controller includes a microphone sensor and a motion sensor, a signal corresponding to each sensor can be transmitted to the information processing apparatus.

JP 2013-9174 A

  However, since the remote controller disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a plurality of sensors such as a microphone sensor and a motion sensor, when each sensor is used, a remote controller that does not include any sensors, or a sensor As compared with a remote controller having only one, power consumption is increased.

  Many remote controllers are usually powered by dry batteries. Therefore, it is an issue to suppress power consumption. Although Patent Document 1 also considers power saving, only a specific case such as a case where the remote controller is left by the user is taken, and there is still room for improvement.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to actively and precisely control the on / off states of a plurality of sensors provided in the remote controller to further reduce the power consumption of the remote controller.

In order to solve the above problems, the remote control system of the present invention provides:
A plurality of sensors (eg, microphone sensor 191 motion sensor 192 of FIG. 3);
Switching means (for example, switching means 194 in FIG. 3) for switching the on / off state of each sensor;
A communication unit (for example, the communication unit 193 in FIG. 3) that performs wireless communication with a control target (for example, the STB in FIG. 1);
A remote controller (e.g., remote controller 100 of FIG. 3) having
The switching means switches on / off states of the sensors based on various signals from inside and outside the remote controller.

  The switching means can switch the on / off state of one or the other of the sensor based on one output of the sensor, or can switch the on / off state according to a switching command transmitted from the communication means. .

  As an example, the control target includes determination means (for example, middleware in the STB 200 shown in FIG. 1) that sequentially determines the content of instructions transmitted from the remote controller, and the switching means is determined by the determination means. Based on the result, the on / off state of each sensor can be switched.

  Also, information indicating a plurality of programs (application programs) that cause the control target to execute a predetermined process corresponds to information indicating a sensor that is a transmission source of information necessary for each program to execute the predetermined process. And a registration unit for sequentially determining which sensor is a transmission source of the information based on information registered by the registration unit when the program to be executed by the control target is started. (For example, middleware in the STB 200 shown in FIG. 1), and the switching unit can switch the on / off state of each sensor based on a determination result by the determination unit.

  Further, the present invention may include means for measuring time (for example, time measuring means 195 in FIG. 3) that triggers any one of the sensors to be turned off.

  The communication means may transmit to the control object that the on / off state of each sensor has been switched.

  Storage means for storing information indicating the on / off state of each sensor (for example, storage means 196 in FIG. 3) and notification means for storing information stored by the storage means (for example, the television 300 in FIG. 1). Display or speaker).

  Further, when the plurality of sensors include motion sensors, the switching unit turns off each sensor when detecting a change in acceleration at which the remote controller is expected to be placed by the motion sensor. You may switch to.

  Further, when the plurality of sensors include a motion sensor and a microphone sensor, the switching unit switches the on / off state of each sensor based on the output of either the motion sensor or the microphone sensor. Also good.

  The control target may include a receiving unit that receives a signal transmitted from the remote controller, and a processing unit that processes the signal received by the receiving unit.

  Furthermore, display means (for example, the display of the television 300 in FIG. 1) for displaying information based on the signal processed by the processing means may be provided.

It is a typical block diagram of the remote control system of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a typical external view of the remote controller 100 shown in FIG. It is a functional block diagram which shows the principal part of the remote controller 100 shown in FIG. It is a state transition diagram of the remote controller 100 shown in FIG. It is outline | summary explanatory drawing of Embodiment 2 of this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Remote controller 110 Power button 120 Motion button 130 Cross button 140 Enter button 150 Menu button 160 Home button 170 Back button 180 Voice button 191 Microphone sensor 192 Motion sensor 193 Communication means 194 Switching means 195 Timekeeping means 196 Storage means

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a remote control system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a remote controller 100 including a plurality of sensors such as a microphone sensor and a motion sensor, and a set-top box (hereinafter referred to as “STB”) 200 for a broadband service in which various remote controls are performed by the remote controller 100. 1 shows a television receiver (hereinafter referred to as “television”) 300 connected to the STB 200 and a wireless line 400 connecting the remote controller 100 and the STB 200.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the STB 200 is used as a control target that is remotely controlled by the remote controller 100 will be described as an example. However, the control target is not limited to this, and an audio device other than the STB 200, such as a television 300 or a DVD recorder. However, two or more of these devices may be targeted.

