JP2005217876A - Remote-control device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a remote-control device at low cost, in which the shape or the position of operation buttons thereof can be changed, in response to the preference of the user or the kind of audiovisual equipment operated. <P>SOLUTION: Three sheets of sub panels 3a, 3b, 3c are inserted into grooves 7a, 7b, 7c which are provided in the remote control unit body 11 to constitute the remote-control device. Each sub panel and the remote control unit are connected to have a point of contact 4b on the surface of the opposite side of the operation button surface and to have a point of contact 8b on the remote control unit body 11 side, according with the sub panels, so that the contact position between the remote control unit body 11 and sub panel 3b enables identification of the kind of each sub panel, on the remote control unit body 11 side. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a remote control device used for remote operation of an electronic device such as an AV device.

Remote control devices (hereinafter referred to as remote controllers) are used in many electronic devices such as AV equipment, and the number of operation buttons is increasing as the functionality of these AV equipment increases. The arrangement of the operation buttons is fixed. In addition, when using a plurality of AV devices, a plurality of remote controllers corresponding to each of the AV devices are required, and there is a problem that the convenience for the user is poor.
Therefore, a proposal has been made to combine and use the remote controls of a plurality of AV devices to be used (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In addition, a remote controller with a learning function that can freely assign the function of an operation button of an AV device to one remote controller has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 61-168771 JP 2001-204089 A

  By the way, Patent Document 1 describes a proposal for combining and integrally using a plurality of AV device remote controllers to be used, but the problem is that the size of the remote controller increases as the number of AV devices used increases. However, since they are simply combined, there is a problem that the power source is not common and convenience is not good.

  Patent Document 2 describes a remote controller with a learning function that can freely assign the function of an operation button. However, the function name and mark for the operation button are fixed, and the shape of the operation button is also fixed. Since it cannot be changed, there is a problem that when the assignment of the operation button is changed, the correspondence between the function of the AV device to be used and the operation button does not match. In order to solve this, there is a remote controller with a learning function that combines a touch panel and a liquid crystal display, but there is a problem that the cost becomes expensive.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points. The shape or arrangement of the operation buttons of the remote control can be changed according to the user's preference or the type of AV device to be operated, and such a remote control is inexpensive. It is intended to provide to.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention comprises the following means.
That is,
A remote control device that has a separate structure for the operation input unit and the main body unit, and operates as a combination of one of the plurality of types of operation input units and the main body unit,
Multiple types of operation input panels,
A remote control device casing provided with an operation input panel fitting groove into which at least one of the operation input panels is fitted;
A memory unit for storing a remote control code and a type of the operation panel;
A control unit that reads a remote control code corresponding to an operation input signal from the operation input panel from the memory;
A remote control signal transmission unit for transmitting the remote control code read by the control unit to the outside as a remote control signal;
Have
The operation input panel is detachable from the remote control device casing through the operation input panel fitting groove, and the operation input is in a position where the operation input panel and the remote control device casing are in contact with each other. A remote control device comprising a panel identification contact and a contact for transmitting a signal from the operation input panel to the remote control device casing.

According to the “remote control device” of the present invention, it is possible to change the shape or arrangement of the operation buttons of the remote controller according to the user's preference or the type of AV device to be operated, and to provide a convenient remote control device can do.
Further, by using a sub panel, it is sufficient to prepare only a sub panel necessary for operation, and the remote controller can be provided at a low cost without increasing the size of the remote controller.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the invention of the remote control device according to the present invention will be described with reference to preferred embodiments.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic external view showing a configuration of a remote controller applied to this embodiment. The figure shows that the operation buttons 2 of the remote control 1 are arranged by dividing the operation buttons 2 of the remote control into several sub-blocks according to function or shape, etc., and the operating user changes the position of the sub panel according to preference. Replaced to indicate a customized state.

  Hereinafter, a more detailed description will be given with reference to FIGS. 2A to 2C, the operation button 2 of the remote controller 1 shown in FIG. 1 is divided into three blocks, and three sub-panels 3a, 3b, and 3c having the same size are provided in the remote control main body 11. In this example, the remote control body 11 and the three sub-panels 3a, 3b, and 3c constitute the remote control 1. Each sub-panel is displayed surrounded by a solid line.

  The connection between each sub panel and the remote control body 11 will be described using the sub panel 3b. As shown in FIG. 2B, a contact 4b for sub-panel identification is provided on the surface opposite to the operation button surface, and a contact 8b corresponding to the sub-panel is provided on the remote control main body 11 side, so that the remote control main body 11 and the sub panel 3b are connected. The type of each sub-panel can be identified on the remote control main body 11 side by the contact position touched.

The solid line at the contact 4 is the position of the identification contact for the sub-panel 3b, and the dotted line is the position of the identification contact for the other sub-panels 3a and 3c. Further, in order to transmit the signal of each operation button of the sub-panel 3b to the remote control main body 11, the number of the contact 5b according to the number of the operation buttons and the common contact 6b for GND are provided. Thus, a contact 9b and a common contact 10b corresponding to 6b are provided. Similar contacts are provided at the contact points of the other sub-panels 3a and 3c and the corresponding positions on the remote control body 11 side.
Thus, in the above description, the example in which the sub panel 3b is fitted in the sub panel fitting groove 7b is shown. However, the sub panels 3a, 3b, 3C are fitted in any of the sub panel fitting grooves 7a, 7b, 7c provided on the remote control body 11 side. Even if they are combined, the functions of the operation buttons 2a, 2b, 2c can be correctly executed.

