JP4606379B2 - Remote control system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a remote control system including a remote controller and an apparatus main body controlled by the remote controller.

As a remote control system including a remote controller and an apparatus main body controlled by the remote controller, a television set, a DVD recorder, an audio set, an air conditioner, a camera set, and the like are known. Also known is a remote control transmitter that can easily find a lost remote control transmitter (see Patent Document 1). Conventionally, a wireless IC tag is provided on a product, a book, or the like in response to a request for product management (see Patent Documents 2 and 3).
JP 2001-83595 A JP 2006-39902 A JP 2004-102947 A

  By the way, as shown also in the said patent document 1, a remote controller may be lost and it may have a hard time to look for this. In the technique described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to provide the remote control transmitter with a receiving unit that receives a control signal transmitted from the camera and a vibration generating unit. In addition, the operation buttons (operational contents) provided on the remote controller are generally more than the operation buttons (operational contents) provided on the apparatus main body, and if the remote controller is lost The operation content is limited.

  In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a remote control system that can prevent loss of a remote controller and eliminate inconvenience associated with loss.

  In order to solve the above problems, a remote control system of the present invention is a remote control system comprising a remote controller and an apparatus main body controlled by the remote controller, and the remote controller relates to the remote controller. A wireless IC tag storing information is attached, and the apparatus main body can detect and read the information stored in the wireless IC tag by detecting electromagnetic waves emitted from the wireless IC tag, and the wireless IC tag. A reading section is provided for sound notification when a situation in which a tag cannot be detected occurs (hereinafter referred to as a first configuration in this section).

  If it is the said 1st structure, for example, if it becomes impossible to detect the said wireless IC tag because the remote controller for television sets is brought into the next room by an infant, for example, the said sound alert | report will be performed. As a result, the user hears this sound notification and knows that the remote controller has been taken, and can retrieve the remote controller before it is lost. Also, for example, if you forget to place the camera remote controller on the bench, if you move away from the camera so that the wireless IC tag cannot be detected on the camera side (for example, go to a place exceeding 5 meters from the bench) The sound notification will be performed, and the user will notice that the remote controller has been misplaced after hearing the sound notification.

  In the first configuration, the reading unit may have a unique power source and be detachably attached to the apparatus main body. Further, in such a detachable configuration, sound notification may be performed when the wireless IC tag can be detected in a state of being detached from the apparatus main body. With these configurations, the reading unit can be used like a detector for a wireless IC tag. Further, in such a configuration, a sound emitted when the apparatus is attached to the apparatus main body may be different from a sound emitted when the apparatus is detached from the apparatus main body.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a remote control system comprising a remote controller and an apparatus main body controlled by the remote controller. The remote controller includes a wireless IC in which information related to the remote controller is stored. A tag is attached, and a reading unit having a unique power source is detachably provided in the apparatus main body, and the reading unit emits the information stored in the wireless IC tag. In a state where the electromagnetic wave can be detected and read and is detached from the apparatus main body, sound notification is performed when the wireless IC tag can be detected (hereinafter referred to as a second configuration in this section).

  With the second configuration, the reading unit can be used like a detector for a wireless IC tag, although the operation at the time of mounting the reading unit in the first configuration cannot be obtained.

  In a configuration in which sound notification is performed when the wireless IC tag can be detected in a state of being detached from the apparatus main body, the intensity of the electromagnetic wave that can be detected is higher when the reading unit is in a state of being separated from the apparatus main body. The sound notification sound may be increased.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a remote control system comprising a remote controller and an apparatus main body controlled by the remote controller. The remote controller includes a wireless IC in which information related to the remote controller is stored. A tag is attached, and the apparatus main body has a situation in which the information stored in the wireless IC tag can be read by detecting an electromagnetic wave emitted by the wireless IC tag and the wireless IC tag cannot be detected. In this case, a reading unit for notifying the microcomputer of the apparatus main body is provided (hereinafter referred to as a third configuration in this section).

