JP2008271293A - Bidirectional remote control system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a bidirectional remote control system, capable of improving operability of operating devices by shortening the response time of communication between a controller and the operating devices, in the bidirectional remote control system that is constituted of a plurality of operating devices and the controller. <P>SOLUTION: In the bidirectional remote control system, constituted of a controller which controls a device connected thereto and a plurality of operating devices, each of which can operate the relevant controller, the controller comprises a priority order table, including a plurality of priority orders determining the order of transmitting control signals for each of the plurality of operating devices; a transmission table recording therein the priority order in the priority order table selected, according to an operating device that receives an instruction signal; and a control section that performs control to transmit control signals to the plurality of operating devices, on the basis of the transmission order in the transmission table, and performs control to update, into the transmission table, the priority orders, in the priority order table that is newly selected, after the completion of transmission of control signals to the plurality of operating devices. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a bidirectional remote control system that performs bidirectional communication between a control device and a plurality of operation devices that operate the control device.

AV (Audio Visual) amplifiers connected to multiple devices such as CD (Compact Disc) players, tuners, and DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) players can simultaneously output different video, audio, and music signals to multiple locations. Some have the function to do.
For example, in this AV amplifier,
(a) Mr. A watches the video and audio from playing a DVD in the living room.
(b) Mr. B listens to music played on the CD in the bedroom.
And can be operated with a separate remote control from each location.

  Such a system including an AV amplifier and a remote control has a bidirectional remote control function of receiving instruction signals from a plurality of remote controls and transmitting a control signal in response to the signals received from the remote controls to the remote control. This bi-directional remote control function is installed in each room by installing a bi-directional remote control system in the form of transmitting and receiving signals by radio waves between the AV amplifier and the remote control, or an infrared signal transmitting / receiving device on the AV amplifier side in each room. This can be realized by any of the bidirectional remote control systems in which signals are transmitted / received by infrared rays to / from each of the arranged remote controllers.

  A device having a function of transmitting and receiving signals between a control device such as an AV amplifier and a plurality of operation devices such as a remote control device is disclosed in Patent Document 1.

JP 2000-312391 A

  In a bidirectional remote control device as disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the operating device transmits an instruction signal to the control device and the control device receives the instruction signal, the control device transmits an instruction signal to the operating device. Is transmitted to the controller device as control signals, such as data for notifying the reception of information and information relating to information such as artist information displayed on the display unit of the controller device. When data is transmitted from the control device to the plurality of operation devices A, B, and C, the control device transmits the data in a predetermined order regardless of the order of the operation devices to which the instruction signal is transmitted. Therefore, in the operating device that has transmitted the instruction signal, when it is desired to receive the control signal earlier than the other operating device (for example, the operating device that requested the display of the artist information wants to display the artist information earlier than the other operating device). However, since the control signals are transmitted in a predetermined order, the operability for the user is bad.

  If the communication state between the control device and the operation device is poor and communication cannot be performed normally, it takes time for the operation device to send an instruction signal to the control device and return the control signal from the control device to the operation device. . When data (for example, song name, genre name, album name, etc.) to be displayed on the display unit of the operating device is transmitted from the control device, there is a case where a maximum of 2 seconds is waited for transmission / response of one data. When five data are transmitted from the control device to the controller device, it may take up to 10 seconds. If the number of operation devices is large (for example, five), and it takes 10 seconds for each operation device, it may take 50 seconds for data transmission from the operation device A to the operation device E to be completed.

  In such a case, even if a new instruction signal is transmitted from the controller device to the control device, it takes time until the controller device receives the control signal for the instruction signal. For this reason, there exists a problem that operativity is bad for a user.

  The present invention can shorten the response time of communication between a control device and an operation device and improve the operability of the operation device in a bidirectional remote control system including a plurality of operation devices and a control device that transmits and receives. An object is to provide a bidirectional remote control system.

