GB2411753A

GB2411753A - Touch sensitive programme listing remote control

Info

Publication number: GB2411753A
Application number: GB0404950A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Russell John Haines
Original assignee: Toshiba Research Europe Ltd
Current assignee: Toshiba Europe Ltd
Priority date: 2004-03-04
Filing date: 2004-03-04
Publication date: 2005-09-07
Anticipated expiration: 2024-03-04
Also published as: GB2411753B; GB0404950D0

Abstract

A hand-held remote control unit for use with a television, radio or any other device for playing audio, visual or multimedia material on the basis of a predetermined schedule published in a printed listing, includes: a finger sensitive region responsive to the presence of a user's finger at a selected sub-region of the printed listing. The listing may be attached to a remote control and recognisable to that control by electronic means (eg bar code or RFID tag, magnetic strip). The remote control may detect the presence of a finger by touch or optical means. Alternatively the printed listing itself may include an embedded touch sensitive region.

Description

2411 753 1 1

REMOTE CONTROL UNIT

This invention relates to a remote control unit for use with a television, radio or any other device for playing audio, visual or multimedia material. The invention further relates to a system including such a device, a method of using the remote control unit to choose a programme, and to a printed listing containing programme schedule information.

Programme schedule information for television radio broadcasts has for many years been published in printed listings. Printed listings are often available in standard magazine formats, and are often issued for a period such as one week, for a multiplicity of different television and radio channels on which the broadcasts are scheduled.

Also for many years devices such as televisions, radios, video cassette recorders and DVD players have been provided with hand-held remote control units each with a keypad for allowing the user, whilst seated remote from the device, to select channels, issue playback or record commands, and select other appropriate features, in order to organise the playback or recording of the audio, visual or multimedia material. Some handheld remote control units are capable of controlling two or more such devices. A user might for example wish to view a television broadcast on one channel, and to programme his video cassette recorder to record a broadcast programme on a different channel at some predetermined time in the future, selected from a printed listing or else from a listing broadcast on the network.

Such tasks as identifying and selecting a broadcast programme, and programming a recording device to record a specific broadcast programme at a future time, are often considered complex and prone to error. Accordingly, some systems have been developed in an attempt to simplify this. The VideoPlus (Registered Trade Mark) system, as disclosed for example in DE-A-4443404, for example, assigns specific programmer a number which is printed adjacent the corresponding programme on the printed listing; this VideoPlus unique number can then be used to select the programme to be recorded, for example by entering the number manually on the keypad of a hand held remote unit. WO 0111873 discloses an Internet television system which allows a user to view programme schedule information on a website and then to indicate, using a hand-held remote control unit, a desired programme from the listing; the Internet television responds to this command to select the appropriate television channel.

Whilst such systems help to reduce error in programme selection, they do not significantly reduce the complexity of the task, especially for people who find it difficult to use and understand electronic devices. The purpose of the invention therefore is to provide a more intuitive system for performing such tasks, with a reduced complexity.

A first invention provides a hand-held remote control unit for use with a television, radio or any other device for playing audio, visual or multimedia material on the basis of a predetermined schedule published in a printed listing, comprising: a finger sensitive region responsive to the presence of a user's finger at a selected sub-region, indicative of the user's choice of programme from the printed listing, for providing a corresponding programme signal indicative of the sub-region; means for accommodating and holding the printed listing overlying and in register with the finger sensitive region; and a transmitter for transmitting the programme signal to the device.

With such a control unit, it is possible for a user to load a conventional printed listing, turned to the current page, into the unit, and simply to press part of the page on which is printed the relevant programme, preferably also pressing an appropriate part of the control unit to issue a command such as "watch" or "record". By transmitting appropriate signals to the remote device or devices, indicative of the chosen programme and chosen action for that programme, it is possible for the device to automatically take the appropriate action at the right time, in accordance with the predetermined broadcast schedule.

The invention further provides a corresponding system comprising a television, radio or any other device for playing audio, visual or multimedia material, and a hand-held remote control unit according to the invention described above for transmitting the programme signal to the device; the device being responsive to the programme signal to store the programme information provided by the user.

Further, the invention provides a printed listing of a predetermined programme schedule for use with a television, radio or any other device for playing audio, visual or multimedia material, the printed listing further comprising computer readable data comprising the programme schedule. In addition, the computer readable data may further comprise identity data identifying the programme schedule, for example a particular issue of a printed listing publication.

