JP2007228136A - Remote controller, and video apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a compact and simple remote controller with excellent operability because of a small number of buttons. <P>SOLUTION: A tilt sensor 20 for sensing a tilt state of a main body is provided inside the main body of the remote controller 100. A microcomputer 21 assigns a function different from the tilt state of the main body to operation buttons 22 on the basis of a sensing signal outputted from the tilt sensor 20. When the operation button 22 assigned with a prescribed function is operated, a signal transmission section 23 transmits a code signal corresponding to the function of the operation button to a video apparatus 200. The function of the operation button 22 can be switched by changing the posture of the remote controller 100 and the number of buttons can remarkably be decreased. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a remote controller used for remote control of video equipment such as a television receiver.

  Video equipment such as a television receiver (hereinafter referred to as “TV”) generally includes a remote controller (hereinafter referred to as “remote control”), and a predetermined operation can be performed on the equipment by remotely operating the remote control. It is supposed to be done. In the case of a television, if the television has only a function as a stand-alone device, it is sufficient that the remote control only has a function corresponding to the television. However, in recent years, televisions with built-in VCR (Video Cassette Recorder), DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) recorders, etc. have appeared, and in such multifunction devices, the remote control has only functions compatible with televisions. It is also necessary to have a function corresponding to all the built-in devices.

  FIG. 8 is a plan view showing an example of a remote controller 300 used in a VCR / DVD integrated television. Reference numeral 301 denotes a main body of the remote controller 300, 302 denotes an operation unit provided on the front side of the main body 301, and 303 denotes a battery storage unit provided on the back side of the main body 301. The operation unit 302 has a large number of various buttons necessary for operating the television, the VCR, and the DVD. As described above, when the operation unit 302 is provided with various types of buttons, the button operation becomes very complicated, and the operation takes time or an operation error occurs. In addition, since the size of the remote control 300 is inevitably large, there are cases where fingers do not reach all buttons when operating with one hand, and the remote control 300 must be held in the middle of the operation, which is inconvenient to operate. It is the result that encourages. Furthermore, there is a problem in that the number of components of the remote controller 300 increases due to an increase in buttons, resulting in high costs.

  On the other hand, the remote control has a built-in signal generator that emits a signal when the main unit is tilted. By tilting the main unit to the right or left, a remote control that outputs signals according to the tilt direction and the tilt degree is as follows. Patent Document 1 of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-228707. When this remote controller is used in a car driving game, for example, if the remote controller is tilted as if it is a car handle, the car can be turned in the tilt direction by the tilt amount. Moreover, when this remote control is used for crane operation, for example, the load can be moved in a direction in which the remote control is tilted. Accordingly, it is not necessary to provide buttons for turning and moving on the remote control, and the number of buttons can be reduced correspondingly, thereby reducing the size of the remote control.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-111082

  As described above, in the remote control used in the composite type video equipment, the number of buttons necessary for the operation is very large, which is inconvenient for the operation, and the components of the remote control increase and the cost increases. There's a problem. Moreover, since the remote control of Patent Document 1 outputs the same signal as when the button is operated by tilting the remote control instead of operating the button, only a limited part of the buttons can be omitted. It is. Therefore, if the number of buttons is originally small, such as a remote control for games and controls, it may be possible to expect a certain effect, but it has a very large number of buttons such as a remote control for complex video equipment. In such a case, the technique of Patent Document 1 in which only a specific button can be omitted cannot fundamentally solve the above problem.

  The present invention solves the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to realize a small and simple remote controller with a small number of buttons and excellent operability.

  The present invention includes a main body, an operation unit provided on the surface of the main body, and a large number of operation buttons arranged on the operation unit, and controls a device to perform a predetermined operation by operating the operation buttons. In the main body, a tilt sensor that detects the tilt state of the main body and a predetermined operation button in the operation unit based on a tilt sensor that detects the tilt state of the main body and a detection signal output from the tilt sensor. A microcomputer that assigns different functions according to the microcomputer, and a signal transmission unit that transmits a code signal corresponding to the function of the operation button when the operation button to which the predetermined function is assigned is operated by the microcomputer. The function of the operation button is switched by changing the posture of the main body.

  In this way, a plurality of different functions can be assigned to one operation button, and in order to select these functions, it is only necessary to change the attitude of the remote control body. The functions of the operation buttons are switched by changing the inclination, right inclination, and horizontal, and various operations can be performed with one button. For this reason, the total number of operation buttons can be greatly reduced, which can greatly improve the operability, reduce the size of the remote control, and reduce the number of parts and realize it at low cost. Can do.