  In addition, the control target remotely controlled by the remote controller 100 may be, for example, a personal computer, a car-related device such as a car navigation device including a car, or an entertainment device such as a so-called video game machine or karaoke device. Further, it may be a home appliance such as an air conditioner, a cooking appliance or a lighting fixture, or a household appliance such as a toy including a robot. In addition, for example, a device that can realize a plurality of functions, such as the STB 200 with a karaoke function or the STB 200 with a video game function, may be a control target.

  Note that the STB 200 exemplified as a control target in the present embodiment is an operation system (hereinafter referred to as “OS”), middleware, and an application program using the microphone sensor 191 or the motion sensor 192 (hereinafter referred to as “application”). .) Etc. are installed.

  Therefore, the STB 200 implements various operations described later, including providing information to be displayed on the display of the television 300 by executing each program in cooperation with the built-in CPU and memory. can do.

  Here, in addition to the middleware, various instruction contents transmitted from the remote controller 100 to the STB 200 are sequentially determined, an OS event corresponding to the determination result is output to a higher-level application, and the STB 200 performs a desired operation. .

  Specifically, the remote controller 100 is provided with various buttons 110 and the like (FIG. 2), a microphone sensor 191 (FIG. 3), and a motion sensor 192 (FIG. 3). And registration information indicating the correspondence between each code and the event to be executed is registered in the STB 200.

  For example, it is assumed that the user tilts the main body of the remote controller 100 in order to change the cursor position displayed on the display of the television 300. In response to this, when the motion sensor 192 detects the tilt, the remote controller 100 adds a unique code assigned to the motion sensor 192 to the detection result, and then transmits it to the STB 200. That's fine.

  In this way, in the STB 200, the middleware refers to the registration information based on the code transmitted from the remote controller 100, reads the event corresponding to the code, and outputs it to the application that performs the cursor display.

  The instruction transmitted from the remote controller 100 to the STB 200 is not limited to the case where various buttons 110 or the like are pressed. For example, when the remaining battery level of the remote controller 100 is low, An event such as displaying the fact on the display may be executed.

  For this purpose, a unique code is assigned to an instruction to display that the remaining battery level is low, and the correspondence between the code and the event of displaying the remaining battery level is displayed as described above. Registration information may be registered in the STB 200.

  In addition, the middleware periodically outputs a polling signal to each application, and when each application receives the polling signal while the application is running, the response signal to the middleware is returned to the middleware. Yes. For this reason, the middleware can sequentially determine which of the applications is being activated based on whether or not a response signal is returned.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, necessity information indicating whether or not information from any sensor needs to be input for each application is registered in the STB 200 in advance, and when each application is started, It is sequentially determined whether or not information from the sensors needs to be input.

  That is, information indicating each application and information indicating a sensor that is a transmission source of information necessary for each application to execute a predetermined process are registered in association with the STB 200, and the application is activated. At this time, the necessity of information from the sensor as the transmission source is sequentially determined based on the registered information.

  Therefore, for example, when a call application that is activated when a call is made with another user, information indicating the call application and information that “information from the microphone sensor 191 is necessary” are stored in the STB 200 in advance. If registered, a determination result that “information from the microphone sensor 191 is necessary” is obtained when the call application is activated.

  FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing a schematic appearance of the remote controller 100 shown in FIG. FIG. 2B is a side view of the remote controller 100 shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, a power button 110, a motion button 120, a cross button 130, a decision button 140, a menu button 150, a home button 160, a back button 170, a voice button 180, an opening, which will be described below. Section 190 is shown.

  The power button 110 is used to switch on / off the power to be controlled by the STB 200. As described above, the remote controller 100 may be provided with a power button for switching on / off the power of the television 300.

  The motion button 120 is for switching the on / off state of a motion sensor built in the main body of the remote controller 100 by a user operation. In this embodiment, when the power of the STB 200 and the television 300 is turned on, and the motion button 120 is pressed while the external connection from the STB 200 is enabled, the television 300 displays on the display. The cursor is displayed. If the motion button 120 is pressed while the cursor is being displayed, the display is terminated.