The invention also provides a printed listing of a predetermined programme schedule for use with a television, radio or any other device for playing audio, visual or multimedia material, the printed listing having an embedded touchsensitive region in at least one of its pages, with multiple touch-sensitive sub-regions responsive to finger pressure to provide an electrical output signal indicative of that sub-region, each of the sub-regions being printed on its visible surface with programme information for one selectable programme.

The invention further provides a method of remotely controlling a television, radio or any other device for playing audio, visual or multimedia material using a hand-held remote control unit and a printed listing as defined in the inventions described above comprising: placing the printed listing on to the hand-held remote control unit so that it is in correct register with the finger sensitive region; selecting a programme by pressing the correspondingly printed part of the printed listing, to cause the control unit to signal to the device; whereby the device receives the programme signal and stores an indication of the required programme.

These inventions may take a variety of different forms, and preferred embodiments of the inventions will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a printed listing embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view from above of a hand-held remote control unit embodying the invention, for accommodating a full width open listings magazine; Figures 3a to 3e illustrate one system for sensing information from the printed listing; Figure 3a being a perspective view from above of a row of sensing pins, Figure 3b being a planned view of an array of holes in a page of the printed listing; Figure 3c being a transverse cross-section through the page of Figure 3b when laid over the pin array of Figure 3a, and Figures 3d and 3e being views corresponding respectively to Figures 3b and 3c for three holes instead of four holes; Figure 4a is an array of light sensors in plan view, Figure 4b is a view corresponding to Figure 3b of an array of holes in a printed listing, Figure 4c is a transverse section through the array of Figure 4a with the printed listing page of Figure 4b superposed, and Figures 4d and 4e are views corresponding to Figures 4b and 4c respectively, but with three holes instead of four; Figure 5 is a perspective view from above of a hand-held remote control unit embodying the invention, for accommodating a full width open printed listing magazine; Figure 6a is a view from above of a touch sensitive region of the control unit of Figure 5, Figure 6b is a transverse section through the region of Figure 6a, in the rest configuration, and Figure 6c is a view corresponding to Figure 6b but with pressure applied by a finger to a sub-region; Figures 7a to 7c are views corresponding to those of Figures 6a to 6c respectively, with a different construction of the touch sensitive region; Figure 8 is a perspective view from above of a further alternative form of finger sensitive region for use in the hand-held remote control unit of Figure 5; Figure 9 is a flow diagram showing one way in which the hand-held remote control unit can operate in accordance with the invention; and Figure 10 is a flow diagram showing an alternative way in which the remote control unit can operate in accordance with the invention.

With reference to Figure 1, a published printed listing 10 is in the form of a magazine with several pages, of which one page is shown exposed. The pages may be stapled together on a spine 13, where the sheets are folded centrally. In this example, the page size is the conventional A4 size, but smaller or larger formats are possible. A large rectangular area is devoted to printed matter which can be read by the user. This printed matter will include general information in one region 12, for example, and specific programme information 16a to 24a in one column for one channel, and specific programme information 16b to 24b in an adjacent column for a different channel. There may of course be more than two channels, or only one channel. This schedule may be for example for one day, and other pages may be provided for different days.

Further sub-regions may be devoted to the provision of commands from the user to the system, in this case for watching a programme, setting a reminder to watch a programme in the future, or recording a programme. Corresponding printed words are provided on sub-regions 25, 26 and 27 respectively, to allow the user to identify them.

Further, a computer readable sub-region 14 ofthe page has a bar code 15 or other form of code, which may be an alternative optical code, a magnetic code or a radio frequency identification tag, for example in a silicon chip (an REID tag). This computer readable information contains the identity of the page of the printed listing. In some embodiments, if it has sufficient capacity, it also contains the entire programme schedule information for that page, i.e. reproducing the human readable printed information on that page. The purpose of the location of the sub- regions 16a to 24a, 16b to 24b and 25 to 27 will be described below.

With reference to Figure 2, a hand-held remote control unit 201 in this example has the approximate size of the printed listing of Figure 1 opened out to double the size, i.e., with two pages exposed. The control unit 201 has a flat base for accommodating the printed listing, and a raised rectangular head 205 which is a housing for a power source such as a replaceable battery, an infrared emitter 210 and microprocessor circuitry for controlling the operation of the unit. A resiliently hinged or deformable clip 206 is provided along the upper edge of the base, for holding the printed listing in place.