  In the present invention, when a function is assigned to an operation button by a microcomputer, for example, the following example can be considered. When the main body is tilted to the left, the first function is assigned to a predetermined operation button based on the first detection signal output from the tilt sensor. When the main body is tilted to the right, the second function is assigned to a predetermined operation button based on the second detection signal output from the tilt sensor. When the main body is in a horizontal state, a third function is assigned to a predetermined operation button based on a third detection signal output from the tilt sensor.

  In this way, three different functions can be assigned to one operation button, and one of the three functions can be selected by switching the posture of the remote control to three states.

  In this case, as a preferred embodiment, the first function assigned when the main body is tilted to the left is displayed on the left side of the predetermined operation button, and the main body is tilted to the right on the right side of the predetermined operation button. A second function assigned at a time may be displayed, and a third function assigned when the main body is in a horizontal state may be displayed on the surface of a predetermined operation button.

  In this way, the function of the operation button when the remote control is tilted is displayed on the side where the remote control is tilted, so if you want to operate the remote control tilted, you can tilt the remote control to either the left or right side. You can know immediately what to do.

  The tilt sensor used in the present invention is, for example, a flexible pipe having a portion tilted with respect to the horizontal, a metal ball movably disposed inside the pipe, and a contact with the metal ball. Thus, it has the electrode each provided in several places in a pipe. In addition, an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the degree of inclination of the pipe is provided.

  When such an adjustment mechanism is provided, for example, when the inclination of the pipe is increased, the metal ball does not move unless the remote control body is tilted greatly. When the inclination of the pipe is decreased, the remote control body is slightly tilted. Since the metal sphere moves only by itself, the tilt angle of the remote control body for switching the function of the operation button can be arbitrarily adjusted.

  Further, a video device according to the present invention is a video device that performs a predetermined operation in accordance with the operation of the remote controller described above, and a signal receiving unit that receives information related to the attitude of the remote control transmitted from the signal transmitting unit of the remote control, And a display for displaying functions assigned to the operation buttons of the remote controller according to the posture based on the information received by the signal receiving unit together with the arrangement of the operation buttons.

  In such video equipment, the function of the operation button at that time is displayed on the display together with the button arrangement according to the posture of the remote control, so the user can determine which function is assigned to which operation button. It can be easily confirmed and necessary operations can be performed accurately.

  According to the present invention, the function of the operation button is switched simply by changing the posture of the remote control body, so that the number of buttons can be greatly reduced. As a result, a small and simple remote control with excellent operability is realized. be able to.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a remote controller 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Here, a remote control used for a VCR / DVD integrated television is taken as an example. Reference numeral 1 denotes a main body of the remote control 100, and 10 denotes an operation unit provided on the front side of the main body 1. The operation unit 10 is provided with various operation buttons 10a to 10e. 10a is a power button for turning on / off the power of the device, 10b is an image quality adjustment button for adjusting the image quality of video, 10c is a select button for switching between TV / VCR and DVD, and 10d is a TV channel. Number buttons 10e for selecting are cursor / decision buttons for selecting items by moving the cursor on the screen.

  Reference numeral 2 denotes an inclination sensor housing portion, which contains an inclination sensor described later. Reference numeral 3 denotes an adjusting screw for adjusting the sensitivity of the tilt sensor, which will be described later. Reference numeral 4 denotes a battery storage unit in which a battery (not shown) is stored from the back side of the main body 1. A light projecting unit 5 is provided at the tip of the main body 1 and transmits a remote control signal as an infrared signal to the device side.