  If it is said structure, generation | occurrence | production of the situation which cannot confirm presence of a remote controller as an apparatus main body can be known.

  In the third configuration, the apparatus main body has a normal operation mode on the assumption that the remote controller exists, and a mode on the assumption that the remote controller is lost or the battery is dead, and the normal operation mode. An emergency operation mode to which operable contents are added compared to the mode is prepared, and the microcomputer may adopt the emergency operation mode when receiving the notification. For example, the display device includes a display for displaying an image and a touch detection unit provided on the display. In the emergency operation mode, a button as an additional operation content is displayed on the display, and the touch detection unit It may be detected whether the button is operated. Alternatively, the button for the emergency operation mode may be provided in the main body operation unit, and the operation on the button may be disabled in the normal operation mode and enabled in the emergency operation mode.

  In the remote control system configured as described above, the wireless IC tag may obtain operating power from a driving power source of the remote controller. Alternatively, the wireless IC tag may obtain operating power with electromagnetic waves emitted from the reading unit.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the remote controller from being lost or to eliminate the inconvenience associated with the loss.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 shows a television set 30 as an example of a remote control system.

  The antenna 1 receives a digital broadcast signal transmitted from a terrestrial broadcast station. The terrestrial digital tuner 2 takes out a signal of a specific frequency from the high frequency digital modulation signal including video / audio data. Further, the tuner 2 includes a demodulation circuit, a deinterleave circuit, an error correction circuit, and the like, thereby demodulating the selected digital modulation signal and outputting a transport stream.

  An MPEG-TS decoder separation circuit (hereinafter simply referred to as a decoder) 3 converts the transport stream into MPEG2 (Moving Picture Experts Group 2) or H.264. H.264 video stream, audio stream, and PSI / SI (Program Specific Information / Service Information). The AV decoder unit includes a video decoder that decodes a video stream and an audio decoder that decodes an audio stream. Video data output from the video decoder is output to the video processing unit 4, and audio data output from the audio decoder is output to the audio processing unit 5.

  The video processing unit 4 receives video data of the received video, performs D / A conversion, and generates a video signal. The video processing unit 4 has an OSD (on-screen display function), and synthesizes video based on character information and color information instructed to be output from the microcomputer 13 with the video data. The audio processing unit 5 receives the audio data output from the decoder 3 and generates right (R) sound data and left (L) sound data.

  The video signal is supplied to a display (for example, a liquid crystal display panel) 11 through a driver 7. The audio data is converted into an analog signal through the D / A conversion amplifier 8 and input to the speaker 12.

  The memory (RAM, EEPROM, flash memory, ROM, etc.) 14 stores various programs and data. When the power of the television set 30 is turned on, the microcomputer (microcomputer) 13 expands the program and data stored in the ROM into the RAM and executes the program on the RAM. This program includes a driver and a protocol stack for controlling the HDD 17, USB interface 20, and LAN interface 18.

  The remote control transmitter (remote controller) 15 is a transmitter for sending commands to the television set 30. When a key provided on the remote control transmitter 15 is operated, signal light (remote control signal) indicating a command corresponding to the key is transmitted from the light emitting unit. The light receiving unit 16 receives the signal light output when the key of the remote control transmitter 15 is operated, converts it into an electric signal, performs code analysis, and gives channel number information and the like to the microcomputer 13.

  In addition, a wireless IC tag 15 a is attached to the surface of the housing of the remote control transmitter 15 or the inside of the housing. The wireless IC tag 15a stores information related to the remote control transmitter 15 (IC data indicating ID code, manufacturer information, serial number, corresponding device information, etc.).

  On the other hand, the main body of the television set 30 is provided with a reading unit 23. The reading unit 23 can detect and read the information (IC data) stored in the wireless IC tag 15a by detecting electromagnetic waves emitted from the wireless IC tag. For example, the reading unit 23 emits electromagnetic waves for reading at intervals of 3 seconds, for example. When the wireless IC tag 15a receives this electromagnetic wave with its antenna, power is generated. The wireless IC tag 15a uses the electric power to emit the information from the antenna as an electromagnetic wave. The reading unit 23 receives the electromagnetic wave emitted from the wireless IC tag 15a and acquires the information.