When the listing is in correct register, its corners are located securely in triangular receptors 202, of which there are four in the corners of the base. Beside each of the lower corners of the base, is a linear array 203 of pins or light detectors, described below with reference to Figures 3 and 4, for detecting corresponding punched holes in the printed listing in order to identify the page which is opened. This system uses a simple binary code, whereby a hole is provided or not provided at a specific location along the array. The digital code is detected by each corner sensor array, and converted into an appropriate electrical signal which is sent to the circuitry in the head 205.

Similarly, in the top left corner of the base, an array 204 of pins or light detectors detects corresponding punched holes in the page or pages of the printed listing to determine which brand of listing is currently in place, and also which issue of that brand: for example "Radio Times" (Registered Trade Mark) together with the weekly issue number.

The rectangular central region of the base is finger sensitive, and preferably touch sensitive, so that it can determine which of the subregions 16a to 24a, 16b to 24b and to 27 of each page of the listing is currently being indicated by the user. With the open printed listing correctly in register overlying the touch sensitive region, the user may indicate by pressing with his finger over the printed portion corresponding to his desired programme or desired function; this information is then converted by the touch sensitive pad into corresponding electrical signals sent to the circuitry in the head 205.

As described below with reference to Figures 9 and 10, the information is used by the circuitry of the remote control unit 201 and by the device or devices to which the information is transmitted, to allow the user to watch or record his desired programme, or to preset the system for future watching or recording. In this example, the transmission to the remote device is done by an infrared beam from the emitter 210, but alternative transmission systems such as radio frequency waves are of course possible alternatives.

The sensors 203, 204 may be in the form of an array of pins, and one example is shown in Figure 3a in which there are five pins 204. These are used to sense holes 100 punched in the printed listing page 10, as shown in Figures 3b and 3d: the hole may be present or absent, at each of the five predetermined locations. As shown in Figures 3d and Be, the pins 204, which are resiliently deformable, project through the corresponding holes 100, but are depressed by the paper 10 if there is no hole. The depression of the pins is detected by miniature electric switches which convey appropriate signals to the circuitry in the head 205.

An alternative system is shown with reference to Figures 4a to 4e, in which instead of pins there are individual light sensors 110, in this example once again in a row of five.

The light sensors detect ambient light from the room, and detect when this is obstructed by the page 10. As shown in Figures 4c and 4e, light L from the room is capable of entering the sensor array through any punched holes 100, and the array of photo detectors 110 provides corresponding signals to the circuitry in the head 205.

Peripheral shields 111 are provided over the photo detectors to prevent the bleed of light into adjacent detectors.

An alternative form of hand-held control unit is shown schematically in Figure 5. The base portion of the unit 301 has a central touch sensitive region 304, and the open printed listing magazine is accommodated in the same way as in the example of Figure 2, except that instead of the receptors 202 and clip 206 there is, at each side, a hinged clamp or flap 302, 303 which opens out to allow the magazine to be placed underneath, and holds it in place when the hinged flap is closed as shown. The hinge 306, 307 may for example include an over centre spring arrangement. A sensor array 308, 309 is provided on the underside of each respective flap 302, 303, for detecting computer readable data 15 in the region 14 of the printed listing as shown in Figure 1. Each flap may also have sensor arrays such as those of Figures 3 and 4 in other parts of the underside of the flap, for detecting printed listing identification information. In this example, the remote control unit accommodates the full width of an open magazine, but an alternative form is possible in which the printed listing is folded as shown in Figure 1 and only one page is exposed. In this example, there would be for example only one hinged flap 302.

The infrared emitter 310 housed in the head 305 transmits a signal to a receiving detector 311 shown in a television receiver 312 connected by cable to a video cassette recorder 313, which are shown to a reduced scale. Obviously other system configurations are possible, involving other forms of video, radio or other multimedia material, being broadcast or viewed or recorded for future enjoyment.

The central regions of each form of control unit preferably have a touch sensitive pad, as shown in Figures 6 and 7 for example, or else a different form of finger sensitive pad such as that shown in Figure 8.