  A total of 12 number buttons 10d are provided, and numbers "1" to "12" are respectively displayed on the upper surface thereof. In addition, functions assigned to the buttons are displayed on the left and right sides of the numeric buttons 10d. This display is given on the surface of the main body 1. For example, the function “play” is displayed on the left side of the number button “2”, and the function “pause” is displayed on the right side. For this reason, the number button “2” has a function of instructing playback and pause of the VCR and DVD in addition to the original function of selecting the channel 2 of the television. For example, a function “CH (channel) up” is displayed on the left side of the number button “9”, and a function “volume up” is displayed on the right side. For this reason, the number button “9” has a function of switching channels in ascending order and increasing the volume of sound in addition to the original function of selecting the channel 9 of the television. The number button “12”, contrary to the number button “9”, also has a function of switching the channels in descending order and decreasing the sound volume. For the numeric buttons other than those described above, functions necessary for the operation of the television, the VCR, and the DVD are similarly displayed on both sides of the buttons. In this way, each numeric button 10d has three functions. These functions can be switched according to the direction in which the main body 1 of the remote controller 100 is tilted. Details thereof will be described later. In FIG. 1, the left and right function display of the numeric button 10 d is provided on the main body 1, but the function may be directly displayed on both left and right sides of the numeric button 10 d. When the area of each numeric button 10d is large, the functions may be displayed side by side on both sides of the numeric value on the upper surface of each numeric button 10d.

  FIG. 2A is a view showing the inclination sensor 20 accommodated in the inclination sensor accommodating portion 2, and represents the AA cross section of FIG. The inclination sensor 20 includes a pipe 12 made of a flexible insulating material (for example, rubber), a metal ball 13 movably disposed in the pipe 12, and electrodes 14 a to 14 provided in the pipe 12. 14c. The pipe 12 is formed in a V shape in which the left portion 12a and the right portion 12b are inclined upward with respect to the horizontal direction, and each position of the left end portion, the right end portion, and the intermediate portion (V-shaped valley portion). Electrodes 14a, 14b and 14c are respectively disposed on the electrodes. Both the left end portion and the right end portion of the pipe 12 are closed.

  Reference numeral 3 denotes an adjustment screw. A groove 3a into which a coin, a driver or the like is inserted during adjustment is formed on the upper surface, and a screw portion 3b is formed on the side surface. The adjustment screw 3 is rotatably attached to the main body 1 by screwing the screw portion 3b into a screw portion 1b formed in the opening 1a of the main body 1. Reference numeral 11 denotes a pressing plate disposed above the pipe 12 and is sandwiched between the upper wall of the main body 1 and the pipe 12. When the adjusting screw 3 rotates and descends, the pressing plate 11 is pressed by the adjusting screw 3 and moves downward, and the flexible pipe 12 is pressed and deformed. Springs 15 a and 15 b are interposed between both ends of the pipe 12 and the lower wall of the main body 1. These springs 15a and 15b are always given upward elastic force. The adjusting screw 3, the pressing plate 11, and the springs 15a and 15b constitute an embodiment of the adjusting mechanism in the present invention.

  FIG. 2 (b) shows a cross section at an intermediate portion of the pipe 12. The electrode 14 c is composed of a pair of electrodes provided so as to face each other so as to be in contact with the metal ball 13. When the metal sphere 13 contacts the pair of electrodes 14c, the electrodes are short-circuited. This short-circuit state is electrically extracted as a detection signal from the conductive wire 16 connected to each electrode 14c, and is given to a microcomputer to be described later. The other electrodes 14a and 14b are also composed of a pair of electrodes that can come into contact with the metal sphere 13 in the same manner as the electrode 14c. In addition, you may form the curved part for holding the metal ball | bowl 13 lightly in each electrode 14a-14c.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the remote controller 100, which also shows the electrical configuration of the video equipment 200. Reference numeral 20 denotes the above-described tilt sensor, and reference numerals 14a to 14c denote the above-described electrodes. One side of each of the electrodes 14a to 14c is grounded in common, and the other side is connected to a microcomputer (hereinafter referred to as "microcomputer") 21. Yes. Here, the electrodes 14a to 14c are expressed as fixed contacts of the relay, and the metal ball 13 described above corresponds to the movable contact of the relay. When one of the electrodes 14a to 14c is short-circuited by the metal ball 13, the short-circuited electrode is grounded, and this electrical change is taken out as a detection signal and input to the microcomputer 21. As will be described later, according to the tilt state of the main body 1, a left tilt detection signal is provided from the electrode 14a, a right tilt detection signal is provided from the electrode 14b, and a horizontal detection signal is provided from the electrode 14c to the microcomputer 21, respectively.

