JP2003241773A - Remote controller - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To urge a user to keep directivity since a remote control signal is currently being sent. <P>SOLUTION: The remote controller is equipped with an infrared-ray emission part 6 with directivity, an input part 1 that the user operates, a data generating means 2 which generates a sent data sequence in response to a signal from the input part, driving parts 2 and 7 which drive the infrared-ray emission part in response to the signal from the input part to send an infrared-ray remote control signal sequentially modulated with the sent data sequence, and a sounding part 9 which outputs an alarm tone toward the user during the transmitting operation of the driving parts. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

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 attached to various electronic control devices, and more particularly to a remote control device for transmitting an infrared remote control signal from a directional infrared light emitting section.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A remote control device for a television or an air conditioner has an elongated stick-like shape, and an infrared ray emitting portion having a directivity is arranged at the front end in the longitudinal direction thereof to operate a keyboard on the front side. Then, an infrared remote control signal modulated with data according to the input content is transmitted. As many people have experienced on a daily basis, with this type of slender remote control device, it is natural and natural to operate the remote control device of the host device (for example, TV or air conditioner) with its tip facing toward the remote control light receiving part. .

In addition, remote control systems that emit a sound in response to a pressing operation of a button have also become widespread. In this type of device, the device that receives the remote control signal outputs the sound, thereby making it possible for the user to feel that the remote control signal has been transmitted.

[0004]

The inventors have developed a multifunctional karaoke remote control device to which a palmtop type computer is applied. This is, as a basic configuration, a means for managing a music index database corresponding to a karaoke music database used in a karaoke device, and various characters are presented to the user by displaying characters and images on a liquid crystal touch panel. In addition, the user interface that recognizes the selection information that is touch-input by the user in relation to the presented information and the process for the user to search for a desired song based on the song index database are executed through the interface of the user interface. And a remote control signal transmitting means for transmitting a remote control signal for reserving the musical composition specified by the database search means to the karaoke apparatus.

The external appearance of this remote control device is a horizontally long, substantially rectangular, flat palm top type, and it is often used by supporting both side portions with both hands. The infrared light emitting portion is arranged on the upper side of the housing above the liquid crystal touch panel. This form seems to be one of the causes, but if you do not use it with considerable awareness of adjusting the directivity of the infrared light emitting part to the remote control light receiving part of the host device (in this case, the karaoke device), the direction is removed and the remote control signal is sent. It is easy for the host device to send a message and not receive it. This is a usability that is clearly different from that of a long and narrow television remote control device.

In the case of a multi-function karaoke remote control device, a specific one music piece selected from a music list is reserved for performance in the karaoke device by a remote control signal, which remote control signal is sequentially modulated by a data string including a music selection number. is there. Karaoke selection numbers are usually 6 digits. The emission time of the remote control signal is 6 to 10 times longer than that of the type in which the remote control signal is transmitted each time a button operation is performed by one digit. During that time, it is necessary to ensure that the directionality of the remote control device is directed toward the karaoke device, but it is easy to make a mistake because of the long transmission time.

Since the remote controller for karaoke uses a different remote controller signal format for each karaoke maker, the time required to complete the transmission of the reservation signal for one song is also different. Those who are accustomed to using the karaoke remote control device of one manufacturer often find that the karaoke remote control device of another manufacturer is not convenient. The above-mentioned multi-function karaoke remote control device can be selectively used by karaoke devices of a plurality of manufacturers by switching setting, but in this respect, too, the directionality cannot be maintained and it is easy to make a mistake in use.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object thereof is to provide a remote control device for alerting the user to keep the direction because a remote control signal is being transmitted. To do.

[0009]

The remote control device of the present invention is basically provided with a structure for outputting a notification sound to the user when the infrared remote control signal is transmitted until the transmission is completed. As a specific embodiment, a directional infrared light emitting section, an input section operated by a user, a data generating means for generating a transmission data string in response to a signal from the input section, and an input section In response to the signal, the driving unit that drives the infrared light emitting unit to emit the infrared remote control signal sequentially modulated by the transmission data string, and the sounding that outputs the notification sound to the user during the transmission operation of the driving unit. And a remote control device. Here, the sounding unit may employ a configuration in which the sounding output of the notification sound sequentially modulated by the transmission data string is output. Further, it is composed of a substantially rectangular and flat palm-top computer, and has a form in which both side portions are held by both hands of the user, and the liquid crystal touch panel disposed on the front portion is the input portion, and the upper side portion is It can also be implemented in a form in which the infrared light emitting section is provided.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows the appearance of a multi-function karaoke remote control device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows an electrical functional block configuration. This multifunctional karaoke remote control device is a panel type keyboardless computer (so-called palmtop type computer) having a size of B5 size and a large thickness, and externally, most of the front face is a liquid crystal display panel 1a. Transparent touch sensor 1b
It is occupied by the liquid crystal touch panel 1 with
Central processing unit 2 including PU / RAM / ROM, display driver 3 for driving and driving liquid crystal display panel 1a, input detection circuit 4 for detecting input coordinates to transparent touch sensor 1b, and flash as a large-capacity external memory. Memory 5
Infrared LED 6 and LED driver 7 for transmitting a remote control signal to the karaoke device, and a power supply battery (not shown) to be charged in combination with the charging station.
An electronic buzzer 9 corresponding to the sounding unit, a communication control unit 8 for performing data communication with the karaoke device via a data communication device attached to the charging station, and the like are mounted. The infrared LED 6 is arranged at the center of the upper side of the remote control device, and is laid out above the liquid crystal touch panel 1 so that its directivity is oriented.