As shown in Figure 6a, a touch sensitive pad comprises a pair of superposed conductive sheets 40, 41 which in this example are of rubber with a conductive backing layer 401, 411 as shown in Figure 6b. The sheets 40, 41 are spaced by rubber spacers 42 which give them a resilient deformability. As shown in Figure 6a, when finger pressure is applied to a sub-region, corresponding rubber spacers 42 are deformed, and the corresponding sub-regions of the conductive backing are brought into contact or low resistance. The conductive backing is connected as shown in Figure 6a to grid wires 1, 1', 2, 2' for example, to provide signals indicative of the depressed sub- region, and these signals are conveyed to the circuitry of the head 205, 305.

In the alternative example shown in Figures 7a to 7c, the sheets 50, S 1 are non- conductive but have a conductive grid 501, S11 on their inner surfaces. For example, the sheets are of rubber with a wire mesh on the facing sides. The exposed edges of the wire mesh are connected to grid wires (not shown).

In Figure 8, the finger sensitive pad operates optically, with an array of light emitters, such as light emitting diodes 61, provided along one edge block 65 of the pad, and a corresponding array of photo detectors 63 is provided along an opposite edge block 65.

A further light channel is provided at the end of the pad, between light emitter 62 and photo detector 64 on corresponding L shaped edge blocks 66. As is known in the art, the obstruction of one or more light paths by a user's finger 68 is detected, and corresponding electrical signals are sent to the circuitry in the head 205, 305, for interpretation, to identify the user's programme selection or command.

As an alternative to the arrangement described above in which a published, printed listing is accommodated and held in a remote control unit, it is possible to publish a specially configured printed listing of which the pages themselves are finger sensitive.

Thus conductive wiring, for example, can be incorporated in the pages of the printed listing of Figure l, and also a thin electronic circuit could be embedded in one or more of the pages to identify the page, for example by a certain pattern of resistance in a coil on the front cover. Thus the particular page of the printed listing issue could be identified using an embedded thin circuit or coil in the region 14 of Figure 1, and wires could be embedded in the pages to sense the depression of sub-regions 16a to 24a and 16b to 24b and 25 to 27 of Figure 1, as to provide resistance or other electrical signals to the control circuitry. The control circuitry and the transmitter 210 could be accommodated in the page or pages, with sufficient miniaturization being available. A miniature power source could also be embedded and connected in the page.

Alternatively, terminal connections from the thin circuits of the page could be brought into register and electrical connection with the head 205, 305, of a hand-held remote control unit such as those shown in Figures 2 and 5, suitably adapted. In the case that each page has a grid of embedded wires for touch sensitivity, there would not necessarily be any need to address the pages separately, with electrical connections; the pages could be stacked, and connected altogether. Provided there were separate identification of the exposed page, this would be satisfactory, because the information One process for controlling the system including the television or other device will now be described with reference to Figure 9. In this case, computer readable information including the schedule of programmes is obtained in the hand-held remote control unit.

This is obtained either by reading the embedded data from the magnetic strip or the REID tag or the like; or else by downloading the programme listing from the television or other device. The user selects the programme he wishes to view or to record, from the printed listing page which is exposed. This is done by indicating the sub-region with his finger. The circuitry in the head 205, 305 then determines whether the listings magazine details are known, i.e., whether the identity of that particular page is known.

If not, then the brand of the magazine, the issue number and the page number are determined, for example by reading the code 15. If then the magazine page content is known, i.e. the details of the schedule of programmes for that page, then the circuitry proceeds to determine which programme was selected by the user; if not, it determines the programme details and their positions on the page, using the signals from the sub regions. Finally, the control unit transmits to the remote device an appropriate command to view or record the selected programme, now or in the future.

In the alternative method shown in Figure 10, the control unit does not attempt to obtain the hill programme schedule, but assumes that this will be available to the television or other device. Once again, the circuit detects whether the magazine page details are known, and determines the brand of magazine, issue number and page number if not. It then transmits the data indicative of the magazine, the issue number and the page, together with the sub-region or regions selected, to the remote device which stores it.

This data could for example include an index number identifying the programme selection, for example the fifth programme in the third channel for that particular day or week. As an alternative, the identification of the magazine and page number could be omitted, it being assumed that the page is current: the device would then only need to know the index number for the programme selected, and preferably the user's command such as watch, record or set reminder for future watching.

