JP2000175276A - Remote controller and remote control system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow a user to control a device to be controlled by attaining transmission/reception of a prescribed signal between a remote controller and the device to be controlled and controlling the remote controller while observing a data image displayed on the remote controller. SOLUTION: The remote controller is provided with a start switch 12, a start signal transmission means 17 that transmits a start signal to a data image display panel 23 and a device to be controlled 50 that are started when the start switch 12 is closed, a data image signal reception means 15 that receives the data image signal sent from the started device 50, a control means 16 that processes the data image signal received by the data image signal reception means 15 and displays the data image on the data image display panel 23, and a control data signal transmission means 18 that transmits a control data signal based on the data image to the device to be controlled 50.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to a remote control device and a remote control system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art JP-A-4-157999, JP-A-5-260557, and JP-A-7-184270 disclose a signal transmitted from a transmission-only remote control device (hereinafter referred to as a "remote controller"). A technique for performing various controls such as activation of a controlled device such as a television receiver, channel switching, and sound / image adjustment is described. Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-184270 discloses a technique that enables a user to select a small item of a menu image displayed on the controlled device side by operating a remote control, and uses a touch panel as a means for selecting the small item. That is described. Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7999 describes a touch panel capable of outputting coordinate signals.

[0003]

However, in each of the above publications, a remote control is exclusively used for transmission. Therefore, a data image such as a menu image could not be displayed on the remote controller. That is, in the related art, there is no idea of performing a control in which a user operates the remote controller while a data image such as a menu image displayed on the remote controller is operated to cause a controlled device to perform a command operation.

[0004] The present invention has been made under the above circumstances, and by enabling a predetermined signal to be mutually transmitted and received between a remote controller and a controlled device controlled by the remote controller, It is an object of the present invention to enable a user to control a controlled device by operating a remote controller while watching a data image displayed on the remote controller side.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided a remote control apparatus, that is, a remote control, which includes a start switch, a data image display panel started by turning on the start switch, and a start signal for transmitting a start signal of a controlled device. Transmission means;
Data image signal receiving means for receiving a data image signal transmitted from the controlled device activated upon receiving the activation signal, and processing the data image signal received by the data image signal receiving means to produce a data image On the data image display panel, and control data signal transmitting means for transmitting a control data signal based on a data image to the controlled device to perform an instruction execution operation. is there.

According to the present invention, an operation for activating the controlled device is possible. Further, a data image based on a data image signal transmitted from the controlled device can be displayed on the data image display panel. Further, the user performs a command execution operation by transmitting a control data signal based on the data image to a controlled device such as a television or a video tape recorder while viewing the data image displayed on the data image display panel of the remote controller. Is possible.

In the remote controller according to the present invention, when the reception of the data image signal by the data image signal receiving means is not completed, a reception incomplete signal is transmitted to the controlled device to request retransmission of the data image signal. It is desirable to have an incomplete signal transmission means. In the present invention, the remote controller that has received the data image displays the data image on the data image display panel, and after the display, stops transmitting the incomplete reception signal, whereby the controlled device completes the transmission. According to the present invention, it is possible to repeatedly transmit and receive signals between the remote controller and the controlled device.

In the remote controller according to the present invention, the control means has a function of setting a power saving mode when a specified time has elapsed since the data image was displayed on the data image display panel; Through the ON operation of the retransmission request switch after being set, the device may have a function of causing the reception-uncompleted signal transmission unit to transmit a reception-uncompleted signal to the controlled device to request a retransmission of the data image signal. desirable. The retransmission request switch is a means for manually transmitting an incomplete reception signal to obtain a data image. In addition,
It is desirable that the signals of the above-described activation switch and retransmission request switch represent coordinates with “impossible values” such as minus. According to the present invention, the power saving mode is set when the specified time elapses while the data image is displayed on the data image display panel on the remote controller side, and the data image is not displayed on the data image display panel, for example. However, even in this case, the data image before switching to the power saving mode is valid, and when the retransmission request switch is turned on, the reception incomplete signal transmitting unit transmits the reception incomplete signal to the controlled device, and the controlled device Retransmit the data image signal. Therefore, the data image is displayed again on the data image display panel of the remote controller.

In the remote controller according to the present invention, the data image is a menu image having a plurality of small items, and a selection switch for selecting a small item from the menu image displayed on the data image display panel is provided. Then, a selection signal for the sub-item selected by the selection switch is transmitted as the control data signal to the controlled device via the control data signal transmission means to execute the command execution operation. Is desirable. According to the present invention, for example, a channel, a time zone, or the like, which is a sub-item, is selected from a TV program guide displayed as a menu image on the data image display panel, and the sub-item thus selected is selected. The controlled device can be controlled using the signal as a control data signal.