  The cross button 130 is used by the user to select a desired item from among a plurality of items displayed on the display of the television 300 for operating the STB 200. Note that selection of a desired item may be realized not only by pressing the cross button 130 but also by the motion sensor detecting an angle of the remote controller 100 that changes as the user moves the remote controller 100.

  The determination button 140 mainly gives an instruction to determine an item selected by the user by pressing the cross button 130 or the like.

  The menu button 150 is for displaying a menu screen prepared by the STB 200 or the like on the display of the television 300. As an example, when the menu button 150 is pressed, a plurality of items selected by pressing the cross button 130 are displayed as described above.

  The home button 160 is used to switch the display content to a home screen that is an initial screen prepared by the STB 200 when any screen output from the STB 200 is displayed on the display of the television 300.

  The return button 170 is used to switch a screen displayed on the display of the television 300 to a screen displayed immediately before the screen display.

  The voice button 180 is for switching the on / off state of the microphone sensor built in the main body of the remote controller 100 by a user operation. Although not limited to this, the microphone sensor can be provided in the vicinity of the opening 190. Also, the number of microphone sensors is not necessarily limited to one, and a plurality of microphone sensors may be provided. For example, in addition to the vicinity of the opening 190, one end such as the vicinity of the power button 110 and / or the other end that is opposite to the power button 110 may be provided. It may be provided.

  The opening 190 is provided corresponding to the location where the microphone sensor is disposed, and is for effectively allowing sound from the outside of the remote controller 100, particularly a voice uttered by the user, to reach the microphone sensor. In addition, the opening 190 may be provided with a small number of relatively large diameters, may be provided with a large number of relatively small diameters, and the shape may be a columnar shape or a mortar shape. .

  It should be noted that not all buttons shown in FIG. 2 are indispensable in the configuration of the remote controller 100, and it is not excluded that buttons other than the buttons shown in the figure are included in the remote controller 100. Please keep in mind.

  FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing the main part of the remote controller 100 shown in FIG. FIG. 3 shows a microphone sensor 191, a motion sensor 192, a communication unit 193, a switching unit 194, a timing unit 195, and a storage unit 196, which will be described below.

  The microphone sensor 191 includes, for example, a microphone and an A / D converter. The microphone sensor 191 is provided at a position corresponding to the opening 190 provided on the button arrangement surface of the remote controller 100. The microphone sensor 191 mainly collects the voice uttered by the user by the microphone and outputs the voice signal to the A / D. An analog signal is converted into a digital signal by a converter.

  The motion sensor 192 includes a three-axis acceleration sensor that can determine the tilt of the remote controller 100 by detecting gravity, and a gyroscope that can determine the angle or angular velocity of the remote controller 100. The motion sensor 192 detects changes in the tilt and movement of the remote controller 100.

  The communication unit 193 mainly transmits an instruction corresponding to the button to the STB 200 through the wireless line 400 when the pressing of the various buttons 110 shown in FIG. 2 is detected, or the microphone sensor 191 or the motion sensor 192. The output signal from is transmitted to the STB 200 through the wireless line 400. In addition, the communication unit 193 receives a command for switching the on / off state of the microphone sensor 191 or the motion sensor 192 transmitted from the STB 200 and outputs the command to the switching unit 194.

  The switching unit 194 switches the on / off state of the microphone sensor 191 or the motion sensor 192. The switching unit 194 receives signals output from the microphone sensor 191, the motion sensor 192, and the communication unit 193, and switches the on / off state of the microphone sensor 191 or the motion sensor 192 according to the signals.

  In addition to the switching by the switching unit 194, the time measuring unit 195 performs time measurement as an opportunity to turn off the microphone sensor 191 or the motion sensor 192. When the instruction from the user is not given for a predetermined time, the time measuring means 195 outputs a signal instructing the switching means 194 to switch the microphone sensor 191 and the position sensor 192 to the off state.