The next stage is that the television device or other media viewing or recording apparatus determines, from the received signal from the control unit, the user selected programme, based on the received data and from its own knowledge of the programme schedule. When it is the appropriate time to view the programme, the device then selects the appropriate channel and mode of operation, to allow the user to enjoy the programme, or to allow the recording device to record it for future enjoyment.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A hand-held remote control unit for use with a television,

radio or any other device for playing audio, visual or multimedia material on the basis of a predetermined schedule published in a printed listing, comprising: a finger sensitive region responsive to the presence of a user's finger at a selected sub-region, indicative of the user's choice of prograTrune from the printed listing, for providing a corresponding programme signal indicative of the sub-region; means for accommodating and holding the printed listing overlying and in register with the finger sensitive region; and a transmitter for transmitting the programme signal to the device.
2. A hand-held remote control unit according to Claim 1, wherein the printed listing has identity data in a predetermined position, and the control unit has a sensor for reading the identity data, in use, to determine an identity of the listing, the transmitter being arranged additionally to transmit the identity data to the device.
3. A hand-held remote control unit according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the printed listing has encoded schedule data representative of the programmes scheduled, and the control unit comprises a sensor arranged to read the schedule data, the transmitter being arranged additionally to transmit the schedule data to the device.
4. A hand-held remote control unit according to any of Claims 1 to 3, responsive to an indication from the user of a required action to take in relation to the programme chosen, to transmit corresponding command data to the device.
5. A hand-held remote control unit according to Claim 4 in which the finger sensitive region is responsive to the said indication from the user of a required action being made at a selected sub-region different from the sub regions allocated to the programme choice.
6. A hand-held remote control according to Claim 4 in which the control unit has a further finger sensitive region dedicated to responding to the user's indication of a required action.
7. A hand-held remote control according to Claims 1 to 6 in which the finger sensitive region for programme choice is touch sensitive.
8. A hand-held remote control according to Claim 6 for indicating the required action is touch sensitive.
9. A hand-held remote control unit according to any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the unit has one or more hinged clamps for holding an edge or corresponding opposed edges of the printed listing.
10. A hand-held remote control unit according to Claims 2 and 9, wherein the or each hinged clamp houses the sensor for identifying the printed listing.
11. A hand-held remote control unit according to Claim 2, for use with a multi- age listing, each page having a different schedule, the sensor being arranged to read identity data to determine the identity of the page currently exposed to the user.
12. A hand-held remote control unit according to Claim 2, wherein the sensor is a magnetic sensor.
13. A hand-held remote control unit according to Claim 3, wherein the sensor for schedule data is a magnetic sensor.
14. A hand-held remote control unit according to Claim 2, wherein the sensor is adapted to detect REID tags embedded in the printed listings.
15. A hand-held remote control unit according to Claim 3, wherein the sensor for schedule data is adapted to detect REID tags embedded in the printed listings.
16. A hand-held remote control unit according to Claim 2, wherein the sensor is an optical sensor.
17. A hand-held remote control unit according to Claim 3, wherein the sensor for schedule data is an optical sensor.
18. A hand-held remote control unit according to claim 17, wherein the optical sensor is adapted to detect a bar code on the printed listing.
19. A hand-held remote control unit according to Claim 17, wherein the optical sensor is adapted to detect holes in predetermined places in the printed listing in accordance with a predetermined code.
20. A hand-held remote control unit according to Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein the or each sensor comprises multiple resiliently depressable pins in predetermined positions, responsive to the presence or absence of holes in the printed listing in accordance with a predetermined code to provide corresponding electrical signals.
21. A hand-held remote control unit according to any preceding claim, comprising means for downloading programme schedule data and having: means responsive to the schedule data for converting the programme signal into programme data indicative of the user's choice of programme; the transmitter being arranged to transmit the programme data to the device to enable it to identify the user's choice of programme.
22. A printed listing of a predetermined programme schedule for use with a television, radio or any other device for playing audio, visual or multimedia material, the printed listing further comprising computer readable data comprising the programme schedule.
23. A printed listing of a predetermined programme schedule for use with a television, radio or any other device for playing audio, visual or multimedia material, the printed listing having an embedded touchsensitive region in at least one of its pages, with multiple touchsensitive sub-regions responsive to finger pressure to provide an electrical output signal indicative of that sub region, each of the subregions being printed on its visible surface with programme information for one selectable F'ogramme.
24. A printed listing according to Claim 23, further comprising computer readable data comprising the programme schedule.
25. A printed listing according to Claim 22 or 24, in which the computer readable data further comprise identity data identifying the programme schedule.
26. A printed listing according to Claim 25 wherein all the identity data and programme schedule data are stored in a single memory device attached to or formed integrally with the printed listing.
27. A printed listing according to Claim 22, 24 or 25, wherein the means for storing the identity data comprises a magnetic strip.
28. A control unit according to any of Claims 1 to 21, or a system according to Claim 22 or 23, in which the transmitter is arranged to transmit the programme signal as an infra-red beam.

