EP3480799A1 - Dispositif de commande à distance et procédé de fonctionnement - Google Patents

Dispositif de commande à distance et procédé de fonctionnement Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP3480799A1
EP3480799A1 EP17199747.1A EP17199747A EP3480799A1 EP 3480799 A1 EP3480799 A1 EP 3480799A1 EP 17199747 A EP17199747 A EP 17199747A EP 3480799 A1 EP3480799 A1 EP 3480799A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
button
remote control
controller
control device
electrical resistance
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP17199747.1A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Onur ULUAG
Oguzhan Íren EROL
Seyfi GÜLOGLU
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Vestel Elektronik Sanayi ve Ticaret AS
Original Assignee
Vestel Elektronik Sanayi ve Ticaret AS
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Vestel Elektronik Sanayi ve Ticaret AS filed Critical Vestel Elektronik Sanayi ve Ticaret AS
Priority to EP17199747.1A priority Critical patent/EP3480799A1/fr
Priority to TR2017/18628A priority patent/TR201718628A2/tr
Publication of EP3480799A1 publication Critical patent/EP3480799A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08C—TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS FOR MEASURED VALUES, CONTROL OR SIMILAR SIGNALS
    • G08C17/00—Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08C—TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS FOR MEASURED VALUES, CONTROL OR SIMILAR SIGNALS
    • G08C2201/00—Transmission systems of control signals via wireless link
    • G08C2201/30—User interface