  The storage unit 196 stores information indicating the on / off state of the microphone sensor 191 or the motion sensor 192 in a storage medium (not shown). In this embodiment, the information stored by the storage unit 196 is transmitted to the STB 200 by the communication unit 193.

FIG. 4 is a state transition diagram of the remote controller 100 shown in FIG. In the ellipse shown in FIG. 4, “0” or “1” is shown as the state of “microphone sensor” and “motion sensor”. Here, “0” means an off state and “1” means an on state. In addition, a display such as “00/01” attached to the arrow between the ellipses means a transition from the state S ₀₀ to the state S ₀₁ or the like.

  Hereinafter, according to typical usage scenes of the remote controller 100, state transition of the remote controller 100 regarding the on / off states of the microphone sensor 191 and the motion sensor 192 will be described.

(Regarding state S ₀₀ )
First, it is assumed that the remote controller 100 is placed on a table or the like in a state where the operation is stopped and waiting. At this time, both the microphone sensor 191 and the motion sensor 192 are in the off state, and the remote controller 100 is in the state S ₀₀ .

Incidentally, paying attention to power consumption of the remote controller 100, both sensors 191 and 192 is the lowest state _{S 00} is in the OFF state, then the state _{S 01} only motion sensor 192 is on, only the microphone sensor 191 is turned on a higher in the order of state _{S 10} is a state, the state _{S 11} is the highest both sensors 191 and 192 is on.

_Assume that the user grabs the remote controller 100 from the state S ₀₀ , presses the power button 110, and turns on the STB 200. In the present embodiment, both the microphone sensor 191 and the motion sensor 192 remain in the off state also by this user operation.

  Of course, at least one of the microphone sensor 191 and the motion sensor 192 may be switched to the on state, triggered by the power button 110 being pressed and the power of the remote controller 100 being switched from off to on.

  In the OFF state in this specification, an instruction from the switching unit 194 is given so that the microphone sensor 191 or the motion sensor 192 can be switched to the ON state at a relatively early timing by an instruction from the switching unit 194. A so-called sleep state monitored by weak power is also included.

(Regarding the transition from state S ₀₀ to state S ₀₁ )
Subsequently, when the user tilts or moves the remote controller 100 under a condition that is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the switching unit 194 switches the motion sensor 192 from the off state to the on state. As a result, the remote controller 100 transits from the state _S00 to the state _S01 .

  Alternatively, for example, when an application using the motion sensor 192 is activated in the STB 200 by appropriately pressing the menu button 150, the cross button 130, and the determination button 140, the STB 200 is based on the determination by the middleware described above. A switching command for switching the motion sensor 192 from the off state to the on state may be transmitted to the remote controller 100 via the wireless line 400.

  In this way, in the remote controller 100 that has received the information by the communication unit 193, the switching unit 194 can switch the motion sensor 192 from the off state to the on state. That is, the motion sensor 192 can be switched from the off state to the on state via the STB 200. However, since the motion sensor 192 can be switched from the off state to the on state even if the user presses the motion button 120, it is not essential to go through the STB 200.

(Regarding the transition from state S ₀₁ to state S ₁₁ )
Next, when the user activates the above application and also activates another application using the microphone sensor 191, the microphone sensor 191 is turned off by the switching unit 194 via the STB 200 or the like. Switch from on to off. Thus, the remote controller 100 transitions from state _{S 01} to the state _{S 11.}

Also, when the voice button 180 is explicitly pressed by the user, the state S ₀₁ can be changed to the state S ₁₁ . However, in this case, when the user is looking at the display of the television 300, the user looks at the remote controller 100, searches for the audio button 180, and then follows the procedure of pressing the audio button 180. This can be complicated.

  Therefore, in order to avoid this complexity, the microphone sensor 191 may be switched from the off state to the on state using the motion sensor 192 that is in the on state. For example, when the user moves the remote controller 100 in a circular shape, for example, the microphone sensor 191 can be switched from the off state to the on state. In order to realize this, a gesture of moving in a circle and an event of switching the microphone sensor 191 from the off state to the on state may be registered in the remote controller 100 or the STB 200 as a pair.

