EP0353227A1 - Apparatus for controlling a television receiver or the like - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for switching off a television receiver or other apparatus by launching a soft projectile at the receiver or at any other apparatus. The projectile contains a transmitter adapted to be activated by impact forces to transmit a signal to a receiver incorporated in a communication device that cuts power to the television receiver, or other device, upon receipt of such a signal.

Description

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Title: "Apparatus for controlling a television receiver or the like"

THIS INVENTION relates to apparatus for controlling an electrical appliance such as a television receiver, a radio, an electric light or an electric heater, or even an electrically controllable device primarily energised in some other way.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved means of controlling appliances, particularly, but not exclusively, in a domestic setting.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a means whereby an electrical or electrically operable appliance may be controlled remotely by means of indeterminate mechanical inputs applied to a control device which is not easily damaged and which will not easily damage other items or injure persons or pets, for example.

Preferably the control device comprises a con- troller mounted within a padded or cushioned body, for example in the form of a cushion, soft brick or ball, or a soft toy.

A more particular object of the invention, in one of its aspects, is to provide an improved means whereby a viewer of a programme being shown by a domestic television receiver can switch off the receiver, in a non-destructive manner, by throwing a missile at it.

According to the last-noted aspect of the invention there is provided apparatus for controlling a television receiver or the like electrical appliance, comprising a unit adapted to be connected between an electrical power outlet and the television receiver or other appliance, for controlling the supply of electrical power to the appliance, the unit incorporating a signal receiver and being arranged, on receipt, by said signal receiver, of a predetermined signal from a transmitter, to cut off the supply of power to said appliance, said transmitter being incorporated in a missile adapted to be thrown by hand and being arranged to emit such a predetermined signal upon detection of impact of said missile with another body, by an impact detector also incorporated in the missile.

Preferably the unit is arranged, when in a state to cut off the supply of power to said appliance, to change to a state in which it permits the supply of power to said appliance, upon receipt of a said signal by said signal receiver, and is arranged, when in said state to permit supply of power to the appliance, to change to a state in which it cuts off the supply of power to said appliance upon receipt of a said signal by said signal receiver.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided apparatus for controlling an electrical appliance, or an electrically controlled appliance including a receiver unit connected with the appliance and arranged to control the latter, and a transmitter incor- porated in a soft toy, cushion, or the like and arranged to transmit controlling signals to said receiver unit in accordance with physical forces applied to the soft toy or the like, or in accordance with other physical stimuli such as the heat of a human body.

Embodiments of the invention are described below by way of example.

The accompanying drawings show electronic circuitry which may be used in one embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:- FIGURE 1 illustrates one form of transmitter circuit which may be incorporated in the brick, cushion, soft toy or the like and

FIGURE 2 illustrates a corresponding receiver cir¬ cuit which may be incorporated in the appliance, such as a T.V. receiver, to be controlled.

In one embodiment of the invention, intended for controlling a television receiver, the apparatus includes a unit adapted for connection between the electrical power outlet and the television receiver which unit has an outward form generally similar to that of a conventional power socket "adapto^'r" and comprises a casing having a portion in the form of a plug with conventional prongs extending therefrom for insertion into a standard electrical supply socket, the casing further having a portion in the form of a socket to receive the prongs of a corresponding standard electrical plug, such socket hav- ing conventional contacts therein for engagement with such prongs and the arrangement being, for example, such that, the socket contacts for the "earth" prong are permanently connected directly with the "earth" prong on the plug portion, whilst the socket contacts for the "neutral" and "live" plug prongs are connected with the "neutral" and "live" prongs of the plug portion by way of respective electrically operable switching devices, such as solid state switches, or respective switches of a relay, circuit breaker, or the like, said switching device being controlled by control circuitry also provided within the casing.