  The present invention provides a bidirectional remote control system including a control device for controlling a connected device and a plurality of operation devices capable of operating the control device, wherein the operation device instructs an operation of the control device. A display unit that displays information obtained from the control device, a transmission / reception unit that transmits an instruction signal to the control device and receives a control signal transmitted from the control device, and an instruction from the operation unit A control unit that performs control to transmit an instruction signal to the control device via the transmission / reception unit and performs control to display information on the display unit based on a control signal received from the control device via the transmission / reception unit; The control device receives an instruction signal transmitted from the operating device and transmits a control signal to the operating device; and a control signal for each of the plurality of operating devices. A priority table having a plurality of priorities that define the order of transmission, a transmission table in which the priority of the priority table selected according to the operating device that has received the instruction signal is recorded, and transmission of the transmission table Based on the order, the control signal is transmitted to the plurality of operation devices, and the priority of the priority table newly selected after the transmission of the control signal to the plurality of operation devices is completed is stored in the transmission table. It has a control part which performs control to update.

  According to the present invention, in the above-described bidirectional remote control system, the control device updates the priority order of the priority order table to a transmission table when the instruction signal received from the operation device is an instruction signal that meets a specific condition. It is characterized by performing.

  Conventionally, when the same data (e.g., information about a device being played back or content being played back) is transmitted as a control signal from a control device to a plurality of operation devices, a control signal is transmitted from the control device to the operation device A, Subsequently, the control signal is transmitted to the controller device B, the control signal is sequentially transmitted to the controller device C, and the control signal is transmitted to the last controller device D. Between the transmission of the control signal to the first controller A and the transmission of the control signal to the final controller D, an instruction signal is transmitted to the controller by one of the controllers (for example, controller C). In this case, since the transmission order of the control signal from the control device to the controller device does not change, the control signal is transmitted from the controller device A, and it takes time until the controller device C that has transmitted the instruction signal receives the control signal. .

  For this reason, in the present invention, the control device includes a priority table indicating the priority of data transmission and a transmission table used when transmitting data, and the control signal is first transmitted to the controller device A. At that time, the priority in the priority table is copied to the transmission table. Then, the control signal is transmitted based on the priority order. When the control device C transmits a control signal to the control device, the priority order of the priority of the control device C is selected from the priority order table of the control device. The control device transmits the control signal without updating the transmission table, and transmits the control signal to the controller device D. After the transmission of the control signal to the controller device D is completed, the priority order of the priority table with the high priority of the selected controller device C is copied to the transmission table, and the control signal is newly transmitted based on the transmission table. Start.

  According to the present invention, in a bidirectional remote control system including a plurality of operation devices and a control device that transmits and receives, the response time of communication between the control device and the operation device is shortened, and the operability of the operation device is improved. Can do.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a bidirectional remote control system of the present invention.
In FIG. 1, the bidirectional remote control system includes one control device 10, a plurality of operation devices A20, an operation device B30, and an operation device C40. The control device 10 performs bi-directional data communication with the respective operation devices 20, 30, and 40, and is controlled by the respective operation devices A20 to C40.

  In this embodiment, bidirectional data transmission / reception is performed by radio waves between the control device 10 and the plurality of operation devices A20 to C40, and only one transmission / reception unit of the control device 10 described later is provided. Will be described. When bidirectional data transmission / reception is performed by infrared rays between the control device 10 and the plurality of operation devices A20 to C40, a transmission / reception unit of the control device 10 is provided corresponding to each operation device A20 to operation device C40. . Specifically, when the operation devices A20 to C40 are arranged in each of a plurality of rooms, the transmission / reception unit of the control device 10 is installed in each room, and the transmission / reception unit and the operation devices A20 to A40 are operated. Data is transmitted / received to / from the C40 transceiver.