28. A printed listing according to Claim 24 or 25, wherein the means for storing the identity data comprises a bar code.

29. A printed listing according to Claim 22, 24 or 25, wherein the means for storing the identity data comprises an RFID tag.

30. A printed listing according to Claim 24 or 25, wherein the means for storing the identity data comprises a pattern of holes in accordance with a predetermined code.

31. A system comprising a television, radio or any other device for playing audio, visual or multimedia material, and a hand-held remote control unit according to any of Claims 1 to 21 for transmitting the programme signal to the device; the device being responsive to the programme signal to store the programme information provided by the user.

32. A system according to Claim 31, in which the hand-held remote control unit is in accordance with any of Claims 4 to 6, and the device is responsive to the command data to action the command by delivering the programme immediately or when required and/or by recording the programme for delayed viewing by the user.

33. A method of remotely controlling a television, radio or any other device for playing audio, visual or multimedia material using a hand-held remote control unit according to any of Claims 1 to 21 and a printed listing according to any of Claims 22 to 30, comprising: placing the printed listing on to the hand-held remote control unit so that it is in correct register with the finger sensitive region; and selecting a programme by pressing the correspondingly printed part of the printed listing, to cause the control unit to signal to the device; whereby the device receives the programme signal and stores an indication of the required programme.

34. A method according to Claim 33, in which the hand-held remote control unit is in accordance with any of Claims 4 to 6, and the device is responsive to the command data to action the command by delivering the programme immediately or when required and/or by recording the programme for delayed viewing by the user.

35. A control unit according to any of Claims 1 to 21, or a system according to Claim 31 or 32, in which the transmitter transmits the programme signal as a radio wave.

36. A control unit according to any of Claims 1 to 21, or a system according to Claim 31 or 32, in which the transmitter transmits the programme signal as an infra-red beam.

37. A printed listing according to any of Claims 22 to 30, comprising an integral transmitter and a power source for the transmitter, for transmitting data to a television, radio or any other device for playing audio, visual or multimedia material, representative of a programme selection made by a user holding and reading the listing.

38. A printed listing according to Claim 37, in which the or each page of the printed listing is touch-sensitive and provides electrical signals to the transmitter indicative of the touched sub-region of the page whereby to enable the user to select a programme from that page.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows CLAIMS: 1. A hand-held remote control unit for use with a television, radio or any other device for playing audio, visual or multimedia material on the basis of a predetermined schedule published in a printed listing, comprising: a finger sensitive region responsive to the presence of a user's finger at a selected sub-region, indicative of the user's choice of programme from the printed listing, for providing a corresponding programme signal indicative of the sub-region; means for accommodating and holding the printed listing overlying and in register with the finger sensitive region; and a transmitter for transmitting the programme signal to the device.

2. A hand-held remote control unit according to Claim 1, wherein the printed listing has identity data in a predetermined position, and the control unit has a sensor for reading the identity data, in use, to determine an identity of the listing, the transmitter being arranged additionally to transmit the identity data to the device.

A hand-held remote control unit according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the printed listing has encoded schedule data representative of the programmes scheduled, and the control unit comprises a sensor arranged to read the schedule data, the transmitter being arranged additionally to transmit the schedule data to the device.

4. A hand-held remote control unit according to any of Claims 1 to 3, responsive to an indication from the user of a required action to take in relation to the programme chosen, to transmit corresponding command data to the device.

5. A hand-held remote control unit according to Claim 4 in which the finger sensitive region is responsive to the said indication from the user of a required action being made at a selected sub-region different from the sub regions allocated to the programme choice.

6. A hand-held remote control according to Claim 4 in which the control unit has a further finger sensitive region dedicated to responding to the user's indication of a required action.