Definitions

  • the present disclosure relates to a remote control device and method of operating a remote control device.
  • a remote control device (or more simply “remote control”) is a device for remotely controlling one or more external electronic devices such as a television, set top box, air-conditioning unit, games console, etc.
  • a user is able to control the electronic device using the remote control by pressing one or more buttons of the remote control which cause the remote control to transmit one or more command signals to the electronic device.
  • buttons of the remote control which cause the remote control to transmit one or more command signals to the electronic device.
  • a user may turn a television on by pressing an "on" button on a remote control, in response to which the remote control transmits a control signal to the television causing the television to turn on.
  • a plurality of buttons is usually provided on the remote control which have specifically designated functions.
  • Remote controls typically transmit command signals to the electronic device using wireless communications (e.g. infrared, Bluetooth, etc.), but may alternatively be connected to the electronic device via a wired connection, in which cases commands signals are sent via the wired connection.
  • wireless communications e.g. infrared, Bluetooth, etc.
  • buttons are connected to a grid of wires. Pressing a button activates a unique pair of wires, allowing a processor to determine which button was pressed and transmit the appropriate control command to the external electronic device.
  • a remote control device for transmitting control commands to an external device
  • the remote control device comprising: a plurality of sockets, each socket being constructed and arranged to receive a button having an electrical resistance; and a controller configured to: detect, when a button is inserted into one of the sockets, the electrical resistance of the inserted button; determine, from the detected electrical resistance, a control command associated with the inserted button; and transmit the determined control command associated with the inserted button to the external device in response to the inserted button being pressed.
  • the controller is configured to detect the electrical resistance of the inserted button in response to the button being pressed.
  • the remote control device comprises a data storage for storing associations between electrical resistances and control commands; and the controller is configured to determine the control command associated with the inserted button by accessing the data storage.
  • the sockets and controller are connected via wired connections such that when two or more inserted buttons are pressed the electrical resistance detected by the controller is an effective electrical resistance of the two or more inserted buttons.
  • the controller is configured to determine the electrical resistance of the inserted button in response to the button being inserted.
  • the controller is configured to assign the determined control command to the socket into which the inserted button was inserted such that the determined control command is transmitted to the external device in response to the inserted button being pressed.
  • the remote control device comprises a first plurality of sockets constructed and arranged to receive a first type of button, and a second plurality of sockets constructed and arranged to receive a second type of button.
  • each socket comprises a magnet arranged to hold a button in the socket.
  • a remote control device according to the first aspect and a plurality of buttons, at least some of the buttons having different electrical resistances detectable by the controller of the remote control device.
  • a method of transmitting control commands from a remote control device to an external device comprising: detecting, when a button having an electrical resistance is inserted into one of a plurality of sockets of the remote control device, the electrical resistance of the inserted button; determining, from the detected electrical resistance, a control command associated with the inserted button; and transmitting the determined control command associated with the inserted button to the external device in response to the inserted button being pressed.
  • Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of an example system 100 in which a user 110 operates a remote control 200 in order to control an electronic device 131.
  • the electronic device 131 is a television, but other electronic devices may be controlled such as an air-conditioning unit, a set top box, a games console, etc.
  • the user 110 presses a button on the remote control 200 which causes the remote control 200 to transmit a control signal 120 to a receiver 130 of the electronic device 131.
  • a button on the remote control 200 which causes the remote control 200 to transmit a control signal 120 to a receiver 130 of the electronic device 131.
  • receivers for receiving control signals from remote controls are typically integrated into the electronic device itself.
  • the remote control 200 is provided with a plurality of buttons each with a specific function.
  • the user 110 chooses a button to press based on a desired control function the user 110 wishes to implement (e.g. turning the electronic device 131 on).
  • the buttons may be provided with markings indicating the respective control function to the user 110 to aid the user 110 in finding the desired button.
  • the function of a particular button is associated with the location of the button on the remote.
  • the function of a button is tied to the button itself, allowing buttons to be moved around the remote control while maintaining their particular functionality.
  • the remote control 200 may be a keyboard.
  • the functionality remains static. That is, if the "T” and “K” keys are swapped, pressing the "T” key will type a "K”; the functionality remains unchanged.
  • the "T” key can be moved to any location on the keyboard and will still function as a “T” key (e.g. will still type "T” in response to being pressed).
  • FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of an example remote control 200 in accordance with embodiments described herein.
  • the remote control 200 comprises a controller 210, a memory 220, and a transmitter 240.
  • a controller 210 for the purposes of explanation.
  • the button 230 has already been inserted into a socket of the remote control 200. The process for doing so is described in more detail below.
  • the button 230 comprises a switch 231 and a resistor 232.
  • the switch 231 and resistor 232 are connected in series to two legs (described below) of the button 230.
  • the legs are, in the inserted position as shown in Figure 2 , electrically connected to the controller 210.
  • the controller 210 comprises one or more processors configured to perform the functionality described herein.
  • the controller 210 is operably coupled to each of the memory 220 and transmitter 240. As mentioned above, the controller 210 is also operably coupled to the button 230 (when the button 230 is inserted).
  • the memory 220 comprises one or more data storage devices for storing data.
  • the memory 220 is accessible by the controller 210 to at least perform read operations. That is, the controller 210 is able to read data from memory 220, though in other examples the controller 210 may also be able to write data to memory 220.
  • the transmitter 240 comprises one or more wired or wireless interfaces for transmitting control signals.