  Reference numeral 22 denotes n operation buttons, which are configured from the operation buttons 10a to 10e shown in FIG. Signals output from the operation buttons 10 a to 10 e are input to the microcomputer 21. Based on the detection signal output from the tilt sensor 20, the microcomputer 21 assigns a different function to each of the numeric buttons 10 d (FIG. 1) among the operation buttons 22 according to the tilt state of the main body 1 of the remote controller 100.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, when the main body 1 is held in a horizontal state (non-tilted state), the metal ball 13 is in an intermediate position of the pipe 12 and is in contact with the electrode 14c. Since the electrode 14 c is short-circuited by the metal ball 13, a horizontal detection signal is given from the tilt sensor 20 to the microcomputer 21. When the horizontal detection signal is input from the tilt sensor 20, the microcomputer 21 assigns the functions of the channels 1 to 12 to each of the numeric buttons 10d. As a result, the numeric button 10d has a function according to the numbers “1” to “12” displayed on the surface thereof, that is, an original channel selection function.

  Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the main body 1 is held in the left inclined state, the metal ball 13 rolls the left portion 12a of the pipe 12 to the left end position and contacts the electrode 14a. Since the electrode 14 a is short-circuited by the metal ball 13, a left tilt detection signal is given from the tilt sensor 20 to the microcomputer 21. When the left tilt detection signal is input from the tilt sensor 20, the microcomputer 21 displays “retrieve”, “replay”, “fast forward”, “record” displayed on the left side of each button in FIG. The functions of “angle”, “repeat”, “reservation confirmation”, “CM skip”, “channel up”, “setup”, “return”, and “channel down” are assigned.

  Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 4C, when the main body 1 is held in a right-tilt state, the metal ball 13 rolls the right portion 12b of the pipe 12 to the right end position and contacts the electrode 14b. Since the electrode 14 b is short-circuited by the metal ball 13, a right inclination detection signal is given from the inclination sensor 20 to the microcomputer 21. When the right tilt detection signal is input from the tilt sensor 20, the microcomputer 21 displays “stop”, “pause”, “fast reverse”, “return” displayed on the right side of each button in FIG. All functions of timer recording, zoom, display, timer, mute, volume up, menu, clear, and volume down are assigned.

  In this way, each function corresponding to the posture of the main body 1 is assigned to the numeric button 10d. Therefore, when the numeric button 10d is operated while the main body 1 is held in a certain posture, the microcomputer 21 corresponds to the posture. Then, a code corresponding to the function assigned to the button is generated and given to the signal transmission unit 23. As a result, a code signal corresponding to the function of the operated numeric button 10d is transmitted from the signal transmission unit 23 to the video equipment 200. The video device 200 is a video device that performs a predetermined operation in accordance with the operation of the remote controller 100. The video device 200 includes a TV block 33 that controls TV operation, a VCR block 34 that controls VCR operation, and a DVD block 35 that controls DVD operation. I have. That is, the video equipment 200 here is a VCR / DVD integrated television. In the video equipment 200, when the code signal from the signal transmission unit 23 is received by the signal reception unit 31, the control unit 32 including a microcomputer decodes the code signal, and based on the result, the TV block 33, the VCR block 34, or the DVD The block 35 is caused to execute a predetermined operation. The video reproduced in each of the blocks 33 to 35 is displayed on the display 36, and the reproduced audio is output from the speaker 37.

  As described above, the remote controller 100 of the present embodiment changes the function of the numeric button 10d by changing the attitude of the main body 1. Therefore, for example, when viewing a TV program with the video equipment 200, the main body 1 is shown in FIG. The channel can be switched by maintaining the horizontal state as shown in FIG. If the user wants to increase the volume while watching TV, the remote controller 100 is tilted to the right and the main body 1 is held in the right tilt state as shown in FIG. 4C, and the numeric button “9” is operated in this state. For example, if the volume can be increased and the volume is desired to be decreased, the volume can be decreased by holding the main body 1 in the right tilt state and operating the numeric button “12”.

  For example, when fast-forwarding during DVD playback, the remote controller 100 is tilted to the left to hold the main body 1 in a left-tilt state as shown in FIG. 4B, and in this state, the numeric button “3”. Is operated, the fast-forward operation of the DVD is started. If you want to fast-rewind while playing a DVD, tilt the remote control 100 to the right to hold the main unit 1 in the right-tilt state as shown in FIG. 4C, and operate the numeric button “3” in this state. Then, the DVD rewinding operation is started.

