JP2002112361A - Remote controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a remote controller employing a touch panel having a liquid crystal display section that allows transmission buttons to be displayed with a priority on the basis of the past operations. SOLUTION: Fig. (A) indicates a standard menu, in which channel transmission buttons are displayed in a prescribed arrangement sequence, and when a channel is selected, a display menu shown in Fig. (B) is displayed, where selection of a screen mode and sound volume adjustment transmission buttons are displayed. Fig. (C) depicts a user menu, in which the transmission buttons are displayed in the order of the priority decided by code transmission result data in the past weekdays and time zone corresponding to weekdays and a time zone at start of the display. Selecting a user menu mode with priority makes first display of the transmission button with the highest priority, resulting in facilitating the operation.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a remote control device for remotely controlling audio and video output devices such as audio devices and video devices.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a remote control device for audio equipment and video equipment, a remote control device using a touch panel provided with a liquid crystal display has been used instead of a button-type remote control device using contacts. ing.

[0003] However, when the type of transmission buttons increases, such as when a different device is operated, it is not possible to display all the transmission buttons within one screen having a limited display area. On the display screen of the control device, a button for code transmission is arranged in advance for each page, and when the user operates with the remote control device, a page where the code to be transmitted exists is selected from a plurality of pages. Had to touch the button for sending the code. Further, in the case where a plurality of buttons are continuously touched, the page is restarted from selection each time.

On the other hand, in the remote control device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-98581, since a touch panel having a liquid crystal display unit can easily change the display, a different device is operated. In such a case, different operation buttons can be rearranged on any page of the liquid crystal display so that the operation buttons can be easily operated continuously.

According to the remote control device described in the above publication, the operation buttons assigned to different devices and displayed on different pages are rearranged and displayed on the same page, so that operations of different devices can be continuously performed. Although the effect that operation becomes easy is obtained, if the operation buttons are rearranged and a number of pages combined in one display are created, then it may be troublesome for the user to search for the page needed. There is such a problem.

[0006] Even if the learning function is used to combine the pages into one page, the number of buttons that can be displayed on one page is limited, and when a large number of buttons are used, the number of pages is increased.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a system in which a time zone in which a person watches a television or the like and a favorite channel are used in a relatively same pattern in a one-week cycle, or audio is adapted to use of a television. In view of the fact that the setting of the device often has the same pattern, an object of the present invention is to provide a touch panel type remote control device that automatically arranges a transmission button that is likely to be used for each day of the week and time zone. Is what you do.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a remote control device having a touch panel having a liquid crystal display unit, a clock function unit, a calendar function unit, and a control unit. A standard screen mode in which transmission buttons are displayed in a predetermined order, and a past corresponding to the day and time zone based on the output data of the clock function unit and the output data of the calendar function unit on the liquid crystal display unit. A user screen mode for displaying transmission buttons in the order of priority determined by the code transmission result data in the day of the week and time zone, wherein the user screen mode is preferentially selected. is there.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a remote control device for explaining a first embodiment of the remote control device of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a touch panel, 2 is a liquid crystal display unit, 3 is a sensor unit, 4 is a clock function unit, 5 is a calendar function unit, 6 is a storage unit, 7 is a code transmission unit, and 8 is a control unit. In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a remote control device of a television.

The touch panel 1 has a liquid crystal display unit 2 and a sensor unit 3. The liquid crystal display unit 2 displays a plurality of transmission buttons based on control data from the control unit 8, and the sensor unit 3 is touched on a display screen of the liquid crystal display unit 2, which is a touch panel surface. The output of the position data is read by the control unit 8 and compared with the display position data of the transmission button, and the output of the selected transmission button is detected. Can recognize. The clock function unit 4 specifies the time and outputs time data, and the calendar function unit 5 specifies the day of the week based on the output data of the clock function unit 4 and outputs the day data.

The control unit 8 uses the display position data of the transmission button of each operation content displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 2 and the touch position data detected by the sensor unit 3 so that, for example, the user uses his / her finger. The operation content of the touched transmission button is determined, and the code transmission unit 7 transmits a code corresponding to the operation content. The transmitted code is modulated as a code transmission signal by modulating a carrier signal such as an infrared ray or an ultrasonic wave, which is the same as the conventional remote control device. Each time the code transmission signal is transmitted, the transmitted time (time) is counted by the clock function unit 4.
Also, the transmitted day of the week is received from the calendar function unit 5, and the data corresponding to the touched transmission button is obtained for each day of the week based on the transmitted day of the week and time.
In addition, it is stored in the storage unit 6 so that it can be distinguished for each time zone. The storage unit 6 also stores data for a standard screen mode when displaying transmission buttons in a predetermined order. Data for the standard screen mode may be stored in a ROM or the like.