In the remote controller according to the present invention, it is preferable that the data image display panel is an LCD, the selection switch is a touch switch, and a combination of the LCD and the touch switch forms a touch panel. With this configuration, the user can control the controlled device only by touching the display position of the small item to be selected in the menu image displayed on the touch panel with the finger.

It is preferable that the remote controller according to the present invention has an ID signal transmitting means for transmitting a unique ID signal. By using such a remote controller, a plurality of people can enjoy a game such as mahjong using individual IDs.

[0012] A remote control system according to the present invention is a remote control system using a remote controller having a transmitting / receiving function and a controlled device having a transmitting / receiving function. Is transmitted and received. In the present invention, a data image obtained by receiving a data image signal transmitted from the controlled device by the remote controller and performing image processing is displayed on a data image display panel provided in the remote controller. It is desirable. Further, it is possible to transmit an ID signal unique to the remote controller when transmitting from the remote controller. The transmitted signal from the remote control includes
It is possible to adopt a signal in a format combining the ID, the X coordinate, and the Y coordinate.

[0013]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing a remote control device according to the present invention, that is, a remote controller and a controlled device, FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the remote controller and the controlled device, and FIG. It is a control flowchart.

The controlled equipment includes an image display device such as a television and a magnetic recording / reproducing device such as a video tape recorder. As can be inferred from FIG. 1, both the remote controller 10 and the controlled device 50 have a transmission / reception function, and a signal transmitted from the remote controller 10 is received by the controlled device 50, and the signal is transmitted from the controlled device 50. The transmitted signal is received by the remote controller 10. The signals exchanged between the two include various signals related to characters, images, symbols, colors, and the like. Therefore, for example, the data image signal transmitted from the controlled
0 can be displayed on the data image display panel 23 of the touch panel 11 provided on the remote controller 10, and further transmitted to the remote controller 10 when transmitted from the remote controller 10. It is also possible to transmit a unique ID signal. As a transmission signal from the remote controller 10, a signal in a format in which an ID, an X coordinate, and a Y coordinate are combined is employed.

As shown in FIG. 2, the remote controller 10 includes a start switch 12, a retransmission request switch 13, a transmitting unit 14, a data image signal receiving unit 15, the touch panel 11, and a control unit (CPU) 16. And
The retransmission request switch 13 is a means for manually sending a response signal to obtain a data image. The transmitting means 14 includes a start signal transmitting means 17, a control data signal transmitting means 18, and a reception incomplete signal transmitting means (NAC signal transmitting means) 19. The touch panel 11 includes a data image display panel (hereinafter, referred to as “LCD”) 23 formed by an LCD (liquid crystal display device) and a selection switch (to be described later).
It is formed by combining with a touch switch 24 as the above. The controlled device 50 includes a control unit (CPU) 51, a receiving unit 52, and a transmitting unit 53.

FIG. 3 illustrates the respective operations of the remote controller 10 and the controlled device 50 separately. The operation will be described with reference to FIGS.

The LCD 23 of the touch panel 11 is activated by the ON operation of the activation switch 12, and the activation signal is transmitted to the controlled device 50 by the activation signal transmitting means 17. This activation signal is received by the receiving means 52 of the controlled device 50, whereby the controlled device 50
Is started. When the controlled device 50 is activated in this way, a data image signal is transmitted from the transmission unit 53 of the controlled device 50. The data image signal is received by the data image signal receiving means 15 of the remote controller 10, the data image signal is processed by the control means 16, and when the reception of the data image signal is completed, the data image is transmitted to the touch panel of the remote controller 10. LCD 23 forming 11
Consequently, it is displayed on the touch panel 11. The remote controller 10 that has received the data image signal displays the data image as L
The display is displayed on the CD 23, and after the display, the transmission of the uncompleted signal is stopped, whereby the controlled device 50 completes the transmission.

Thus, the touch panel 1 on the remote control 10 side
When the data image is displayed on the display unit 1, the user transmits a control data signal (a combination signal of the ID signal, the X coordinate, and the Y coordinate) based on the data image while watching the data image. And causes the controlled device 50 to perform a command execution operation. Therefore, if the data image is a TV program guide, the user can select a desired program and watch the program on the television. When the controlled device 50 is a video tape recorder, it is possible to make a reservation in the video tape recorder.

When the reception of the data image signal by the data image signal receiving means 15 has not been completed, the NAC transmitting means 19 can transmit a reception incomplete signal to the controlled device 50 to request retransmission of the data image signal. It is.