  • a wireless interface is an infrared interface configured to output data via an infrared signal.
  • Other examples include Bluetooth, WiFi, etc.
  • An example of a wired interface is an Ethernet interface.
  • the transmitter 240 is configured to receive control signals from the controller 210 and output the control commands as one or more control signals for receipt by a receiver 130 of an external electronic device 131 as described above in relation to Figure 1 .
  • a resistance value of the resistor 232 will affect measurable electrical properties (e.g. voltage or current) on the now closed circuit.
  • the controller 210 is configured to determine a control command associated with the determined resistance value. This may involve accessing memory 220 to identify the control command in a lookup table storing associations between resistance values and control commands. An example of such a lookup table is shown in Figure 3 .
  • the lookup table 300 (or other data structure) holds an association between resistance values 310 and control commands 320.
  • the controller 210 accesses the lookup table 300 to identify the control command 320 associated with the determined resistance value of the resistor 232. For example, if the resistor 232 is a 2000 ⁇ resistor, the controller 210 will calculate this based on measuring the voltage and/or current and then identify, using the lookup table 300, that the button 230 which was pressed is a "menu" button. In response to identifying the appropriate control command 320, the controller 210 sends the control command 320 to the transmitter 240. The control command 320 is then transmitted by the transmitter 240 for reception by a receiver 130 of the external electronic device 131 as one or more control signals 120.
  • Figure 4A shows a button 230 in accordance with a first example described herein.
  • the button 230 is cylindrical in shape, though other shapes are possible, such as cuboids.
  • the button 230 is able to fit in at least two sockets of the remote control 200 (as described below).
  • buttons may be provided which can each fit in a respective two or more types of socket. That is, different sets of buttons may be provided which are the same shape within a set and different between sets.
  • the remote control 200 may also comprise some fixed buttons which cannot be moved by the user 110.
  • character keys (buttons) and function keys (buttons) for insertion into sockets on a keyboard may be shaped such that the character keys can only fit into designated character key sockets and the function keys can only fit into designated function key sockets.
  • the user 110 still has freedom to place each type of key wherever desired within a restricted range.
  • the remote control 200 may be a games controller. In this case, one section of the games controller may have sockets for receiving "movement" buttons (up, down, left, right, etc.) and another section of the games controller may have sockets for receiving "action” buttons (shoot, reload, etc.)
  • the button 230 has a front face (outwardly facing when inserted in the remote control 200) and a back face (inwardly facing, so not in view, when inserted in the remote control 200).
  • the back face has two legs 231a-b for inserting into a socket of the remote control 200. When inserted, the legs 231a-b operably couple the button 230 to the remote control 200.
  • the front face has markings 232 indicating the user 110 the functionality associated with that button 230.
  • Figure 4B shows a second example button 230.
  • This button 230 is similar to the button 230 in Figure 4A , but the two legs 231a-b are arcuate in cross-section instead of being elongate pins. This allows for a better and more stable connection between the inserted button 230 and the remote control 200.
  • FIG. 5 shows schematically a top view of a remote control 200.
  • the remote control 200 has a transmitter 240, as before, for transmitting control signals 120 to a receiver 130 of an electronic device 131.
  • the remote control 200 has a plurality of sockets 250 for receiving buttons. Specifically, thirty-nine sockets 250 are shown, arranged in thirteen rows of three.
  • buttons 230 are shown next to the remote control 200 (i.e. not inserted into sockets 250 of the remote control 200).
  • At least one socket 250 is constructed to be able to receive two or more buttons 230.
  • each socket 250 can receive any button 230.
  • Each socket 250 comprises two electrical contacts 251a-b arranged to each contact a respective leg 231a-b of a button 230 when the button 230 is inserted into the socket 250.
  • the electrical contacts 251a-b thereby provide a connection between the internal circuitry of the remote control 200 and each button 230 (when inserted).
  • the contacts 251a-b may also be arranged to hold the button 230 in place, e.g. using friction or a locking mechanism (see Figure 6A and 6B ).
  • the sockets 250 may comprise a magnet arranged to hold a button 230 in place such that an electrical connection is maintained between the electrical contacts 251a-b and the legs 231a-b.
  • the buttons 230 may be constructed of a ferromagnetic material such as ferritic stainless steel, or may comprise a magnet of their own, or both.
  • Each button 230 is configured to initiate sending of a different control command to the electronic device 131.
  • Each button 230 may therefore be provided with a unique marking 232 such as a symbol indicating its functionality to the user 110.
  • buttons 230 can be inserted into any socket in this example, the user 110 is able to reconfigure the arrangement of buttons 230 on the remote control 200 at will. For example, the user 110 may place buttons 230 which the user 110 frequently uses in sockets 250 near the lower end of the remote control 250, to make them easier and more convenient to operate when the user 110 is holding the remote control 200.
  • buttons on such a remote control may be designed with a right-handed user in mind.
  • a left-handed user may therefore find such a remote control cumbersome or difficult to operate.
  • buttons 230 can simply reposition the buttons 230 as desired. This is achieved by having the functionality of the button 230 (i.e. what control command is triggered by pressing that button) follow the button 230 itself, rather than being assigned to a specific location on the remote control 200 (a specific socket 250).
  • each button 230 comprises an internal resistor 232, with each button's (or type of button's) internal resistor 232 having a different resistance.
  • the controller 210 measures the resistance value 310, looks up the corresponding control command 320, and transmits it via the transmitter 240. This processes is independent of where on the remote control the pressed button 230 is located (i.e. into which socket 250 the pressed button 230 is inserted).
  • buttons 230 may be manufactured with a consistent resistance value 310 for each control command 320.
  • An advantage of this is that if the user 110 loses or breaks one or more of the buttons 230, the user 110 is able to buy replacement buttons 230 which require no setup: they will automatically function as intended in the remote 200 due to the resistance value 310 being associated with a known control command 320.
  • the controller 210 measures the resistance value 310 in response to a button 230 being inserted into a socket 250 (e.g. for the first time). The controller 210 then identifies the control command 320 corresponding to that resistance value 310 (e.g. using lookup table 300), and stores an associated between the socket 250 into which the button 230 was inserted and the identified control command 320. In this example, the controller 210 does not need to measure the resistance value 310 every time the button 230 is pressed, as the functionality (control command 320) is associated directly with that socket 250.