  The operation device A20 includes a transmission / reception unit 21, a display unit 22, an operation unit 23, and a control unit 24. The transmission / reception unit 21 receives a control signal transmitted from the control device 10 and transmits an instruction signal to the control device 10. The display unit 22 displays information included in the control signal based on the control signal transmitted from the control device 10. The display unit 22 may display information stored in the controller device based on the control signal transmitted from the control device 10. When the user operates an operation button or the like, the operation unit 23 outputs a signal corresponding to the operated operation button to the control unit 24 described later. The control unit 24 analyzes the control signal transmitted from the control device 10 and performs control such as displaying information on the display unit 22 based on the control signal. Further, the control unit 24 performs control to generate an instruction signal corresponding to the operation based on the operation input by the operation unit 23 and transmit the instruction signal to the control device 10 from the transmission / reception unit 21. Since the controller device B30 and the controller device C40 have the same configuration as the controller device A20, description thereof is omitted.

  The control device 10 includes a transmission / reception unit 11 and a control unit 12. In addition, although the control apparatus 10 is provided with an amplifier part (not shown), a signal processing part (not shown), etc. in addition, description is abbreviate | omitted in a present Example. The transmission / reception unit 11 receives an instruction signal transmitted from the controller device A20 to the controller device C40 and transmits a control signal to the controller device A20 to the controller device C40. The control unit 12 analyzes the instruction signal received by the transmission / reception unit 11 and creates a control signal to be transmitted to the operation device A20 to the operation device C40, and transmits the control signal to the operation device A20 to the operation device C40 via the transmission / reception unit 11. Control to send.

  The control unit 12 includes a priority table having a plurality of priorities that determine the order in which the control signals are transmitted among the plurality of operation devices A20 to C40, and the priority selected according to the operation device that has received the instruction signal. And a transmission table for recording the order. When any one of the plurality of operation devices A20 to C40 is operated and an instruction signal is received from the operation device, the control unit 12 selects a priority from the priority table based on the operation device. . The selected priority is copied to the transmission table. And the control part 12 transmits a control signal based on the priority of the said transmission table.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the priority order table and the transmission table.
The priority order table is a table indicating the priority order of the transmission order of control signals. The transmission table is a table indicating the order in which control signals are transmitted to the controller device. The priority table is updated by the control unit 12 of the control device 10 according to the operation device registered in the control device 10 when the user newly registers and increases the operation device in the control device.

  In the priority table, it consists of six blocks with different priorities. Each block has a different operating device with high priority. For example, in the priority order 11 block, the priority is higher in the order of the operating device A20, the operating device B30, and the operating device C40, and in the priority order 21 block, the priority is given in the order of the operating device A20, the operating device C40, and the operating device B30. High degree.

  As for the priorities of the blocks of the priority orders 11 to 61, when data is received from any one of the operation devices A20 to C40, the priority order is changed by the operation device that has received the data. The changed priority order is applied the next time data is transmitted from the control device 10 to the controller device. The left column in the table indicates the priority order in the stage before the operating device is operated, and the second column, the third column, and the fourth column from the left in the table are respectively operated when the operating device A20 is operated. A transmission table when the controller device B30 is operated when the controller device B30 is operated is shown.

  For example, in the priority order 31 block, priorities are set in the order of the operation device B30, the operation device A20, and the operation device C40. When the operation device A20 is operated in this state, the priority order 32 block is selected. Is done. Further, when the operating device B30 is operated, the block with the priority order 33 is selected, and when the operating device C40 is operated, the block with the priority order 34 is selected.

  In the transmission table, the order in which control signals are transmitted from the control device 10 to the operation devices A20 to C40 is determined. In the transmission table, the priority order table is copied after the operating devices A20 to C40 are operated. The control device 10 transmits the control signal based on the priority order of the transmission table.

  The priority table and the update of the transmission table will be described by taking as an example a case where the state before transmission is a block of priority 11 and the controller device C40 is operated. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the update of the priority table and the transmission table.

  In a state before the operating device C40 is operated, the control device 10 first transmits a control signal to the operating device A20 as shown in FIG. 3 (a), and then shown in FIG. 3 (b). In this manner, the control signal is transmitted to the controller device B30, and finally, the control signal is transmitted to the controller device C40 as shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 3 (c), when the user operates the operation device B30 and the instruction signal is transmitted from the operation device B30 before the control signal is transmitted from the control device 10 to the operation device C40, the control device 10 Selects a block of priority 13 from the priority table. The priority order 13 is a priority order in which the priority of the controller device B30 is high.