An example of the display screen of the liquid crystal display unit 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 2A and 2B show a standard screen, and FIG. 2C shows a user screen.

On the standard screen shown in FIG. 2A, transmission buttons for selecting all the channels 1 to 12 and BSs 7, 9, and 12 are displayed arranged in the order of channel numbers, and select the next page. A “next page” button and a “display switching” button for switching to a user screen are displayed. On this screen, the transmission buttons for volume control etc.
Cannot display due to screen area restrictions. When the user touches the transmission button of the desired channel number, the code transmission signal is transmitted to the television, and the channel can be selected. Each time the code transmission signal is transmitted, the data corresponding to the transmitted transmission button is
Based on the day and time sent, for each day of the week, and
As described above, the information is stored in the storage unit 6 so as to be distinguishable for each time zone.

In this embodiment, when a channel is selected, the display is shifted to a display screen shown in FIG. This display screen is a lower screen (next page screen) of the display screen of FIG. 2A, and has three transmission buttons of “normal”, “full”, and “wide” for selecting a screen mode of the screen. , "Small" and "Large" transmission buttons for adjusting the volume are displayed, and normal screen, full screen, and wide screen can be selected, and the volume can be reduced or increased. A “previous page” button for returning to a higher-level screen and a “display switching” button for switching to a user screen are displayed.

In the user screen shown in FIG. 2C, the number of transmission buttons for channel selection is smaller than that of the standard screen, and the number of transmission buttons is "normal", "full", and "wide" for selecting the screen mode of the screen. Three transmission buttons and "small" and "large" transmission buttons for volume adjustment are displayed. The transmission button for channel selection is controlled by the control unit 8 according to the day and time when the user screen is selected.
Accesses the storage unit 6 and displays a predetermined number of buttons, here three transmission buttons, in the order of priority determined based on the code transmission result data of the day and time zone corresponding to the day and time. . Further, a “display switching” button for switching to the standard screen of FIG. 2A is also displayed. Therefore, a transmission button that is likely to be used can be displayed, and the operation is simplified. Also on the user screen, every time the code transmission signal is transmitted, data corresponding to the touched transmission button can be distinguished for each day of the week and for each time zone based on the day and time of the transmission. Is stored in the storage unit 6 as described above.

The user screen is based on the past code transmission result data of the same day of the week and time, and displays transmission buttons that are likely to be selected. Thus, an effective channel can be selected, and a transmission button that cannot be displayed on one page of the standard screen can be displayed.

As described above, this embodiment has the standard screen mode for displaying the standard screen and the user screen mode for displaying the user screen. The user screen mode is preferentially selected. Therefore, when using the remote control device, a user screen is displayed. Although the power button is not shown, when the user presses the power button provided on the remote control device for turning on and off the power button of the television to watch the television, the user screen mode is prioritized. Displays a user screen. Even when the "display switching" button is selected from the user screen and the standard screen shown in FIG. 2A or FIG. 2B is displayed, the mode is automatically switched to the user screen mode after a predetermined time has elapsed. It may be. The predetermined time may be a time required for the operation after the standard screen is displayed, for example, a time of about one minute in general, and after this time elapses, it is considered that the selection in the standard screen mode is abandoned. It is also possible to switch to the user screen mode.

When the display of the user screen is started, the control unit 8 receives the current time (time) and the day of the week from the clock function unit 4 and the calendar function unit 5. The priority of the transmission button is determined based on the received code transmission result data in the past of the time and the day of the week.

An embodiment of the method of determining the priority will be described. In the first embodiment, the priority is determined based on the frequency of use. As shown in FIG. 3, the storage unit 6 stores the selected channel number together with the day of the week and the time at the time of selection. The date and the usage time are also stored, but are not always required in this embodiment.

FIG. 3 shows one of the Mondays of January 1
An example in which the TV channel button of the transmission button of the remote control device is operated during one hour from PM 7:00 to PM 8:00 is shown. It is assumed that a button for transmitting a code of a plurality of channel numbers for TV is touched during this one hour as shown in FIG. The number of touches is three for CH3, two for CH1, and one for CH4.
Times. Therefore, according to FIG. 3, the priority order according to the use frequency is in the order of CH3, CH1, and CH4. This result is stored in the storage unit 6 as data shown in FIG.
The transmission button of the channel is displayed according to the priority.

In the second embodiment, the priority is determined by the use time. In the case of this embodiment, the usage time in FIG. 3 is used and accumulated. The length of the set time is CH
1 is 40 minutes, CH3 is 15 minutes, and CH4 is 5 minutes. Therefore, the channel numbers with the highest priority determined from the length of use time are CH1, CH2 as shown in FIG.
The data are stored in the storage unit 6 in the order of CH3 and CH4, and the channel transmission button is displayed according to the priority.