The central processing unit 2 stores the music index database in the flash memory 5 and manages it. The song index database is a database that describes attribute information about a number of songs that are provided for performance on a karaoke machine.
Song number, song name, artist name, lyrics of the singing part
It contains various attribute information such as the time of the fashion, the category of music genre, the titles of movies and TV dramas used, the TV commercials used, the history of winning various music awards, and whether or not duet songs. In the state where the multifunctional karaoke remote control device is connected to the charging station connected to the karaoke device, the central processing unit 2 has the communication control unit 8
The system is configured to perform data communication with the karaoke device via the, and update the contents of the music index database.

The central processing unit 2 executes a process for a user to search for a desired song based on the song index database via the user interface. In the initial state of the database search process, a search menu screen is displayed on the liquid crystal touch panel 1. If you touch the singer name search button on this search menu screen, the display switches to the Japanese syllabary syllabary screen, and on that screen, touch the kana character to enter the singer's first letter in order (up to halfway). However, if the search execution button is touch-input, the corresponding music group is extracted from the music index database and displayed as a list. If the desired song is in it, touch the name of the song and then touch the Enter button to display the detailed screen of the song. When the transfer button is touch-input on this screen, a performance reservation remote control signal including identification information of the music is transmitted to the karaoke device.

The performance reservation remote control signal is a signal sequentially modulated by a data string in which one character such as numbers, alphabets and symbols is binary coded with 5 to 8 bits. In many cases, the ASCII code is used as the binary code. In the case of the numeral "0", the ASCII code is 30H, which is converted into the well-known serial data communication format. In some cases, a manufacturer ID may be added to the beginning, and a negative logic signal may be attached after the positive logic signal of the character code to improve reliability. That is, each character is composed of 2 to 4 bytes. The time width per character is about 128 milliseconds. There are various arrangements for the blank time between characters. Since this was originally based on the premise that the remote control signal is transmitted in response to pressing the remote control buttons one by one, it is a fraction of a few.
On the order of seconds, it is stipulated that there should be a sufficient margin between them. These detailed specifications are uniquely determined by each manufacturer.

In accordance with the above-mentioned specifications, a 6-digit number sequence of the music selection number is generated, and the infrared LED 6 is driven by a signal sequentially modulated by the number sequence, whereby the infrared remote controller of the prescribed format is formed. Send a signal. At this time, at the same time, the electronic buzzer 9 is driven by the same drive signal or the same timing signal as the infrared LED 6, and while the remote control signal is being transmitted, a notification sound synchronized with the remote control signal is output to alert the user. 3A and 3B show the relationship between the remote control signal and the notification sound. FIG. 3A represents a method in which the same sound is output each time in synchronization with each character of the transmission data string. FIG. 3B represents a method of outputting sounds with slightly different nuances for each character in synchronism with the modulation signal in bit units in one character.

[0015]

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION With a multifunctional remote controller that can be easily handled by a touch panel system, forget that it is a remote controller. As a result, it is easy to forget that while the infrared remote control signal is being transmitted, it is necessary to surely aim at the remote control receiver of the host device. This is especially problematic when transmitting a remote control signal for a long time modulated by a data string as long as 6 digits like a karaoke song selection number. In the remote control device of the present invention, a notification sound is output to the user during transmission of the remote control signal, and the user is warned to keep the direction because the remote control signal is being transmitted. , The effect of preventing mistaking is outstanding.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view of a multifunctional karaoke remote control device to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the above remote control device.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing a relationship between a remote control signal transmission operation and a notification sound output operation in the above remote control device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 LCD touch panel 2 Central processing unit 6 infrared LED 7 LED driver 9 Electronic buzzer

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A remote control device, which outputs a notification sound for a user until the end of transmission when an infrared remote control signal is transmitted. 2. A directional infrared ray emitting section, an input section operated by a user, a data generating means for generating a transmission data string in response to a signal from the input section, and a signal from the input section. A driving unit for driving the infrared light emitting unit to emit an infrared remote control signal sequentially modulated by the transmission data string, and a sounding unit for outputting a notification sound to the user during the transmitting operation of the driving unit. A remote control device characterized in that 3. The remote control device according to claim 2, wherein the sounding unit outputs a notification sound sequentially modulated by the transmission data string. 4. The liquid crystal touch panel according to claim 2, comprising a substantially rectangular and flat palmtop computer, wherein both sides of a computer are held by both hands of a user, and the liquid crystal touch panel disposed on the front part is A remote control device, which is an input unit, wherein the infrared light emitting unit is provided on an upper side portion.