Such control circuitry includes a signal receiver, for example adapted to receive ultrasonic or radio signals of a predetermined frequency or character emitted by a transmitter (to be described). The circuitry within the casing may have a two-state characteristic such that when the unit is in a state in which the switching device is "on", if the signal receiver receives such a predetermined signal from the transmitter, the circuitry will operate to^' place the switching device in the "off" condition and when the unit is in the state in which the switching device is in the "off" condition, if the signal receiver then receives such a predetermined signal from the transmitter, the unit will operate to place the switching device in the "on" condition. Alternatively, the circuitry within the casing may be arranged to be normally in the "on" condition, when connected between the mains supply and the appliance, but to be placed briefly in the "off" condition for a predetermined period if the receiver receives such a signal from the transmitter to switch off the television receiver or other appliance for a short period, the circuitry within the casing returning automatically to its "on" condition to switch the television receiver or other appliance on again, after that predetermined period has elapsed. It will be appreciated that the circuitry within the casing can readily be powered by means of electricity supplied via the live and neutral pins of the plug portion.

The transmitter is incorporated in a missile adapted to be thrown by hand at the television receiver without damaging the same. To this end, the missile preferably has the form of an externally soft ball, brick, cushion soft toy or the like. Thus, for example, the transmitter and associated circuitry, including, for example, electrical batteries to power the same, may be encap¬ sulated within a rigid casing received within a cavity devised in a block or ball of soft plastics foam, which may, for example, be received within an outer decorative envelope of fabric, plastics film or the like. The transmitter includes, in addition to a means for trans¬ mitting the predetermined, for example, -ultrasonic or radio signals to which the signal receiver will respond, a transducer, for example in the form of a trembler switch, which will provide an electrical signal when the missile is subjected to impact forces of the order which it will receive upon striking a wall or a television receiver or similar stationary object. The circuitry within the missile further incorporates means for detecting such an electrical signal produced by the transducer and for causing the transmitter to transmit a corresponding signal for receipt by the signal receiver. In addition, as noted above, the encapsulated casing within the missile accommodates an electrical battery providing power for such circuitry.

In use, during normal viewing, the missile may simply be kept close to hand and may serve, for example, as a cushion or decorative furnishing. If, however, the television viewer is, for example, exasperated by a particular television transmission or by a political or other figure appearing thereon, he may simply throw the missile at the television receiver, causing the latter no damage but causing the above-described unit to cut off the power supply to the receiver and thereby switch the latter off, as a consequence of the signal emitted by the missile upon impact with the receiver, or, if the missile has missed the receiver, the adjacent wall or furniture. Where the receiver circuit has the two-state character¬ istic described above, when it is desired once more to resume viewing, it is simply necessary to throw the missile once more at a point in the vicinity of the socket unit, or simply to drop the missile to cause it to emit a further signal to switch the receiver on again. Where the receiver circuit is arranged to return to its "on" state after a predetermined period, the receiver will, of course, be switched on again automatically at the end of that period. It will be appreciated that the power supply control unit may take other forms, for example it may be adapted to be connected in the electrical lead extending from the television receiver to the standard plug. Furthermore, a corresponding unit may be incorporated in the television receiver itself, and in the latter case may be arranged, for example, to change channels or effect some other form of control upon receipt of the appropriate signal rather than switching off entirely.

However, it is contemplated that the missile and the "adaptor" switching unit should be sold as a complete package for use with existing television receivers, as a novelty item.

In another embodiment of the invention an electrical appliance, which might be a television receiver, or might be a radio, record or cassette player, or an electric light or room heater, or possibly an alarm installed in another room, may be arranged to be remotely operated by a transmitter installed within a soft toy, such as a teddy bear, or in a cushion, pillow or the like, the transmitter being arranged to transmit signals to, for example, a receiver unit such as described in relation to the first described embodiment of the invention, when a sensor within the toy or the like and connected with the trans¬ mitter is operated by a child squeezing the toy, or releasing the toy after it has been held for some time, or by sensing the body heat of a child, or lack of the same, depending upon the nature of the desired control.