  Further, the reading unit 23 has a memory (not shown), and the same information (confirmation data) as the information related to the remote control transmitter 15 is stored in this memory. The reading unit 23 determines whether the received information (IC data) matches the information stored in the memory (confirmation data). This coincidence determination may be, for example, a coincidence determination of only the ID code described above. In addition to the memory, the reading unit 23 includes an electromagnetic wave modulation / demodulation circuit, and a microcomputer that executes the above-described determination processing and information reading from the memory. The reading unit 23 includes a sound output unit 23a. When the coincidence result is obtained in the determination, the microcomputer of the reading unit 23 does not perform any particular processing. On the other hand, when the coincidence result is not obtained in the determination (including the case where the electromagnetic wave cannot be received), The sound output unit 23a is operated. The sound output unit 23a outputs, for example, a buzzer sound, an electronic sound, a sound stored in a sound memory, and the like. The reading unit 23 configured as described above performs information storage, coincidence determination processing, and sound output processing by itself. Alternatively, the speaker 12 may be used.

  The reading unit 23 is provided with a knob for adjusting the emission level of the electromagnetic wave emitted by the reading unit 23 and the receivable range (electromagnetic wave amplification factor for electromagnetic wave reception) of the electromagnetic wave emitted by the wireless IC tag 15a. It is good. The user does not output sound from the sound output unit 23a in the room where the television set 30 is installed, and outputs sound from the sound output unit 23a when the remote control transmitter 15 is taken out of the room. As described above, the electromagnetic wave emission level and the receivable range are adjusted in advance.

  For example, an infant may take the remote control transmitter 15 out of the living room while watching TV in the living room, but the remote control transmitter 15 is out of the reception range that the reading unit 23 can read. Is taken out, the sound is output from the sound output unit 23a as described above. The user notices that the remote control transmitter 15 has been taken out of the living room by this sound, and can take back the remote control transmitter 15 before the remote control transmitter 15 is lost. Even if a wireless IC tag is attached to a remote control transmitter or the like for an indoor air conditioner, the information emitted from the wireless IC tag is different from the information emitted from the remote control transmitter 15. Misidentification of remote control transmitter does not occur.

  The reading unit 23 may be energized even when the television set 30 is in a standby state. In this case, even when the user is not watching the television, the user will notice that the remote control transmitter 15 has been taken out of the living room by the sound generated by the sound output unit 23a.

  The reading unit 23 may instruct the sound output unit 23a to output sound, and at the same time, may provide the microcomputer 13 with a notification (signal) indicating that the presence of the remote control transmitter 15 cannot be confirmed. When watching TV (when the TV is turned on), upon receiving the notification, the microcomputer 13 superimposes a text message such as “cannot confirm the presence of the remote control” on the received video to the OSD unit. You can also pose.

  The reading unit 23 may have a unique power source and be detachably attached to the main body of the television set 30. With such a configuration, when the remote control transmitter 15 does not know where it has gone, it walks around each room with the reader 23 in hand. When the remote control transmitter 15 (wireless IC tag 15a) is approaching, the sound output unit 23a does not emit a sound, so that the user knows that the remote control transmitter 15 has been approached. Note that the reading unit 23 may be provided with a switch for stopping sound generation.

  The reading unit 23 may perform sound notification when the wireless IC tag 15a can be detected in a state in which the reading unit 23 is detached from the main body of the television set 30. That is, the reading unit 23 performs sound notification when the wireless IC tag 15a cannot be detected in a state where the reading unit 23 is attached to the main body of the television set 30, and in a state where the reading unit 23 is detached from the main body of the television set 30, Sound notification is performed when the wireless IC tag 15a can be detected. In this sound notification, it is preferable that the sound emitted in the wearing state is different from the sound emitted in the detached state (for example, different in wavelength, rhythm, melody, sound interval, voice, etc.).

