JP2002101477A - Remote controller, device to be remotely controlled, and electric device with remote control function - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an audio unit 10 that can send/receive both an IR(infrared ray) remote control signal and an RF (radio frequency electromagnetic wave) remote control signal, freely select a proper RF signal from among a plurality of RF bands and relieve a load on a user by band switching. SOLUTION: The user uses only a remote controller 21 to select a frequency band. When the user depresses a power-on key of the remote controller 21, IR and RF power codes are transmitted to an audio unit body 11. When the audio unit body 11 receives no RF power code from the remote controller 21, the audio unit main body 11 instructs the remote controller 21 to transmit an RF band confirmation code and to scan the RF band. When the audio unit body 11 receives the power code during scanning, the audio unit body 11 uses the RF band after then.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a remote controller, a remote controller, and an electric device having a remote control function applied to, for example, home appliances and the like, and more particularly, to transmitting and receiving a remote control signal by both infrared rays and electromagnetic waves. The present invention relates to a remote controller, a remote controller, and an electric device having a remote control function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An audio device as an electric device with a remote control function is provided with a remote controller, and a user operates a remote controller at hand to send a remote control signal such as power-on to a main body. The main unit is remotely controlled. Some remote controllers can transmit a remote control signal by both IR (Infrared Rays) and RF (Radio Frequency: radio frequency electromagnetic waves). Transmission of the remote control signal by RF is performed by IR
There is an advantage such that it is not necessary to operate the remote controller toward the main body side for the transmission of the remote control signal by, but erroneous reception due to interference or noise is likely to occur, and to prevent this, A plurality of RF bands (RF frequency bands) are prepared, and one of the prepared RF bands is selected by the user according to the situation, and R is selected in the selected frequency band.
F transmits and receives a remote control signal.

[0003]

In the conventional audio device, when changing the RF band, the user has to manually switch the frequency band in both the audio device main body and the remote controller, which makes the operation troublesome. ing.

An object of the present invention is to provide a remote controller, a remote controller, and an electric device with a remote control function, which can reduce the trouble of changing the frequency band of the electromagnetic wave for the remote control signal.

[0005]

According to the remote controller of the first invention, the remote control signal can be freely transmitted by both infrared rays and electromagnetic waves, and the user can set a plurality of transmission frequency bands for transmission by electromagnetic waves. One is selected from different ones. The remote controller transmits a power-on remote control signal using both infrared rays and electromagnetic waves in the currently selected frequency band, and then receives a request for transmission of electromagnetic waves from the remote controller using infrared rays. The electromagnetic wave in the frequency band is continuously transmitted for a predetermined time.

[0006] Electromagnetic waves include RF. The transmission of the power-on remote control signal by both the infrared ray and the electromagnetic wave in the remote controller may be performed in time overlap, or after transmitting one of the infrared ray and the electromagnetic wave first, continuously, or slightly. It is assumed that the other may be transmitted after an interval. The electromagnetic wave continuously transmitted by the remote controller in the current frequency band for a predetermined time period may be any electromagnetic wave as long as the electromagnetic wave for the remote controller to detect the frequency band of the electromagnetic wave transmitted by the remote controller is, for example, A remote control signal indicating power-on may also serve as such an electromagnetic wave.

The user manually selects an appropriate frequency band of the electromagnetic wave in the remote controller according to the situation. On the other hand, the remote controller controls the received frequency band to be equal to the frequency band selected by the remote controller.
Automatically switched. That is, when the user performs an operation for instructing power-on in the remote controller, a remote control signal of infrared and electromagnetic waves indicating power-on is transmitted from the remote controller. The remote controller receives an infrared remote control signal. The remote controller also receives a power-on remote control signal from the remote controller by the electromagnetic wave when the current electromagnetic wave frequency band matches the electromagnetic wave frequency band in the remote controller. On the other hand, when the current electromagnetic wave frequency band of the remote controller is different from the electromagnetic wave frequency band of the remote controller, the remote controller remote-controls the power-on electromagnetic wave from the remote controller. Since the control signal cannot be received, the remote controller receives an electromagnetic wave transmission request from the remote controller. In response to this, the remote controller continues to transmit the electromagnetic wave of the currently selected frequency band for a predetermined time, and the remote controller uses this electromagnetic wave to transmit a frequency corresponding to the currently selected frequency band of the remote controller. It is possible to switch to the reception frequency band of the band.

According to the remote controller of the second invention, the remote control signal can be received by both infrared rays and electromagnetic waves, and the reception frequency band of the electromagnetic waves can be switched. In the remote controller, when the power-on remote control signal is received by both infrared rays and electromagnetic waves, the reception frequency band of the electromagnetic wave remote control signal is maintained at the current frequency, and the power-on remote control signal is transmitted. When receiving only by infrared rays, transmit a request for transmission of electromagnetic waves to the remote controller by infrared rays to the remote controller, then scan the reception frequency band of electromagnetic waves to find a reception frequency band that can receive electromagnetic waves from the remote controller, and The remote control signal by the electromagnetic wave from the remote controller is received in the found receiving frequency band.