Thus, for example, the arrangement may be such' that a small child can switch on a night light by squeezing the soft toy, with the light switching off a short time after pressure on the toy has been relaxed upon the child falling asleep. Referring to the drawings a transmitter circuit which may be incorporated in the soft missile or soft toy referred to above includes a monostable circuit incor¬ porating PNP transistor Q2 and NPN transistor Q3_> capacitor C1 and resistors R1, R3 and R4. When switched from its stable, quiescent state (herein referred to as its "off" state) to its alternative state (herein referred to as its "on" state), the monostable circuit energises a crystal-controlled oscillator circuit incorporating a transistor Q4, crystal X1, inductor L1, resistors R5, R6 and R7 and capacitors C3 and C5. The output from the oscillator circuit is fed, via a capacitor C4, to a transmission antenna, which may, for example, simply comprise a suitable -length of a thin flexible conductor extended within the brick, cushion, soft toy or the like. The monostable circuit can be triggered into its "on" state by closure of either of two switches SW1 and SW2 to temporarily earth the input I of the monostable circuit. The switches SW1 and SW2, connected in parallel with each other, are, where the transmitter is intended to be fitted within a missile to respond to impact forces, conveniently trembler switches physically arranged within the brick, cushion, doll or the like so as to be responsive to shocks acting in mutually perpendicular directions, to maximise the likelihood that at least one of the two switches will close during impact of the brick, cushion, doll or the like with a stationary object. It will be noted that when the monostable circuit is triggered into its "on" state, the effect is to apply for a brief period, to what is effectively the positive supply rail P of the oscillator circuit an energising potential, the duration of this period being determined, in known manner, by the values of the components in the monostable circuit. Accordingly, the oscillator circuit will oscillate for the duration of the "on" period of the monostable and the antenna will radiate CW radio waves for a corresponding duration. Considering Figure 2, the receiver circuit com¬ prises a superhet receiver, the active components of which are incorporated in an integrated circuit 20 and a local oscillator circuit 22. IF filters 24 and 26 form an IF strip of the receiver. The receiver further comprises a detector comprising diodes D7, Dδ, resistor R14 and capacitors C13 and C14.

The input of the receiver, taking the form of a positive pulse of a duration corresponding to the period of the monostable in the transmitter, is applied on line 28 to an integrated counter circuit 30 which is so interconnected with diodes D1 to D5, capacitors Co to C8 and Rδ to R11, that upon the appearance of a pulse on line 28 as a result of a signal being transmitted by the transmitter, the circuit 30 applies an output signal, on line 32, to the base of a driver transistor Q6, via resistor R10, for a predetermined duration, so as to energise the coll 3^ of a mains relay K1 having a first relay switch connected in the "live" power supply line to the television receiver or other appliance and a second relay switch connected in the "neutral" power supply line to the television receiver or other appliance. Con¬ sequently the relay drops out, terminating the supply of electricity to the television receiver or appliance for said predetermined duration.

The portion of the circuit including counter 30 is so arranged as to return to its normal "stand-by" condition at the end of said predetermined duration.

Where it is desired that the throwing of the brick, cushion, doll or the like should turn the television receiver or other appliance off for an indefinite period, the relay K1 may be replaced by an electromagnetically triggerable circuit breaker which, after it has been tripped will require a manual resetting operation to energise the apparatus again. With the illustrated arrangement using a mains relay, the apparatus such as television receiver may be arranged to be turned off only briefly upon operation of the circuitry.

Claims

1. A means whereby an electrical or electrically operable appliance may be controlled remotely by means of indeterminate mechanical inputs applied to a control device which is not easily damaged and which will not easily damage other items or injure persons or pets, for example.

2. Apparatus for controlling a television receiver or the like electrical appliance, comprising a unit adapted to be connected between an electrical power outlet and the television receiver -or other appliance, for controlling the supply of electrical power to the appliance, the unit incorporating a signal receiver and being arranged, on receipt, by said signal receiver, of a predetermined signal from a transmitter to cut off the supply of power to said appliance, said transmitter being incorporated in missile adapted to be thrown by hand and being arranged to emit such a predetermined signal upon detection of impact of said missile with another body, by an impact detector also incorporated in the missile.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said unit is arranged, when in a state to cut off the supply of power to said appliance, to change to a state in which it permits the supply of power to said appliance, upon receipt of a said signal by said signal receiver, and is arranged, when in said state to permit supply of power to the appliance, to change to a state in which it cuts off the supply of. power to said appliance upon receipt of a said signal by said signal receiver.

4. Apparatus for controlling an electrical appliance, or an electrically controlled appliance including a receiver unit connected with the appliance and arranged to control the latter, and a transmitter incorporated in a soft toy, cushion, or the like and arranged to transmit controlling signals to said receiver unit in accordance with physical forces applied to the soft toy or the like, or in accordance with other physical stimuli such as the heat of a human body.