7. A hand-held remote control according to Claims 1 to 6 in which the finger sensitive region for programme choice is touch sensitive.

8. A hand-held remote control according to Claim 6 for indicating the required action is touch sensitive.

9. A hand-held remote control unit according to any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the unit has one or more hinged clamps for holding an edge or corresponding opposed edges of the printed listing.

10. A hand-held remote control unit according to Claims 2 and 9, wherein the or each hinged clamp houses the sensor for identifying the printed listing.

11. A hand-held remote control unit according to Claim 2, for use with a multi age listing, each page having a different schedule, the sensor being arranged to read identity data to determine the identity of the page currently exposed to the user.

12. A hand-held remote control unit according to Claim 2, wherein the sensor is a magnetic sensor.

3. A hand-held remote control unit according to Claim 3, wherein the sensor for schedule data is a magnetic sensor.

14. A hand-held remote control unit according to Claim 2, wherein the sensor is adapted to detect REID tags embedded in the printed listings. ] 9

15. A hand-held remote control unit according to Claim 3, wherein the sensor for schedule data is adapted to detect RFID tags embedded in the printed listings.

16. A hand-held remote control unit according to Claim 2, wherein the sensor is an optical sensor.

17. A hand-held remote control unit according to Claim 3, wherein the sensor for schedule data is an optical sensor.

18. A hand-held remote control unit according to claim 17, wherein the optical sensor is adapted to detect a bar code on the printed listing.

19. A hand-held remote control unit according to Claim 17, wherein the optical sensor is adapted to detect holes in predetermined places in the printed listing in accordance with a predetermined code.

20. A hand-held remote control unit according to Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein the or each sensor comprises multiple resiliently depressable pins in predetermined positions, responsive to the presence or absence of holes in the printed listing in accordance with a predetermined code to provide corresponding electrical signals.

21. A hand-held remote control unit according to any preceding claim, comprising means for downloading programme schedule data and having: means responsive to the schedule data for converting the programme signal into programme data indicative of the user's choice of programme; the transmitter being arranged to transmit the programme data to the device to enable it to identify the user's choice of programme.

22. A system comprising a television, radio or any other device for playing audio, visual or multimedia material, and a hand-held remote control unit according to any of Claims 1 to 21 for transmitting the programme signal to the device; the device being responsive to the programme signal to store the programme information provided by the user.

23. A system according to Claim 22, in which the hand-held remote control unit is in accordance with any of Claims 4 to 6, and the device is responsive to the command data to action the command by delivering the programme immediately or when required and/or by recording the programme for delayed viewing by the user.

24. A method of remotely controlling a television, radio or any other device for playing audio, visual or multimedia material using a hand-held remote control unit according to any of Claims 1 to 21 and a printed listing of a predetermined programme schedule for use with a television, radio or any other device for playing audio, visual or multimedia material, the printed listing further comprising computer readable data comprising the programme schedule, comprising: placing the printed listing on to the hand-held remote control unit so that it is in correct register with the finger sensitive region; and selecting a programme by pressing the correspondingly printed part of the printed listing, to cause the control unit to signal to the device; whereby the device receives the programme signal and stores an indication of the required programme.

25. A method of remotely controlling a television, radio or any other device for playing audio, visual or multimedia material using a hand-held remote control unit according to any of Claims 1 to 21 and a printed listing of a predetermined programme schedule for use with a television, radio or any other device for playing audio, visual or multimedia material, the printed listing having an embedded touch-sensitive region in at least one of its pages, with multiple touch-sensitive sub-regions responsive to finger pressure to provide an electrical output signal indicative of that sub-region, each of the sub-regions being printed on its visible surface with programme information for one selectable programme, comprising: placing the printed listing on to the hand-held remote control unit so that it is in correct register with the finger sensitive region; and selecting a programme by pressing the correspondingly printed part of the printed listing, to cause the control unit to signal to the device; whereby the device receives the programme signal and stores an indication of the required programme.

26. A method according to Claim 24 or 25, in which the hand-held remote control unit is in accordance with any of Claims 4 to 6, and the device is responsive to the command data to action the command by delivering the programme immediately or when required and/or by recording the programme for delayed viewing by the user.

27. A control unit according to any of Claims l to 21, or a system according to Claim 22 or 23, in which the transmitter is arranged to transmit the programme signal as a radio wave.