  The control device 10 transmits a control signal to the controller device C40 based on the priority order of the transmission table as shown in FIG. 3 (c), and then sets a new priority order 13 as shown in FIG. 3 (d). Copy to the transmission table and update the transmission table. Then, the control device 10 transmits a control signal to the controller device B30 based on the new priority 13 in the transmission table, and then transmits a control signal to the controller device A20 as shown in FIG. 3 (e). I do.

  When data is transmitted from the control device 10 to each operation device A20 to operation device C40, information is displayed on the display unit 22 of each operation device A20 to operation device C40, and the user can confirm the contents. In addition, since the same information is displayed on all of the plurality of operation devices A20 to C40, this information can be confirmed by a plurality of users.

  As described above, data is transmitted from the control device to a plurality of operating devices based on the priority order of the priority order table, and an instruction signal is newly sent from the operating device during data transmission to the plurality of operating devices. When there is a transmission, the control device selects a priority from the priority table based on the operating device that has transmitted the instruction signal.

  Then, when transmission of the control signal to the plurality of controller devices is completed, the selected new priority is copied and updated in the transmission table, and the control signal is transmitted based on the priority of the transmission table.

  As a result, if the user operates the operation device while the control device is transmitting control signals to a plurality of operation devices, the operation is performed when the control signal is next transmitted from the control device to the operation device. The priority of the selected operation device is transmitted in a high order. Since the operated operating device can receive data preferentially, the response time from the control device to the operated operating device is shortened, and the operability is improved.

  In the embodiment described above, the priority order of the priority order table is selected based on all instruction signals operated by the operating device. However, the priority order table is selected according to the type of instruction signal received from the operating device. It may be determined whether or not to select.

  For example, when the CD player is stopped and the CD stop operation button is operated by the operating device, or when the tuner is selected and the audio signal received by the tuner is being played, the CD player is paused. For example, when a button is operated. For these operations, the operated operation is regarded as invalid, and the control device does not select the priority in the priority table.

  As a result, the priority order does not change every time an instruction signal is input from the controller device, and the transmission table is not changed, so that the operability of the entire system can be further improved.

The block diagram explaining one Embodiment of the bidirectional | two-way remote control system of this invention. The figure explaining the priority table and transmission table in this embodiment. The figure explaining the update of the priority order table and transmission table in this embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Control apparatus, 11 ... Transmission / reception part, 12 ... Control part.
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 20 ... Operation apparatus A, 21 ... Transmission / reception part, 22 ... Display part, 23 ... Operation part, 24 ... Control part.
30: Operating device B
40: Operating device C

Claims (2)

  In a bidirectional remote control system including a control device that controls a connected device and a plurality of operation devices capable of operating the control device, the operation device includes an operation unit that instructs operation of the control device, and the control A display unit for displaying information obtained from the device, a transmission / reception unit for transmitting an instruction signal to the control device and receiving a control signal transmitted from the control device, and the transmission / reception unit based on an instruction from the operation unit. A control unit that performs control to transmit an instruction signal to the control device via the control unit and performs control to display information on the display unit based on a control signal received from the control device via the transmission / reception unit, The control device receives an instruction signal transmitted from the operation device and transmits / receives a control signal to the operation device, and an order of transmitting the control signal for each of the plurality of operation devices. A priority table having a plurality of priorities, a transmission table in which the priority of the priority table selected according to the operating device that has received the instruction signal is recorded, and a transmission order of the transmission table Control to transmit the control signal to the plurality of operating devices and update the priority of the priority table newly selected after the transmission of the control signal to the plurality of operating devices is updated to the transmission table. A bidirectional remote control system comprising a control unit for performing   2. The bidirectional remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the control device performs control to update the priority order of the priority order table to a transmission table when the instruction signal received from the operating device is an instruction signal that meets a specific condition. A bidirectional remote control system characterized by performing.

Images