The past transmission button data stored in the storage unit 6 is deleted sequentially after a certain time (date) according to the capacity of the storage unit. Due to the data search for the day of the week, it is necessary to store at least one week. The data may be sequentially added to the data shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. 5, but there is a problem that as the cumulative amount increases, the influence of recent data on the rank decreases. Therefore,
The more recent data may be accumulated by giving a larger weighting factor. When the priority order is determined based on only the data in FIG. 3, the data may be left as it is for about four weeks, and may be directly calculated as in FIGS. 4 and 5, or may be calculated by giving a weight coefficient. You may make it.

The third embodiment is a method based on a learning function. The most recently selected transmission button is in the I-th order, and the other transmission buttons that are higher in the ranking than the most recently selected transmission button are ranked down in order. Therefore, in the example of FIG. 3, at 8:00 AM, the channel numbers with the highest priority are CH3, CH
1, CH4. Therefore, the data stored in the storage unit 6 is the data of the transmission button according to the priority for each day of the week and for each time zone. Each time the transmission button is operated, the priority is entered by the learning function. Will be replaced.

When displaying the user screen, the key time period may be a rough time period such as morning / afternoon, but the frequency of use may be about one hour in order to match the user's lifestyle. And it is more effective to calculate the usage time. For example, AM 5:00 to AM 9:59
In the morning, AM 10:00 to PM 3:59 in the daytime, PM 3: 0
Intermediate division may be made such that 0 to PM6: 59 is set as the evening and PM7: 0 to AM4: 59 is set as the night. The number of sections and the section times in the case of intermediate sections are not limited to the above-described example.

When the remote control device is newly used or when the storage unit 6 is not nonvolatile and the battery is replaced, there is no data shown in FIG. 3, or FIG. 4 or FIG. Therefore, in the user screen mode, the priority cannot be determined, and the transmission button is not displayed. As described above, in the initial state, a method of displaying "no registered data" and shifting to the standard screen mode can be adopted. Also, a method of storing initial data in the storage unit 6 at the time of shipment, or a method of storing initial data in the ROM and reading the ROM at the time of starting use or replacing the battery and storing the data in the storage unit 6 May be used to perform a display in the user screen mode. The initial data is
It is better to keep the value as small as possible.

FIG. 6 is a system configuration diagram for explaining a second embodiment of the remote control device according to the present invention. In the figure, 11 is a television receiver, 11a is a remote control light receiving unit, 12 is a CD player, 12a is a remote control light receiving unit, 13 is a DVD player, 13a is a remote control light receiving unit,
14 is a video deck, 14a is a remote control light receiving unit, 15 is an AV amplifier, 15a is a remote control light receiving unit, 16 is a speaker, 17 is a remote control device, 17a is a touch panel, and 17b is a remote control light emitting unit.

This embodiment relates to a remote control device used for an AV system in which various audio devices and video devices are used. TV receiver 11, CD player 1
2, a DVD player 13 and a video deck 14 are used. An audio output is amplified by an AV amplifier 15 and a sound output is output from a speaker 16. Each device is provided with a remote control light receiving unit, and receives the infrared signal transmitted from the remote control light emitting unit 17b of the remote control device 17. Remote control device 1
7, a touch panel 17a having a liquid crystal display unit is provided. The basic configuration of the remote control device 17 is the same as that described with reference to FIG. 1, and a description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a display example in the standard screen mode. In the first display screen of FIG. 7A, a device for performing a remote control operation is displayed. When the "display switching" button is selected, the screen can be shifted to the user screen.

FIG. 7B is a second display screen when the "TV" button is touched on the first screen and a television receiver is selected. This is a display screen similar to that of FIG. Here, when CH1 is selected, transmission for selecting CH1 is performed, and the third display screen shown in FIG. 7C is displayed. Screen mode switching and audio mode switching can be selected, and a transmission button for adjusting the volume is displayed. When the screen mode switching is selected, the fourth display screen of FIG. 7D is displayed, transmission buttons for normal screen, full screen, and wide screen are displayed, and the television screen can be switched.

The "display switching" button on each display screen is a button for switching from the display screen to the user screen mode. The "previous page" button and the "next page" button are used when the above-mentioned display is selected. This button allows you to move to the previous or next page. For example, FIG.
If the user touches the “previous page” button in FIG.
The display screen shown in FIG. 7B is displayed. If the user touches the “next page” button on the display screen shown in FIG. 7B, the display screen shown in FIG. 7C is obtained.