When the remote controller receives the power-on remote control signal in both infrared and electromagnetic waves, the frequency band of the electromagnetic waves at the remote controller matches the frequency band of the electromagnetic waves at the remote controller. This means that the remote controller receives the electromagnetic remote control signal from the remote controller while maintaining the current reception frequency band thereafter. On the other hand, when the power-on remote control signal is received only by infrared rays, that is, when the power-on remote control signal due to electromagnetic waves is not received, the frequency band of the electromagnetic waves at the remote controller becomes lower than that of the electromagnetic waves at the remote controller. This means that the frequency does not match the frequency band, or the remote controller does not have a function of transmitting a remote control signal by electromagnetic waves or has temporarily stopped. Therefore, when the remote controller receives the power-on remote control signal only by infrared, the remote controller transmits an electromagnetic wave transmission request to the remote controller by infrared to the remote controller, and transmits the current selected frequency to the remote controller. The band electromagnetic wave is transmitted for a predetermined time. During the predetermined time, the remote controller scans the reception frequency band of the electromagnetic wave to find a reception frequency band in which the remote control signal by the electromagnetic wave from the remote control can be received, that is, the current selection in the remote controller. When a frequency band that matches the frequency band is found, the found frequency band is determined as a subsequent reception frequency band. Thus,
The user can save the trouble of switching the reception frequency band for the remote controller.

According to the remote controller of the third invention, the second controller
In the remote controller according to the invention, when a frequency band capable of receiving a remote control signal by the electromagnetic wave from the remote controller cannot be found despite the scanning of the frequency band of the electromagnetic wave, the reception of the remote control signal by the electromagnetic wave is stopped. .

Some remote controlled devices can use only infrared rays and do not have a function of transmitting a remote control signal by an electromagnetic wave, or a case where transmission of a remote control signal by an electromagnetic wave is temporarily stopped by a user operation. is there. In such a case, even if the remote controller scans the reception frequency band, the remote controller does not receive a signal based on electromagnetic waves from the remote controller. On the other hand, keeping the reception of the electromagnetic wave in the remote controller in the operating state in spite of no transmission by the electromagnetic wave from the remote controller causes a malfunction. Therefore, if the remote controller cannot scan the frequency band of the electromagnetic wave to find a frequency band that can receive the remote control signal by the electromagnetic wave from the remote controller, it stops receiving the remote control signal by the electromagnetic wave and malfunctions. Work around.

An electric device with a remote control function according to a fourth invention has the remote controller according to the first invention and the remote controller according to the second or third invention.

The electric devices with a remote control function include AV (audio and visual) devices such as audio devices and television devices, home electric appliances such as air conditioners, and electric devices for automobiles such as car navigation devices.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a main part of the audio device 10. The audio device 10 includes an audio device main body 11 and a remote controller 21. The audio device body 11 includes a microcomputer 12
Performs a predetermined process, and executes the IR receiving unit 13 and the IR transmitting unit 1
4 receives and transmits an IR (infrared) 30,
2 receives the electric signal corresponding to the infrared light received by the IR receiving unit 13 and sends the electric signal corresponding to the infrared light transmitted from the IR transmitting unit 14 to the IR transmitting unit 14. The RF antenna 15 is provided in the audio device main body 11 and receives an RF (radio frequency electromagnetic wave) 32. The PLL circuit 16 receives a reception RF band (hereinafter, RF3).
The frequency band 2 is called "RF band". ) Is made to correspond to the data from the microcomputer 12, the electromagnetic wave of the reception RF band is extracted, and the electric signal is sent to the microcomputer 12. In the remote controller 21, the microcomputer 22 performs a predetermined process, the RF receiver 23 and the RF transmitter 24 receive and transmit the IR 30, and the microcomputer 22 inputs the code signal received by the RF receiver 23, The code signal transmitted from the transmission unit 24 is transmitted to the RF transmission unit 24. The antenna 25 is mounted on the remote controller 21 and transmits RF32. PLL circuit 2
Numeral 6 associates the transmission RF band with the data from the microcomputer 22 and transmits the transmission RF band electromagnetic wave from the antenna 25.

The user operates a predetermined key (not shown) on the remote controller 21 to manually switch one of a plurality of RF bands in the remote controller 21 according to the situation. FIG. 2 is a flowchart for setting an RF band in the remote controller 21. It is determined whether or not the user has performed the RF band switching operation (S30), and if so, the microcomputer 22 sends RF band data to the PLL circuit 26 (S31), and the user selects the RF band.
The RF 32 band from the antenna 25 is switched to the band.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a main part of the remote controller 21 for controlling the RF band in the PLL circuit 26 by the mechanical band changeover switch 27. Only the differences from the remote controller 21 of FIG. 1 will be described. In the remote controller 21 of FIG. 3, a mechanical band changeover switch 27 is added, and the user can move the mechanical band switch to a position corresponding to his desired RF band. The changeover switch 27 is manually switched. The PLL circuit 26
A voltage signal or the like corresponding to the switching position is input from the mechanical band changeover switch 27, and the RF band RF3 corresponding to the changeover position of the mechanical band changeover switch 27 is input.
2 is transmitted from the antenna 25. PLL circuit 26 of FIG.
Then, the microcomputer 22 can omit the execution of the program corresponding to the processing procedure of FIG.