(Regarding the transition from state S ₀₀ to state S ₁₁ )
When the application first activated by the user is used not only by the motion sensor 192 but also by the microphone sensor 191, the switching command transmitted from the STB 200 to the remote controller 100 is not only the motion sensor 192. The microphone sensor 191 may also be a command for switching from the off state to the on state. As a result, although the arrow is not shown in FIG. 4, the remote controller 100 transitions from the state S ₀₀ to the state S ₁₁ .

  As an application using both the microphone sensor 191 and the motion sensor 192, for example, a browser can be considered. In this case, as a specific usage example of the remote controller 100, it is conceivable that a search keyword is inputted by voice through the microphone sensor 191 and the search result is selected through the motion sensor 192.

  In addition, as an application that uses both the microphone sensor 191 and the motion sensor 192, a singing voice is input through the microphone sensor 191, and various buttons displayed on a display attached to the control device are selected through the motion sensor 192. An application for a karaoke function, or an application for a game in which an instruction is input by voice through a microphone sensor 191 and the direction of a character displayed on a display is instructed through a motion sensor 192 can be considered.

  When the above middleware determines that the browser, karaoke function, or game application has been activated, both the microphone sensor 191 and the motion sensor 192 are connected to the remote controller 100 based on the determination. A switching command for switching from the off state to the on state may be transmitted.

(The transition of the state _{S 10} from the state _{S 11)}
Next, for example, when the STB 200 is connected to a network such as the Internet, an application for Internet telephone service may be activated. In such a case, the voice uttered by the user is captured using the microphone sensor 191, sent to the STB 200 by the communication means 193, and then transmitted to the other party via a network such as the Internet.

  When this application is activated, it is not necessary to keep the motion sensor 192 in an on state, and it is preferable to switch this from the on state to the off state. Specifically, when an application for Internet telephone service is started by the user, a switching command for switching the motion sensor 192 from the on state to the off state may be transmitted from the STB 200 to the remote controller 100.

  Alternatively, when these are detected by the microphone sensor 191 or the motion sensor 192 when the user issues “motion off” toward the microphone sensor, or when the remote controller 100 is largely “one shake”, for example. The motion sensor 192 may be switched from the on state to the off state.

  To realize this, a pair of a voice “motion off” or a gesture “1 shake” and an event of switching the motion sensor 192 from the on state to the off state can be registered in the remote controller 100 or STB 200. That's fine. Further, the switching may be realized based on the user pressing the motion button 120.

(The transition from the state _{S 11} of the state _{S 01)}
Similarly, when both the microphone sensor 191 and the motion sensor 192 are on, the application using the microphone sensor 191 is terminated, or the user speaks “microphone off” toward the microphone sensor, for example, When a gesture such as “1 shake” is largely performed, the microphone sensor 191 can be switched to the off state while the motion sensor 192 is kept on.

(The transition from the state _{S 10} of the state _{S 11)}
When an application for the Internet telephone service is activated, other applications may be activated. For this reason, in the present embodiment, as described above, by an instruction by voice through the microphone sensor 191 by issuing an instruction such as “motion on”, or by an instruction through the button by pressing the motion button 120, The motion sensor 192 can be switched from the off state to the on state.

(Regarding the transition from state S ₀₀ to state S ₁₀ )
As for the transition from the state S ₀₀ to the state S _{10, as in} the transition from the state S ₀₀ to the state S _01, an application that uses only the microphone sensor 191 is selected when the user presses the menu button 150 or the like of the remote controller 100. When activated, a switching command for switching the microphone sensor 191 from the off state to the on state may be transmitted from the STB 200 to the remote controller 100 based on the determination by the middleware described above.

In this way, as in the case of the transition from the state S ₀₀ to the state S ₀₁ , the remote controller 100 that has received the switching command from the STB 200 can switch the microphone sensor 191 from the off state to the on state. Further, the switching may be realized by the user pressing the voice button 180.

(The transition of the state _{S 10} from the state _{S 10} from the transition and state _{S 01} of the state _{S 01)}
By the way, when only one of the microphone sensor 191 and the motion sensor 192 is in the on state, it is not preferable to maintain the on state for some reason. On the other hand, it is possible to switch the other sensor to the on state. It may be preferable. In order to cope with such a case, in the present embodiment, the sensor is switched to the off state and the other sensor can be switched to the on state.