  • Figures 6A and 6B illustrate insertion of a button 230 into a socket 350.
  • the button 230 is in this example is of the same type illustrated in Figure 4B , with arcuate shape legs to provide a greater contact area between the legs 231a-b of the button 230 and the socket 250.
  • the electrical contacts 251a-b for connecting to the legs 231a-b of the button 230 comprise holes for receiving a respective leg.
  • the socket 250 is constructed and arranged to lock the legs 231a-b into the holes when turned. That is, the button 230 can be locked into the socket 250 by, after placing each leg 231a-b in a respective hole, turning the button 230 (e.g. clockwise) about its longitudinal axis as shown in Figure 6B .
  • FIG 7 is a circuit diagram showing schematically an example circuitry of the remote control 200 into which three buttons 230a-c have been inserted.
  • Each button 230a-c comprises a respective switch 231a-c and internal resistor 232a-c in a manner described above in relation to Figure 2 .
  • each button 230a-c is connected to an input voltage VCC.
  • the other legs of each button 230a-c are connected to each other and to ground GND via reference resistor 262.
  • the controller 210 is connected to each button 230a-c between the reference resistor 262 and the buttons 230a-c themselves, in a potential divider arrangement in which the resistors 232a-c of each button 230 are connected in parallel.
  • closing a switch 231a-c forms a potential divider circuit having input voltage VCC, internal resistor 232a-c of the pressed button 230 as one resistor, and reference resistor 262 as the other.
  • the output voltage is measurable by the controller 210.
  • the controller 210 is able to determine the resistance value of the internal resistor 232a-c of the pressed button 230a-c by measuring the output voltage. To perform such a calculation, the controller 210 requires values of the input voltage VCC and the resistance of the reference resistor 262. These values can be stored in memory 220.
  • the output voltage measured by the controller 210 may be different from an output voltage resulting from any single one of the buttons 230a-c having been pressed.
  • the controller 210 may calculate a resistance value as normal, but the resistance value calculated will correspond to an effective resistance of all pressed buttons 230 connected in parallel. This effective resistance value may also be assigned to a control command, in the manner described above, thus allowing for additional functionality.
  • an analogue-to-digital converter is used to identify buttons 230.
  • known remote controls use a matrix scanning method for button readings because of the cost of components and to save space on a printed circuit board (PCB).
  • resistors are embedded inside the each button 230 which are therefore moved with the buttons to new socket locations whenever the user relocates the buttons. Use of an ADC is more suitable for this application.
  • the controller 210 e.g. a processor or a microcontroller unit
  • the controller 210 is in low power mode or in power down state most of the time and consumes little power.
  • an analogue comparator When a button 230 is pressed, an analogue comparator generates a signal to wake up the controller 210.
  • the analogue comparator may be in the controller 210, or may be an off-chip peripheral.
  • the reference signal of the analogue comparator may be connected to an internal voltage reference of the controller 210, but may also be provided externally.
  • the controller 210 wakes up and reads the analogue value (electrical resistance) of the button 230.
  • the controller 210 may be capable of both ADC and analogue comparison on a single pin so as not to require an external trace. If controller 210 is in power down state, an external analogue comparator or the button signal may power it on using a reset pin or a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).
  • PMIC power management integrated circuit
  • the interrupt system can perform digital switching via a component such as transistor, internally or externally.
  • a component such as transistor, internally or externally.
  • the pin When no button is pressed on the remote control, the pin is pulled down to ground signal, and after a button 230 is pressed, there is a voltage drop on the internal resistor of the button 230 and the pulldown resistor.
  • the connection of these resistors is associated with a voltage value.
  • the circuit is designed to that threshold.
  • the controller 210 wakes up and reads the analogue value of the button 230. Other methods to wake up the controller 210 are possible.
  • the remote control 200 may also comprise one or more de-bouncing circuits, electrical filters (such as R-C filter, glitch filter, hysteresis-band, etc.) or digital filters (software filters, etc.).
  • electrical filters such as R-C filter, glitch filter, hysteresis-band, etc.
  • digital filters software filters, etc.
  • processor or processing system or circuitry referred to herein may in practice be provided by a single chip or integrated circuit or plural chips or integrated circuits, optionally provided as a chipset, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field-programmable gate array (FPGA), digital signal processor (DSP), graphics processing units (GPUs), etc.
  • the chip or chips may comprise circuitry (as well as possibly firmware) for embodying at least one or more of a data processor or processors, a digital signal processor or processors, baseband circuitry and radio frequency circuitry, which are configurable so as to operate in accordance with the exemplary embodiments.
  • the exemplary embodiments may be implemented at least in part by computer software stored in (non-transitory) memory and executable by the processor, or by hardware, or by a combination of tangibly stored software and hardware (and tangibly stored firmware).
  • the invention also extends to computer programs, particularly computer programs on or in a carrier, adapted for putting the invention into practice.
  • the program may be in the form of non-transitory source code, object code, a code intermediate source and object code such as in partially compiled form, or in any other non-transitory form suitable for use in the implementation of processes according to the invention.
  • the carrier may be any entity or device capable of carrying the program.
  • the carrier may comprise a storage medium, such as a solid-state drive (SSD) or other semiconductor-based RAM; a ROM, for example a CD ROM or a semiconductor ROM; a magnetic recording medium, for example a floppy disk or hard disk; optical memory devices in general; etc.
  • SSD solid-state drive
  • ROM read-only memory
  • magnetic recording medium for example a floppy disk or hard disk
  • optical memory devices in general etc.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Selective Calling Equipment (AREA)
EP17199747.1A 2017-11-02 2017-11-02 Dispositif de commande à distance et procédé de fonctionnement Withdrawn EP3480799A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP17199747.1A EP3480799A1 (fr) 2017-11-02 2017-11-02 Dispositif de commande à distance et procédé de fonctionnement
TR2017/18628A TR201718628A2 (tr) 2017-11-02 2017-11-23 Uzaktan kumanda aleti̇ ve i̇şleti̇m metodu