FIG. 4 shows a remote controller 21 for causing the audio apparatus main body 11 to automatically switch the RF band.
3 is a flowchart of a process executed by the user. It is monitored whether or not the user has pressed a power key (= power-on key; not shown) of the remote controller 21 (S40). When the user presses the power key, the RF transmitter 24 and the antenna 25 use the IR 30 and the RF 32, respectively. The power code is transmitted (S41). The transmission of the power code by the IR 30 and the RF 32 from the RF transmission unit 24 and the antenna 25 in S41 may be performed in parallel, that is, may be performed in time, or may be performed in a short time without overlapping in time. That is, for example, the IR 30 may be transmitted first, and the RF 32 may be transmitted continuously or after a short time as soon as the transmission of the IR 30 is completed. Next, it is monitored for a predetermined time whether or not a notification indicating that the power code has not been received by the RF 30 from the audio apparatus main body 11 (S42). Only when the notification is received within the predetermined time, the band is switched by the RF 32. A confirmation code is transmitted for a predetermined time (S43). The power code can be used as the band confirmation code without setting a special code for the band confirmation code by RF32.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a process executed by the audio device main body 11 to cause the audio device main body 11 to automatically switch the RF band. It is monitored whether or not the power code is received by the IR 30 (S50). When the power code is received, it is checked whether or not the power code is also received by the RF 32 (S51). When the power code is received by the RF 32, it means that the current RF band in the audio apparatus main body 11 matches the RF band in the remote controller 21, and the remote controller 21
Since there is no need to switch the RF band at
The data of the circuit 16 is maintained (S52). On the other hand, when it is determined in S51 that the power code has not been received by RF32, the audio device body 11 notifies the remote controller 21 of the absence of the power code received by RF32 using the IR30 (S53). ),
Thereafter, the RF band scan processing is performed.

FIG. 6 is a detailed flowchart of the RF band scan processing of FIG. First, 1 is substituted for n as an initial value (S60). n is the audio device body 1
1 is a number associated with each RF band prepared. Next, the n-th RF band data is output from the microcomputer 12 to the PLL circuit 16 (S6).
1) The PLL circuit 16 is set to the RF band corresponding to the data. Next, the reception of the band confirmation code from the remote controller 21 in the RF band is checked (S62). If the band confirmation code has been received, the processing procedure of FIG. 6 is terminated while the RF band at that time is maintained. Thereafter, an RF remote control signal from the remote controller 21 is received in the RF band. S62
If it is determined that no signal is received, it is checked whether or not the current n is less than the maximum value (S63). If it is less than the maximum value, n is incremented by 1 and the process returns to S61.
If n is equal to or greater than the maximum value, that is, if it is concluded that the band confirmation code cannot be received in any of the RF bands as a result of ending the scanning of all the RF bands, the audio device body 11 may malfunction. To prevent this, the RF reception signal is invalidated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a main part of an audio device.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for setting an RF band in a remote controller.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a main part of a remote controller that performs an RF band in a PLL circuit by using a mechanical band changeover switch.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a process executed by a remote controller to cause the audio device main body to automatically switch an RF band.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a process executed by the audio device main body to cause the audio device main body to automatically switch an RF band.

FIG. 6 is a detailed flowchart of an RF band scan process of FIG. 5;

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 audio device (electric device with remote control function) 11 audio device main body (remote control device) 21 remote controller (remote control device) 30 IR 32 RF

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A remote control in which a remote control signal can be freely transmitted by both infrared rays and electromagnetic waves, and a user selects one of a plurality of different transmission frequency bands for transmission by electromagnetic waves. When the remote control signal of the power supply is transmitted by both infrared rays and electromagnetic waves of the currently selected frequency band, and then a request for transmission of electromagnetic waves is received from the remote controller by infrared rays, the electromagnetic waves of the currently selected frequency band are transmitted. A remote controller characterized in that transmission is continued for a predetermined time. 2. A remote controller in which a remote control signal can be received by both infrared rays and electromagnetic waves and a reception frequency band of the electromagnetic waves can be freely switched. When receiving, the reception frequency band of the electromagnetic wave remote control signal is maintained at the current frequency, and when the power-on remote control signal is received only by infrared, a request to transmit the electromagnetic wave to the remote controller is sent to the remote controller by infrared. After the transmission, the reception frequency band of the electromagnetic wave is scanned to search for a reception frequency band capable of receiving the electromagnetic wave from the remote controller, and the remote control signal by the electromagnetic wave from the remote controller is received in the searched reception frequency band. A remote controller. 3. When the frequency band in which the remote control signal can be received from the remote controller cannot be found despite the scanning of the frequency band of the electromagnetic wave, the reception of the remote control signal by the electromagnetic wave is stopped. 3. The remote controller according to claim 2, wherein 4. A remote controller according to claim 1 and a remote controller according to claim 2 or 3.
An electric device having a remote control function, comprising: the remote control device according to any one of the preceding claims.