  Specifically, for example, when the motion sensor 192 is in an on state and the microphone sensor 191 is in an off state, if the motion sensor 192 has a malfunction or the like, the motion sensor 192 is switched to an off state, In addition, the microphone sensor 191 can be switched on.

  Alternatively, when the motion sensor 192 is in the off state and the microphone sensor 191 is in the on state, the microphone sensor 191 that consumes power relatively when the remaining battery level of the remote controller 100 falls below a certain threshold value. Can be switched to the OFF state, and the motion sensor 192 can be switched to the ON state.

(Regarding the transition from state S ₁₀ , S ₀₁ , S ₁₁ to state S ₀₀ )
In order to change the remote controller 100 from any one of the states S ₁₀ , S ₀₁ , and S ₁₁ to the state S ₀₀ , the user selects a button corresponding to the voice button 180 or the motion button 120 as described above. , “Sensor off” is uttered, or the corresponding application is terminated, and the microphone sensor 191 and / or the motion sensor 192 is sent from the STB 200 to the remote controller 100 based on the determination by the middleware described above. A switching command for switching from the on state to the off state may be transmitted for switching.

Further, when the time measuring means 195 measures that the period during which the microphone sensor 191 or the motion sensor 192 substantially does not function exceeds a predetermined period, the STB 200 is turned on by further pressing the power button 110. when switched from on to power-off may cause the transition to the state S _00.

In addition, when the STB 200 confirms that the output signal of the motion sensor 192 of the remote controller 100 has not changed for a predetermined time in the state S ₀₁ , the display content of the television 300 is displayed. Check with the middleware or the like, for example, when it is playing a moving image, it is considered that the motion sensor 192 will not be used for a while. A switching command for switching to the off state may be transmitted.

  Further, the fact that the time period during which the microphone sensor 191 or the motion sensor 192 substantially does not function exceeds the predetermined period is measured by the time measuring means 195 is predetermined after the remote controller 100 is placed on a table or the like. This may occur when the time is exceeded, but when the remote controller 100 is expected to be placed on a table or the like, when the microphone sensor 191 and / or the motion sensor 192 is switched to the OFF state, a predetermined period of time is awaited. Since it can be quickly turned off, further power saving can be realized.

  Therefore, in a situation where the remote controller 100 is likely to be placed on a table or the like, the remote controller 100 usually moves from the hand to the table or the like. It should detect a positive change in acceleration. Therefore, the switching unit 194 may switch the microphone sensor 191 and / or the motion sensor 192 to the off state when such detection is performed.

  It is also a method to actually switch the microphone sensor 191 and / or the motion sensor 192 to the OFF state when the remote controller 100 is placed on a table or the like. For this purpose, a specific frequency generated when the remote controller 100 comes into contact with a table or the like is stored in advance in a storage means or the like in the remote controller 100, and based on the detection result in the microphone sensor 191 and the specific frequency, When it is determined that the remote controller 100 is placed on a table or the like, the microphone sensor 191 and / or the motion sensor 192 may be switched to an off state.

In addition, when the state S ₁₀ , S ₀₁ , S ₁₁ transits to the state S ₀₀ , and the user does not express the intention to switch such as “sensor off”, prior to switching to the off state. Thus, a message indicating that the sensor is turned off may be displayed on the display of the television 300.

  Each time the on / off state of the microphone sensor 191 or the motion sensor 192 is switched, information indicating the current on / off state of the microphone sensor 191 and the motion sensor 192 is stored in a storage medium (not shown) by the storage unit 196. It may be transmitted to the STB 200 by the communication means 193 when the user presses the home button 160, the voice button 180, or the motion button 120, or when the on / off state is actually switched.

  In this way, the information indicating the current on / off state of the microphone sensor 191 and the motion sensor 192 is displayed on the display of the television 300 or the corresponding sound is output from the speaker of the television 300 so that the user can detect the microphone sensor 191 and the motion sensor. It is also possible to notify the on / off state of 192.