When a specified time has elapsed since the data image was displayed on the LCD 23, a power saving mode was set by the function of the CPU 16, and after the power saving mode was set, the retransmission request switch 13 was turned on. Then, by the function of the NAC signal transmitting means 19, it is possible to transmit a data incomplete signal to the controlled device 50 to request retransmission of the data image signal. Even when the data image is not displayed on the LCD 23 in the power saving mode, the data image before switching to the power saving mode is valid.
The signal transmitting unit 19 transmits the unreceived signal to the controlled device 50, and the controlled device 50 retransmits the data image signal. Therefore, the data image is displayed again on the data image display panel of the remote controller.

When the data image is a menu image having a plurality of sub-items, a selection signal for the sub-item selected by the touch switch for selecting the sub-item from the menu image displayed on the LCD 23 is output. It is also possible to transmit the control data signal to the controlled device 50 via the control data signal transmission means 18 to perform the command execution operation.

In this embodiment, the selection switch is formed by the touch switch 24. And L
The touch panel 11 is formed by a combination of the CD 23 and the touch switch 24. Therefore, the user can control the controlled device 50 only by touching the display position of the small item to be selected in the menu image displayed on the touch panel 11 with the finger.

The remote controller 10 has a unique ID
It is desirable to have an ID signal transmitting means for transmitting a signal. With such a remote controller 10, a plurality of players can enjoy a game such as mahjong using individual IDs.

In this embodiment, the touch panel 11 is formed by combining the LCD 23 and the touch switch 24, and the touch panel 11 can display a data image or the like. A switch may be provided separately, and a sub-item of the data image displayed on the LCD 23 may be selected by the selection switch.

[0025]

According to the present invention, a predetermined signal can be mutually transmitted and received between a remote controller and a controlled device controlled by the remote controller, and a user can display data displayed on the remote controller side. The user can operate the remote controller while watching the image to control the controlled device. Therefore, for example, in a DVD-audio device, the lyrics and some explanation are transmitted from the device side to display the image on the remote control side, or the user makes a recording reservation while watching the TV program column displayed on the remote control side. In editing content, it is possible to easily display a keyboard screen transmitted from the controlled device on the remote controller and perform character input.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a remote controller and a controlled device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a remote controller and a controlled device.

FIG. 3 is a control flowchart of a controlled device by a remote controller.

[Description of Signs] 10 Remote control device (remote control) 11 Touch panel 12 Start switch 13 Retransmission request switch 15 Data image signal receiving unit 16 Control unit 17 Start signal transmitting unit 18 Control data signal transmitting unit 19 Transmission of incomplete reception signal (NAC) Means 23 Data image display panel (LCD) 24 Touch switch (selection switch) 50 Controlled device

Claims (9)

[Claims] An activation switch, activation signal transmission means for transmitting an activation signal of a data image display panel activated by an activation operation of the activation switch, and an activation signal of a controlled device, and the activation signal received and activated by receiving the activation signal Data image signal receiving means for receiving a data image signal transmitted from a controlled device, and control means for processing the data image signal received by the data image signal receiving means and displaying a data image on the data image display panel And a control data signal transmitting means for transmitting a control data signal based on a data image to the controlled device to execute a command execution operation. 2. An incomplete reception signal transmitting means for transmitting a reception incomplete signal to the controlled device when the reception of the data image signal by the data image signal receiving means is not completed, and requesting a retransmission of the data image signal. The remote control device according to claim 1, further comprising: 3. A function for setting a power saving mode when a specified time has elapsed since the data image was displayed on the data image display panel, and a function after the power saving mode was set. 3. The remote control device according to claim 2, wherein the remote control device has a function of causing the reception-uncompleted signal transmission unit to transmit a reception-uncompleted signal to the controlled device to request a retransmission of the data image signal through an ON operation of a retransmission request switch. 4. The data image is a menu image having a plurality of sub-items, and has a selection switch for selecting a sub-item from a menu image displayed on the data image display panel. And transmitting a selection signal for the selected sub-item as the control data signal to the controlled device via the control data signal transmitting means to execute the command execution operation. The remote control device according to claim 2. 5. The data image display panel is an LCD; the selection switch is a touch switch;
The remote control device according to claim 4, wherein a touch panel is formed by a combination of a CD and the touch switch. 6. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising ID signal transmitting means for transmitting a unique ID signal.
A remote control device according to claim 5. 7. A remote control system using a remote control device having a transmission / reception function and a controlled device having a transmission / reception function, wherein the remote control device and the controlled device mutually transmit and receive. Remote control system characterized by performing. 8. A data image obtained by receiving a data image signal transmitted from the controlled device by the remote control device and performing image processing on the data image signal is displayed on a data image display panel provided in the remote control device. A remote control system according to claim 7, 9. The remote control system according to claim 7, wherein an ID signal unique to the remote control device is transmitted at the time of transmission from the remote control device.