  Further, for example, when it is desired to stop the playback in the middle of playing the video cassette, the remote controller 100 is tilted to the right to hold the main body 1 in the right tilt state as shown in FIG. If “1” is operated, video playback is stopped. Thereafter, when the playback is resumed, the remote controller 100 is tilted to the left and the main body 1 is held in the left-tilt state as shown in FIG. 4B, and the numeric button “2” is operated in this state to play the video. Resumed. If you want to skip the CM (commercial) and play it, tilt the remote control 100 to the left and hold the main unit 1 in the left-inclined state as shown in FIG. 4B, and operate the numeric button “8” in this state. Then, skip reproduction is executed.

  As described above, in the remote controller 100 of the present embodiment, three different functions can be assigned to one numeric button 10d, and only the posture of the main body 1 needs to be changed when selecting these functions. The function of the numeric button 10d is switched by changing the posture of the main body 1 to left tilt, right tilt, and horizontal, and various operations can be performed with the single numeric button 10d. For this reason, as apparent from a comparison between FIG. 1 and FIG. 8, the total number of operation buttons in the operation unit 10 can be significantly reduced. Therefore, the remote controller 100 is reduced in size, and the operability in the case of operating with one hand is remarkably improved, so that a quick and accurate operation can be performed, and the number of parts can be reduced and realized at low cost.

  In the present embodiment, the function assigned when the main body 1 is in the left tilt state is displayed on the left side of the number button 10d, and is assigned to the right side of the number button 10d when the main body 1 is in the right tilt state. Functions are displayed, and functions assigned when the main body 1 is in a horizontal state are displayed on the surface of the numeric button 10d. As a result, since the function of the numeric button 10d when the remote control 100 is tilted is displayed on the side where the remote control 100 is tilted, the remote control 100 is tilted to the left or right side when an operation with the remote control 100 tilted is desired. You can know immediately what to do.

  In the present embodiment, since the left end portion and the right end portion of the pipe 12 are closed, when the metal ball 13 rolls to the left end portion or the right end portion when the main body 1 is tilted, the metal ball 13 is moved to the pipe 12. The vibration at this time is transmitted to the hand as a touch. For this reason, it can be easily confirmed that the metal ball 13 reaches the end of the pipe 12 and contacts the electrodes 14a and 14b, and the function of the button is switched.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the function of the adjusting mechanism. When a coin or a driver is inserted into the groove 3a of the adjustment screw 3 and the adjustment screw 3 is rotated in a predetermined direction, the adjustment screw 3 is lowered. When the adjusting screw 3 is lowered, the pressing plate 11 is pushed by the adjusting screw 3 and moves downward, and presses both sides of the pipe 12 in the direction of the arrow. Since the pipe 12 is made of a flexible material such as rubber, and both ends are supported by springs 15a and 15b, when both sides of the pipe 12 are pressed by the pressing plate 11, the pipe 12 is It is deformed so as to approach the flat state as shown in the figure. As the pipe 12 is deformed, the springs 15a and 15b are compressed and contracted. As a result, as can be seen from comparison with FIG. 2, the inclination of the left portion 12a and the right portion 12b of the pipe 12 from the horizontal is reduced. When the inclination of the pipe 12 is thus reduced, as shown in FIG. 6, the metal ball 13 moves only by slightly tilting the main body 1, so that the sensitivity to the inclination when the function of the numeric button 10d is switched is improved. To do. On the other hand, when the adjustment screw 3 is rotated in the reverse direction and raised, the pressing force of the pressing plate 11 decreases and the pipe 12 tends to return to the original state. The inclination from the horizontal of the part 12a and the right part 12b gradually increases. When the inclination of the pipe 12 is increased, as shown in FIGS. 4B and 4C, the metal ball 13 does not move unless the main body 1 is greatly inclined. Sensitivity decreases. In this way, the inclination angle of the main body 1 for switching the function of the button can be arbitrarily adjusted by the adjustment mechanism.

  FIG. 7 shows an example of guidance display displayed on the display 36 of the video equipment 200. As described above, when the remote controller 100 is held in a predetermined posture, a detection signal corresponding to the posture is output from the tilt sensor 20, so the microcomputer 21 determines that the remote controller 100 is tilted horizontally and leftward from this detection signal. It is possible to determine which posture is tilted to the right. Therefore, the microcomputer 21 transmits information related to the attitude of the remote controller 100 to the signal receiver 31 of the video device 200 via the signal transmitter 23. When the signal receiving unit 31 receives this information, the control unit 32 discriminates the content and performs a numeric button function display 51 and a remote control state display 52 on the screen 36 a of the display 36. All of these displays are performed by OSD (On Screen Display), and OSD display data is stored in a memory provided in the control unit 32.