  Therefore, if the microphone sensor 191 and the motion sensor 192 are in the on state, even though the user does not emit “microphone off”, “microphone off” is issued by another person, or “microphone off” is output from the TV speaker. If the microphone sensor 191 is switched to an off state where the user does not intend, the user can return the microphone sensor 191 to the on state based on the notification information. It becomes like this.

  Note that the fact that the on / off state of the microphone sensor 191 or the motion sensor 192 has been switched may be stored in a storage medium (not shown) built in the STB 200. Thereby, for example, when the user presses the determination button 140 in a state where no item to be determined is displayed on the display of the television 300, the current on / off state of the microphone sensor 191 or the motion sensor 192 is changed. It is also possible to display on the display of the television 300.

  In summary, the switching unit 194 switches the on / off state of the microphone sensor 191 and the motion sensor 192 based on various signals from inside and outside the remote controller 100, so that the microphone sensor 191 and the motion sensor are relatively switched. Power saving is achieved by lengthening the off-state time of 192.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 5 is a schematic explanatory diagram of Embodiment 2 of the present invention. In the present embodiment, as described in Embodiment 1 "transition from the state S ₁₀ of the state S _11", i.e., when the microphone sensor 191 is on, useful in the case of transition motion sensor 192 from the OFF state to the ON state An example of use will be described.

  If the distance between the user and the remote controller 100 or the tilt of the remote controller 100 is not required, the microphone sensor 191 may not be able to detect the sound correctly. In such a case, as described below, the motion sensor 192 is turned on to correct it.

  The remote controller 100 in FIG. 5 is the same as that shown in FIG. 2, but each button 191 is provided as long as it includes a microphone sensor 191 and a motion sensor 192, and a switching means 194 attached thereto. The number or layout, etc., the shape of the housing, etc. are not limited to those shown in FIG.

  Here, in order to collect the voice uttered by the user satisfactorily by the microphone sensor 191, the inclination of the axial center direction of the opening 190 points to the user's mouth and is parallel to the utterance direction of the user. preferable.

  However, in the case shown in FIG. 5 (a) or FIG. 5 (b), the remote controller 100 does not need to be tilted, so that the voice uttered by the user passes through the opening 190 of the casing to the microphone sensor 191. It is hard to reach and cannot collect sound well. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 5C, even when the tilt of the remote controller 100 is required, even when the distance between the user and the remote controller 100 is long, as a result, the voices uttered by the user are collected well. I can't sound.

  In this case, the level of the digital signal output from the microphone sensor 191 is not sufficient, and even if such a signal is transmitted to the STB 200, voice analysis cannot be performed by the STB 200, and the response intended by the user cannot be performed. There is a case.

  However, the reason why voice analysis cannot be performed by the STB 200 is not necessarily limited to the case where the distance between the user and the remote controller 100 or the inclination of the remote controller 100 is not required. For example, other causes such as a case where a malfunction occurs in the middleware of the STB 200 and a case where the remaining battery level of the remote controller 100 is low can be considered.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the voice analysis cannot be performed in the STB 200, the cause is specified, and a response corresponding to the cause is made. Specifically, the motion sensor 192 is used as one for elucidating the cause. For this reason, in the present embodiment, the motion sensor 192 is switched to the ON state.

  Here, prior to switching on the motion sensor 192, it is first determined whether or not the STB 200 cannot perform voice analysis because the battery of the remote controller 100 is low. . For this reason, for example, a response request for a signal indicating the remaining battery level is transmitted from the STB 200 to the remote controller 100.

Upon receiving this reply request, the remote controller 100 confirms the remaining battery level and returns a signal indicating the remaining battery level to the STB 200. The STB 200 determines whether or not the battery level of the remote controller 100 is low based on this signal. Then, when the battery remaining amount of the remote controller 100 is low, as described in Embodiment 1, the remote controller 100, for example, it is only necessary to transition from the state S ₁₀ to the state S _01.

  On the other hand, when the battery level of the remote controller 100 is not low, the motion sensor 192 is switched to the on state. For this purpose, for example, a switching signal for turning on the motion sensor 192 is transmitted from the STB 200 to the remote controller 100. Thereby, the remote controller 100 can switch the motion sensor 192 to the ON state when receiving the switching signal.