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a main part of the remote controller applied to the first embodiment. The remote control body 11 includes contacts (8a, 9a, 10a), (8b, 9b, 10b), (8c, 9c, 10c), a remote control control unit 12, a remote control information storage unit 13, and a remote control transmission unit 14 corresponding to each sub-panel. It is configured.
Each sub-panel 3a, 3b, 3c has contacts (4a, 5a, 6a), (4b, 5b, 6b), (4c, 5c, 6c) and contacts (8a, 9a, 10a), (8b, 9b, 10b), respectively. , (8c, 9c, 10c). Contact information operated by the operation buttons 2a, 2b, and 2c from the sub panels 3a, 3b, and 3c is supplied to the remote control unit 12. The remote control information storage unit 13 stores sub panel type information, coding information, and manufacturer code, and remote control information corresponding to the contact information supplied to the remote control unit 12 is supplied to the remote control unit 12. The remote control control unit 12 determines a remote control code based on the supplied information and supplies it to the remote control transmission unit 14. The remote control transmitter 14 transmits and outputs the supplied remote control code to the outside.

  FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment, which is an example in which the remote control of FIG. 1 described in the first embodiment is divided into four blocks and sub-panels of different sizes are combined. The same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the second embodiment, the sub-panel of the minimum size is used as a reference, and the other sub-panels are set to be an integral multiple of the size in the longitudinal direction. As shown in (b), contacts (8c, 9c, 10c), (8e, 9e, 10e), (8f, 9f, 10f) are provided with reference to the sub-panel width of the minimum size. Although not shown, (8a, 9a, 10a) and (8d, 9d, 10d) are also provided in the sub-panels 3a, 3c.

  In (a), other sub-panels are set to h or 2 × h with respect to the size h which is the sub-panel width of the minimum size. In any size sub-panel, a sub-panel identification contact, an operation button contact, and a GND common contact are provided in the portion corresponding to the sub-panel width of the minimum size as in the first embodiment. However, the number of sub-panel identification contacts is determined according to the number of usable sub-panels. As described above, since the contact point is provided on the remote control main body 11 in units of the minimum size of the sub-panel, the h-size sub-panels 3b and 3c and the 2 × h-size sub-panels 3a and 3d are in any combination position. The function of each operation button 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d can be correctly executed even if it is fitted. Thereby, the freedom degree of arrangement | positioning of an operation button further improves.

  In the first and second embodiments, three or four sub-panels are shown, but it goes without saying that many types of sub-panels may be prepared and combined depending on the device used, not limited to AV devices. . The dividing direction or the dividing shape of the sub-panel is not limited to those in the first and second embodiments. Further, by providing a lid corresponding to a sub-panel that is not used, or by preparing a plurality of sizes on the remote control body side, user convenience can be further improved.

In the first and second embodiments, the contact point between the sub-panel and the main body is provided on the bottom surface of the sub-panel, but may be provided on the side surface of the sub-panel and the main body-side fitting portion corresponding thereto.
Further, the contact may be provided in a shape common to the bottom and side surfaces of each sub-panel, and the sub-panel code may be added to the code of the remote control.
Furthermore, if a rail-shaped contact is provided in the range where the sub-panel of the main body side part is fitted, and the contact of the sub-panel is made a common shape, the size of the sub-panel itself does not have to be common, and the shape according to the remote control function The sub-panels may be combined.

  A part or all of the sub-panel may be configured to apply the learning type remote controller. In this case, the function assignment of each button can be freely set. Further, the contact for identifying the sub-panel is not always necessary and can be constituted by a common contact.

  Note that panel identification and signal connection between the sub-panel and the main body may be configured by a combination of a light emitting element and an optical sensor, or electromagnetic induction by a coil, in addition to electrical contacts.

1 is a schematic external view illustrating a configuration of a remote controller applied to Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic external view showing a sub-panel configuration of a remote controller applied to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a schematic block diagram of the remote control applied to Example 1. 6 is a schematic external view showing a sub-panel configuration of a remote controller applied to Embodiment 2. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Remote control 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d ... Operation button 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d ... Subpanel 4a, 4b, 4c ... Subpanel identification contact 5a, 5b, 5c ... Operation button contact 6a, 6b, 6c ... For GND Common contacts 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d ... Subpanel fitting grooves 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d, 8e, 8f ... Main body side subpanel identifying contacts 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d, 9e, 9f ... Main body side button contacts 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e, 10f ... Main body side common contact 11 ... Remote control main body 12 ... Remote control control unit 13 ... Remote control information storage unit 14 ... Remote control transmission unit

Claims (1)

A remote control device that has a separate structure for the operation input unit and the main body unit, and operates as a combination of one of the plurality of types of operation input units and the main body unit,
Multiple types of operation input panels,
A remote control device casing provided with an operation input panel fitting groove into which at least one of the operation input panels is fitted;
A memory unit for storing a remote control code and a type of the operation panel;
A control unit that reads a remote control code corresponding to an operation input signal from the operation input panel from the memory;
A remote control signal transmission unit for transmitting the remote control code read by the control unit to the outside as a remote control signal;
Have
The operation input panel is detachable from the remote control device casing through the operation input panel fitting groove, and the operation input is in a position where the operation input panel and the remote control device casing are in contact with each other. A remote control device comprising a panel identification contact and a contact for transmitting a signal from the operation input panel to the remote control device casing.

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