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP17199747.1A EP3480799A1 (fr) 2017-11-02 2017-11-02 Dispositif de commande à distance et procédé de fonctionnement

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP3480799A1 true EP3480799A1 (fr) 2019-05-08

Family

ID=60262749

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP17199747.1A Withdrawn EP3480799A1 (fr) 2017-11-02 2017-11-02 Dispositif de commande à distance et procédé de fonctionnement

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP3480799A1 (fr)
TR (1) TR201718628A2 (fr)

Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5729222A (en) * 1993-05-21 1998-03-17 Jerry Iggulden User-configurable control device

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5729222A (en) * 1993-05-21 1998-03-17 Jerry Iggulden User-configurable control device

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
TR201718628A2 (tr) 2019-05-21

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US9606681B2 (en) Finger detection on touch screens for mobile devices
US20160154507A1 (en) Systems, methods, and devices for touch event and hover event detection
CN107463289B (zh) 一种触摸屏的校准方法、装置、存储介质及终端
US7685448B2 (en) Computer system sleep/awake circuit
US20100053113A1 (en) Electromagnetic Stylus for Operating a Capacitive Touch Panel
US20110060930A1 (en) Power-saving management method for computer peripheral device and system thereof
JP2019511072A (ja) スタイラスのソフトタッチ検出
CN106843487B (zh) 一种被握持的状态的确定方法及移动终端
US10921209B2 (en) Liquid sensor and method for controlling a function of a liquid sensor
US10656030B2 (en) Temperature sensing device capable of automatically switching mode and method thereof
US20200064943A1 (en) Touch Sensitive Processing Apparatus, System and Operating Method Thereof for Receiving Electrical signals Carrying Pressure Information
CN107430463A (zh) 用基于电容的数字化仪传感器进行的检测
US9785227B2 (en) Portable electronic systems
TWI581132B (zh) 發信器及其發信方法
CN106055296A (zh) 一种终端屏幕的显示亮度的控制方法及终端
EP3480799A1 (fr) Dispositif de commande à distance et procédé de fonctionnement
US20190272078A1 (en) Floating touch control sensing method, floating touch control sensing system, and non-transitory computer readable storage medium
US20170060288A1 (en) Capacitive touch sensing with lumped sensors
KR20230013076A (ko) 무선 주파수 프론트 엔드 부품 제어 방법 및 사용자 장비
CN103546138B (zh) 触摸按键控制电路
CN106210948A (zh) 一种开关电路、耳机插座、移动终端及方法
CN106776092B (zh) 一种接近传感器的状态检测方法、装置及终端
KR20090012450A (ko) 디지털 기기에서의 터치키 감도 조절장치 및 방법
CN114115501B (zh) 接口电压控制电路、方法、电子设备和存储介质
US20100185797A1 (en) Keyboard-mouse switch and switching method thereof

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION HAS BEEN PUBLISHED

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR

AX Request for extension of the european patent

Extension state: BA ME

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION IS DEEMED TO BE WITHDRAWN

18D Application deemed to be withdrawn

Effective date: 20191109