  The reading unit 23 may be a reading unit having a configuration in which the operation content at the time of mounting is omitted. That is, even when the wireless IC tag cannot be detected even in the mounted state, the sound notification operation is not performed, and in the detached state, the sound notification is performed when the wireless IC tag 15a can be detected (hereinafter, referred to as a second configuration). ).

  As described above, when the reading unit is detachable, the electromagnetic wave for communicating with the wireless IC tag 15a is always generated when the reading unit is detached (or the time interval such as the above-described 3 second interval is set to 1 second interval). Or may be generated every time a switch (not shown) provided in the reading unit is operated.

  Whether the reading unit 23 is attached to or detached from the main body of the television set 30 can be determined by adopting the following configuration. For example, a convex portion is provided in the mounting portion of the main body, and when the reading unit 23 is mounted, the operating piece is pressed to the switch to turn off the switch, and when released, the operating piece is not pressed and the switch is pressed. When the magnet is provided on the mounting part of the main body or the reading part 23 is attached, the operating piece is attracted to the magnet to turn off the switch, and when it is detached, the magnet is attached to the operating part. It is possible to adopt a configuration in which the switch is turned on without any attraction. In addition, if the reading unit 23 has a secondary battery and is configured to receive power from the main body at the time of mounting, it is also possible to determine whether it is in the mounted state by providing a circuit for determining whether it is in the powered state. Can do. Of course, it is not limited to these structures.

  The microcomputer of the reading unit 23 switches the operation described above depending on whether the reading unit 23 is attached to the main body or detached. In the second configuration, rather than switching the operation, the operation (notifying the sound when the wireless IC tag 15a is detected) is started when detecting the separation state. become.

  With such a configuration, when the remote control transmitter 15 (wireless IC tag 15a) approaches the place where the remote control transmitter 15 (wireless IC tag 15a) is located, the sound output unit 23a emits a sound. It is known that the wireless IC tag 15a) has been approached. It is desirable that the reading unit 23 increase the volume of the sound emitted by the sound output unit 23a as the reception level (reception electric field strength) of the electromagnetic wave emitted by the wireless IC tag 15a is larger.

  Note that the reading unit 23 may be configured as a USB device incorporating a unique power source (secondary battery), and may be used by being attached to and detached from the USB interface 20.

  The remote control system described above can be applied not only to a television set but also to a video recorder, an air conditioner, and the like.

  The television set 30 has a normal operation mode on the assumption that the remote control transmitter 15 exists, and a mode on the assumption that the remote control transmitter 15 is lost or runs out of batteries. When the microcomputer 13 receives a notification that the presence of the remote control transmitter 15 cannot be confirmed from the reading unit 23, the emergency operation mode to which the operable content is added as compared with the operation mode is prepared. The emergency operation mode may be adopted.

  For example, a touch detection unit is provided on the lowermost side of the display 11 in the television set 30. This touch detection unit has a structure in which an electrode is sandwiched between transparent films, and the resistance value changes depending on the place where the electrode is pressed (the contact position of the electrode). When the microcomputer 13 adopts the emergency operation mode, the OSD unit displays a button that does not exist on the main body operation unit in the lowermost region of the screen corresponding to the location of the touch detection unit. For example, buttons such as “contrast increase”, “contrast decrease”, “surround”, “video mode selection”, and “clock setting” are displayed. The microcomputer 13 determines which button is pressed based on the resistance value output by the touch detection unit, and executes processing corresponding to the content indicated by the button. Button display may be performed in one horizontal row, or two or more rows.

  Alternatively, the button for the emergency operation mode is provided in the main body operation unit of the television set 30, and the operation for the button is invalid in the normal operation mode and valid in the emergency operation mode (the microcomputer 13 is operated). It is also possible to execute processing corresponding to the content indicated by the button.