  In the numeric button function display 51, the function of the numeric button 10d assigned to the posture of the remote controller 100 at that time is displayed together with the arrangement of the numeric buttons “1” to “12”. In the remote control status display 52, it is displayed whether the posture of the remote control 100 is horizontal, left tilt, or right tilt. In the example of FIG. 7, among the three frames in the remote control status display 52, the left frame is filled, so the remote control 100 is tilted to the left, and therefore each numeric button “ In “1” to “12”, the same functions as those displayed on the left side of the numeric button 10d in FIG. 1 are displayed. When the remote control 100 is tilted to the right side, the right frame in the remote control status display 52 is filled, and the numeric buttons “1” to “12” in the numeric button function display 51 are on the right side of the numeric button 10d in FIG. The same function that is displayed is displayed. When the remote control 100 is in the horizontal state, the center frame in the remote control status display 52 is filled, and only the button numbers are displayed on the numeric buttons “1” to “12” in the numeric button function display 51.

  In this way, by performing the numeric button function display 51 on the screen 36a of the display 36 of the video equipment 200, the user can clearly confirm the function assigned to the numeric button 10d of the remote controller 100 at that time. Therefore, necessary operations can be performed accurately. Further, by performing the remote control status display 52 together with the numeric button function display 51, it is possible to easily confirm the correspondence between the posture of the remote control and the button function. The numeric button function display 51 and the remote control status display 52 are displayed for a certain time (for example, 3 seconds) when the attitude of the remote control 100 is changed, and disappear from the screen 36a after the certain time has elapsed. Further, if the numeric button function display 51 as described above is performed on the display 36, the function display on both sides of the numeric button 10d as shown in FIG. 1 can be omitted on the remote controller 100 side. Of course, it is also possible to perform function display on the display 36 after displaying the function on the remote controller 100 side.

  In the present invention, various embodiments other than those described above can be adopted. For example, in the above-described embodiment, three functions are assigned to the numeric buttons 10d by changing the posture of the remote controller 100 to three states. However, the posture of the remote controller 100 is changed to the horizontal state and the left tilt state, or the horizontal state and the right tilt. Two functions may be assigned to the numeric button 10d by changing the state into two states. Alternatively, four or more functions may be assigned to the numeric button 10d by changing the posture of the remote controller 100 to four or more states. In these cases, the shape of the pipe 12 of the inclination sensor 20 and the number of electrodes may be changed according to the specifications.

  In the above embodiment, the numeric button 10d has a plurality of functions. However, a button other than the numeric button 10d may have a plurality of functions. Also, for example, when the remote control 100 is in a horizontal state, a function for operating a TV is assigned to each button, and when the remote control 100 is in a left inclined state, a function for VCR operation is assigned to each button, and the remote control 100 is in a right inclined state. The function may be assigned to each button by associating the attitude of the remote controller 100 with the device, such as assigning a DVD operation function to each button.

  In the above-described embodiment, the tilt sensor 20 includes the pipe 12, the metal ball 13, and the electrodes 14a to 14c. However, the tilt sensor 20 of the present invention is not limited to this, and the remote controller 100 is not limited thereto. Any sensor can be used as long as it can detect the posture of the camera. For example, an inclination sensor using a pendulum can be employed.

  In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the numeric button 10d has a vertically long shape and functions are displayed on the left and right, but the numeric button 10d has a horizontally long shape like other buttons, You may display a function up and down. In this case, for example, it may be determined in advance that the upper display represents a function when the remote control 100 is tilted to the left, and the lower display represents a function when the remote control 100 is tilted to the right.

  As another modification, for example, an LED lamp may be provided in association with each function display, and according to the attitude of the remote controller 100, which function is currently assigned may be notified by lighting the LED lamp. Alternatively, the portion subjected to the function display is formed of a transparent resin, the light emitting element and the light guide member are provided inside the main body 1, and the light of the light emitting element is guided to the function display portion via the light guide member. An embodiment in which the currently assigned function display portion emits light is also conceivable.

  In the embodiment described above, the remote control used for the VCR / DVD integrated television is taken as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, but the VCR integrated television, the DVD integrated television, the VCR integrated DVD recorder, and the built-in hard disk. The present invention can also be applied to a remote control used for video equipment such as a DVD recorder and a projector, and can also be applied to a remote control used for equipment other than video equipment.