  Alternatively, the microphone sensor 191 or the like is provided with a determination unit that determines whether the level of the digital signal exceeds a predetermined threshold, and when the threshold is not exceeded, the motion sensor 192 is turned on with respect to the switching unit 194. An instruction for switching to may be output.

  When the motion sensor 192 is switched on, the motion sensor 192 detects the angle of the remote controller 100. The detection result is transmitted to the STB 200 by the communication unit 193. The STB 200 determines whether or not the cause is that the tilt of the remote controller 100 is not required as shown in FIG. 5A or 5B.

  As a result of the determination, if the tilt of the remote controller 100 is not required, an image as shown in FIG. 5D is displayed on the display of the television 300 and a sound such as correct the tilt of the remote controller 100 is output. For example, the user may be prompted to correct the tilt of the remote controller 100. As described above, by prompting the microphone sensor 191 to collect sound in an optimum state according to the angle of the remote controller 100, the microphone sensor 191 continues to be in an on state even though sound cannot be collected well. Such wasteful power consumption can be avoided, so that the power consumption of the remote controller 100 can be further reduced.

  On the other hand, as a result of the determination, if the angle of the remote controller 100 is required, it is considered that the distance between the user and the remote controller 100 is long as shown in FIG. Such an image may be displayed on the display of the television 300, and a voice may be output indicating that the distance between the remote controller 100 and the remote controller 100 should be reduced, thereby prompting the user to correct the distance between the remote controller 100 and the user.

  Note that a proximity sensor may be provided in the remote controller 100 so that the remote controller 100 or the STB 200 can determine whether or not the distance between the user and the remote controller 100 is long. Also in this case, the on / off state of the proximity sensor may be switched by the switching unit 194.

  As described above, in each embodiment of the present invention, the remote controller 100 including a plurality of sensors such as the microphone sensor 191 and the motion sensor 192 has been described as an example. However, the sensor is not limited thereto, and may be, for example, the proximity sensor described above. In addition to or in addition to these, various sensors such as an impact sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and an illuminance sensor may be provided.

  Further, in the remote control system of the present embodiment, the case where dedicated hardware called the remote controller 100 is used has been described as an example, but instead of this, a smartphone installed with an application capable of realizing the same function as the remote controller 100 is installed. It may be used.

Claims (11)

A plurality of sensors, and a switching means for switching the on / off state of each of the sensors, and a remote controller that performs wireless communication with a control target,
The switching means is a remote control system for switching on / off states of the sensors based on various signals from inside and outside the remote controller. The control object includes a determination unit that sequentially determines instruction contents transmitted from the remote controller,
The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the switching unit switches an on / off state of each sensor based on a determination result by the determination unit. Registration means for registering information indicating a plurality of programs that cause the control target to execute a predetermined process and information indicating a sensor that is a transmission source of information necessary for each program to execute the predetermined process When,
A determination unit that sequentially determines which sensor is a transmission source of the information based on information registered by the registration unit when starting a program to be executed by the control target;
The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the switching unit switches an on / off state of each sensor based on a determination result by the determination unit.   The remote control system according to claim 1, further comprising means for measuring time for triggering any one of the sensors to be turned off.   The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the control object is transmitted when the on / off state of each sensor is switched.   The remote control system according to claim 1, comprising storage means for storing information indicating an on / off state of each sensor, and notification means for storing information stored by the storage means. The plurality of sensors includes a motion sensor;
The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the switching unit switches each of the sensors to an off state when detecting a change in acceleration at which the remote controller is expected to be placed by the motion sensor. The plurality of sensors includes a motion sensor and a microphone sensor,
The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the switching unit switches an on / off state of each sensor based on an output of either the motion sensor or the microphone sensor.   The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the control target includes a receiving unit that receives a signal transmitted from the remote controller, and a processing unit that processes a signal received by the receiving unit.   The remote control system according to claim 6, further comprising display means for displaying information based on the signal processed by the processing means. A remote controller used in the remote control system according to claim 1,
A remote controller that includes a plurality of sensors and a switching unit that switches an on / off state of each sensor, and performs wireless communication with a control target.

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