  In the above-described embodiment, the wireless IC tag 15a generates electromagnetic power generated by the reading unit 23 and generates operating power. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The wireless IC tag 15a may obtain power from a battery built in the remote control transmitter 15. In this case, the reading unit 23 may not be able to detect the wireless IC tag 15a even when the battery of the remote control transmitter 15 has run out or is about to run out. Therefore, the sound output when the reading unit 23 cannot detect the wireless IC tag 15a also becomes a notification sound indicating that the remote control transmitter 15 is out of battery.

It is the block diagram which showed the television set of embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

13 Microcomputer
14 memory 15 remote control transmitter 15a wireless IC tag 20 USB interface 23 reading unit 23a sound output unit 30 television set

Claims (9)

A remote control system comprising a remote controller and an apparatus main body controlled by the remote controller,
The remote controller is equipped with a wireless IC tag storing information related to the remote controller,
The device main body is in a normal operation mode on the assumption that the remote controller exists, and a mode on the assumption that the remote controller is lost or out of battery, and can be operated compared to the normal operation mode. There are emergency operation modes with added content,
The apparatus main body is provided with a button for the emergency operation mode and a detachable reading unit having a unique power source, and the operation on the button is invalid in the normal operation mode, and in the emergency operation mode. The reading unit is enabled, and the information stored in the wireless IC tag can be read by detecting an electromagnetic wave emitted by the wireless IC tag and the wireless IC tag cannot be detected. A remote control system characterized by performing . 2. The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein in a state in which the reading unit is detached from the apparatus main body, sound notification is performed when the wireless IC tag can be detected . 3. The remote control system according to claim 2, wherein a sound generated when the reading unit is attached to the apparatus main body is different from a sound generated when the reading unit is detached from the apparatus main body. And remote control system. A remote control system comprising a remote controller and an apparatus main body controlled by the remote controller,
The remote controller is equipped with a wireless IC tag storing information related to the remote controller,
The device main body is in a normal operation mode on the assumption that the remote controller exists, and a mode on the assumption that the remote controller is lost or out of battery, and can be operated compared to the normal operation mode. Emergency operation mode with added content is available,
The apparatus main body is provided with a button for the emergency operation mode and a detachable reading unit having a unique power source, and the operation on the button is disabled in the normal operation mode, and in the emergency operation mode. When enabled, the reading unit can read the information stored in the wireless IC tag by detecting an electromagnetic wave emitted by the wireless IC tag. A remote control system characterized by sound notification when it can be detected . 5. The remote control system according to claim 2, wherein when the reading unit is in a state of being detached from the apparatus main body, the higher the intensity of the electromagnetic wave that can be detected, the larger the sound of the sound notification. A remote control system characterized by A remote control system comprising a remote controller and an apparatus main body controlled by the remote controller,
The remote controller is equipped with a wireless IC tag storing information related to the remote controller,
The device main body is in a normal operation mode on the assumption that the remote controller exists, and a mode on the assumption that the remote controller is lost or out of battery, and can be operated compared to the normal operation mode. There are emergency operation modes with added content,
In the apparatus main body, when the situation in which the information stored in the wireless IC tag can be detected by detecting electromagnetic waves emitted from the wireless IC tag and the wireless IC tag cannot be detected, the apparatus A reading unit for notifying the microcomputer of the main body and a button for the emergency operation mode are provided, and when the microcomputer receives the notification from the reading unit, the microcomputer adopts the emergency operation mode, The remote control system characterized in that an operation on a button is disabled in the normal operation mode and enabled in the emergency operation mode . The remote control system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the button for the emergency operation mode is provided on a main body operation unit . 8. The remote control system according to claim 1 , wherein the wireless IC tag obtains operating power from a driving power source of the remote controller. 8. The remote control system according to claim 1 , wherein the wireless IC tag obtains operating power by an electromagnetic wave generated by the reading unit . 9.

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