It is a top view of the remote control which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an inclination sensor. It is the block diagram which showed the electric constitution of the remote control. It is a figure explaining the attitude | position of remote control. It is a figure explaining the function of an adjustment mechanism. It is a figure explaining the attitude | position of remote control. It is an example of the guidance display displayed on the display of video equipment. It is the top view which showed the example of the conventional remote control.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body 3 Adjustment screw 10 Operation part 10a-10e Operation button 11 Press plate 12 Pipe 13 Metal ball 14a-14c Electrode 15a, 15b Spring 20 Inclination sensor 21 Microcomputer 22 Operation button 23 Signal transmission part 31 Signal reception part 36 Display 51 Number Button function display 100 Remote control 200 Video equipment

Claims (6)

A remote controller used in a composite video device in which a plurality of video devices are integrated, a main body, an operation unit provided on a surface of the main body, and a plurality of operation buttons arranged in the operation unit, In a remote controller that causes each video device to perform a predetermined operation by operating the operation button,
A pipe made of a flexible insulating material provided inside the main body and formed in a V shape, a metal sphere movably disposed inside the pipe, and a metal sphere that can contact the metal sphere A tilt sensor having first, second and third electrodes respectively provided in the pipe at positions of the left end, the right end and the middle of the pipe;
Based on a detection signal output from the tilt sensor, a microcomputer that assigns different functions depending on the tilt state of the main body to each of the predetermined operation buttons in the operation unit;
A signal transmission unit that transmits a code signal corresponding to the function of the operation button when an operation button to which a predetermined function is assigned by the microcomputer is operated;
An adjustment mechanism for adjusting the degree of inclination of the pipe of the inclination sensor,
The microcomputer is
When the main body is tilted to the left and the metal ball is in contact with the first electrode, the predetermined operation button is moved to the predetermined operation button based on a first detection signal output from the tilt sensor. Assigned one function,
When the main body is tilted to the right and the metal sphere is in contact with the second electrode, the second operation signal is output to the predetermined operation button based on a second detection signal output from the tilt sensor. Assigned two functions,
When the main body is in a horizontal state and the metal sphere is in contact with the third electrode, a third detection signal output from the tilt sensor is used for the third operation button. Is configured to be assigned
A remote controller characterized in that the function of the operation button is switched by changing the posture of the main body. In a remote controller comprising a main body, an operation section provided on the surface of the main body, and a plurality of operation buttons arranged in the operation section, and operating the operation buttons to cause a device to perform a predetermined operation ,
A tilt sensor provided inside the body for detecting the tilt state of the body;
Based on a detection signal output from the tilt sensor, a microcomputer that assigns different functions depending on the tilt state of the main body to each of the predetermined operation buttons in the operation unit;
A signal transmission unit that transmits a code signal corresponding to the function of the operation button when an operation button to which a predetermined function is assigned by the microcomputer is operated;
A remote controller characterized in that the function of the operation button is switched by changing the posture of the main body. The remote controller according to claim 2,
The microcomputer is
Assigning a first function to the predetermined operation button based on a first detection signal output from the tilt sensor when the main body is in a left tilt state;
Assigning a second function to the predetermined operation button based on a second detection signal output from the tilt sensor when the main body is tilted to the right;
A remote controller, wherein a third function is assigned to the predetermined operation button based on a third detection signal output from the tilt sensor when the main body is in a horizontal state. The remote controller according to claim 3, wherein
On the left side of the predetermined operation button, a first function assigned when the main body is tilted to the left is displayed,
On the right side of the predetermined operation button, a second function assigned when the main body is tilted to the right is displayed.
A remote controller characterized in that a third function assigned when the main body is in a horizontal state is displayed on a surface of the predetermined operation button. The remote controller according to claim 2,
The tilt sensor includes a flexible pipe having a portion inclined with respect to the horizontal, a metal ball movably disposed inside the pipe, and a metal ball inside the pipe so as to be in contact with the metal ball. Each having a plurality of electrodes, and
A remote controller comprising an adjusting mechanism for adjusting the degree of inclination of the pipe. A video device that performs a predetermined operation in accordance with an operation of the remote controller according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A signal receiving unit for receiving information related to the attitude of the remote controller transmitted from the signal transmitting unit of the remote controller;
Based on the information received by the signal receiving unit, a display that displays the function assigned to the operation button of the remote controller according to the attitude together with the arrangement of the operation button,
Video equipment characterized by comprising:

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