Each time the code transmission signal is transmitted by these transmission buttons, the data corresponding to the touched transmission button is displayed for each day of the week and time zone based on the day and time of transmission. It is the same as in the first embodiment that the information is stored in the storage unit so as to be distinguishable from each other.

FIG. 8 shows an example of a display screen when a DVD player is selected on the first display screen in the standard screen mode. FIG. 8E shows the state of FIG.
When the “DVD player” button is touched, FIG.
The second display screen of (F) is displayed. As shown in the figure, DVD
Transmission buttons for performing various operations of the player are displayed. When the “Setup” button is touched, FIG.
The setup selection screen (third display screen) of (G) is displayed. Although not shown, the display is shifted to a display screen on which a transmission button for setting is displayed on the fourth display screen for performing setting by each selection.

In this embodiment, the priorities as described in the first embodiment are determined based on the code transmission result data stored in the storage unit, and a user screen is displayed.

FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate display examples of the user screen. FIG. 9 shows a device in which a television receiver is displayed as a first priority and a DVD player is displayed as a second priority. I have. Further, on the display of the television receiver, transmission buttons of channel numbers having a higher priority are arranged in order of priority from left to right, and screen mode transmission buttons are displayed below them. You may make it display the volume control. In the display of the DVD player, the transmission buttons of “reproduce”, “stop”, and “pause” determined to have higher priorities are arranged in priority order.

FIG. 10 shows an example in which transmission buttons are displayed in order of priority 1 having the highest priority. The priorities 1 to 3 are displayed in an upper row, the priorities 4 to 6 are displayed in a middle row, and the priorities 7 to 9 are displayed in a lower row. However, the number of these stages, 1
The number of transmission buttons displayed in the columns may be an appropriate number.

The user screen is shown in FIG. 9 and FIG.
May be used, and both may be switched. Of course, other arrangement formats may be used.

Also in this embodiment, the user screen mode is preferentially selected over the standard screen mode, as in the first embodiment.

As described above, the display in the user screen mode is preferentially performed, and the transmission button with a high priority is displayed on the user screen. Therefore, it is not necessary to turn the page and search for the code transmission button. do not need.

In the first to third embodiments of the above-described method of determining the priority order, the user may be allowed to select. Further, an appropriate embodiment may be adopted depending on the type of the transmission button. For example, in the case of a transmission button for selecting a channel, such as a television receiver or a VCR, prioritization is performed according to usage time, and other transmission buttons are prioritized according to usage frequency. The priorities may be set to better match the usage results of the user.

When the TV program is rearranged or the lifestyle changes, the data stored up to that point becomes unnecessary, so that the remote control device may be provided with a button for resetting the memory contents. By pressing this reset button, new data is accumulated.

[0041]

As is apparent from the above description, by using the remote control device of the present invention, it is possible to omit the troublesome operation of searching for a code transmission button in the prior art.

The time (time) when the user uses the remote control device according to the user's lifestyle.
In addition, it is possible to preferentially display the transmission button with a higher priority for the day of the week and to improve the convenience for the user.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a remote control device for describing a first embodiment of the remote control device of the present invention.

FIGS. 2A and 2B show an example of a display screen of the liquid crystal display unit 2 of the present invention. FIGS. 2A and 2B show a standard screen, and FIG. 2C shows a user screen.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of contents stored in a storage unit.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of contents stored in a storage unit.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of contents stored in a storage unit.

FIG. 6 is a system configuration diagram for explaining a second embodiment of the remote control device of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a display example in a standard screen mode.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a display example in a standard screen mode.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a display example in a user screen mode.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a display example in a user screen mode.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Touch panel, 2 ... Liquid crystal display part, 3 ... Sensor part, 4
... Clock function unit, 5 ... Calendar function unit, 6 ... Storage unit, 7
... Code transmitter, 8 controller, 11 television receiver, 1
1a: Remote control light receiving unit, 12: CD player, 12a ...
Remote control light receiving unit, 13 DVD player, 13a Remote control light receiving unit, 14 VCR, 14a Remote control light receiving unit, 15 AV amplifier, 15a Remote control light receiving unit, 1
6 Speaker, 17 Remote control device, 17
a: Touch panel, 17b: Remote control light emitting unit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A remote control device having a touch panel having a liquid crystal display unit, a clock function unit, a calendar function unit, and a control unit, wherein transmission buttons are displayed on the liquid crystal display unit in a predetermined order. The standard screen mode to be set and the code transmission result data in the past days and times corresponding to the days and times based on the output data of the clock function and the output data of the calendar function on the liquid crystal display. A user screen mode for displaying transmission buttons in the order of priority, wherein the user screen mode is preferentially selected.