JP2543931Y2 - Remote control transmitter - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement of a remote control transmitter for remotely controlling a TV, a VTR, an air conditioner, etc., in particular, by adjusting a transmission timing of a remote control signal,
By transmitting the remote control signal according to the same command again, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the controlled device side causes a reception error due to the remote control signal or the external noise transmitted from another remote control transmitter and an undesired operation state. Related to a remote control transmitter.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional remote control device transmits a remote control command transmitted from a remote control transmitter to a TV, which is a controlled device.
The signal is received by a receiver provided on the device body such as a VTR and an air conditioner, and the device body decodes the received remote control command and performs corresponding control. For this reason, the remote control transmitter cannot correctly receive the transmitted remote control command, and cannot confirm whether or not the device itself has been controlled to the intended state intended by the transmitter.

Therefore, a transmitter for transmitting a confirmation signal indicating that a remote control signal has been received is provided on the device body side, and a receiver for the confirmation signal is provided on the remote control transmitter side so that the transmitted remote control signal is correctly received. A remote control transmitter has been proposed in which this is displayed audibly or visually on the remote control transmitter side.

In addition, there has been proposed a device in which not only a confirmation signal for reception of a remote control signal but also information relating to the operation state of the device main body is transmitted from the device main body, and the remote controller transmitter displays the operation state of the device main body. ing. For example, TV
As an example, the channel number currently selected, the playback volume level, information related to audio multiplex broadcasting, and the like are displayed on a liquid crystal display or the like provided in the remote control transmitter.

[0005] If a bidirectional transmission system is provided between the remote control transmitter and the main body of the device as described above, it is determined whether the transmitted remote control signal has been correctly received and whether the remote control has been performed to a desired operation state. Since it can be confirmed on the device side, even if an external noise or a signal from another remote control transmitter interferes with its own remote control signal and a reception error occurs on the device main body side, it can be known.

[0006]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, if the remote control transmitter is provided with means for decoding the signal returned from the device body and displaying it audibly or visually, the configuration of the remote control transmitter becomes complicated, and the remote control transmitter becomes complicated. The transmitter becomes large. In addition, providing a dedicated transmission unit on the device main body complicates the configuration of the device main body, and requires modification of existing devices, which is not desirable.

[0007] The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and its purpose is to adjust the transmission timing of a remote control signal and to retransmit the signal so that the device main body side can be changed without changing the device main body side. An object of the present invention is to provide a remote control transmitter capable of reducing a reception error.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a remote control transmitter for wirelessly transmitting a remote control signal using a transmission medium such as light including infrared light, radio waves, and ultrasonic waves. In the remote control transmitter, the key input section
A transmission medium representing a code corresponding to the operation by the key input unit
Transmitter that transmits the body and receives the transmission medium that becomes the interference signal
And the reception output of the reception unit
Detection means for detecting whether or not the interference level has been exceeded
And the result of the detection by the detecting means,
If the output exceeds the allowable interference level, the transmitting unit
Waiting for transmission of the transmission medium from the
If the reception output of the transmitting unit is below the allowable interference level,
Transmitting the transmission medium from the transmitting unit.
It is characterized in that the control means for controlling is provided .

[0009] Remote control transmitter according to claim 2, infrared light
Remote control signal using a transmission medium consisting of light containing
The key input section and remote control
Of code corresponding to operation by key input unit
A transmission unit for transmitting the medium, and a transmission medium for interfering signals.
A receiving unit that transmits the code, and a transmitting unit that transmits the code.
During the non-light emission timing
The reception output of the receiver exceeds the preset allowable interference level
Detecting means for detecting whether or not
As a result of the detection, the reception output of the
If the number exceeds the bell, the code is sent again.
It is characterized by having a control means provided .

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a remote control transmitter detects a level of a disturbance signal based on a reception output of a receiving unit provided in the remote control transmitter. Send out. Further, when the reception output exceeds the preset allowable interference level, transmission of the remote control signal corresponding to the operation input is made to wait, and transmission can be started when the reception output becomes equal to or lower than the allowable interference level. . As described above, when transmitting its own remote control signal, the level of a signal that may cause interference is monitored, and if the level is equal to or lower than the interference allowable level, its own remote control signal is transmitted. Errors can be reduced.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a remote control transmitter monitors a light receiving output of a light receiving section at a non-light emitting timing during transmission of a remote control signal using light. Is transmitted again.
Therefore, if there is a possibility that the device main body side receives a signal in which an interference signal is superimposed on the transmitted remote control signal and causes an error, the remote control signal is transmitted again, so that the device main body side shifts to an undesired mode. Can be prevented.

【Example】

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a remote control transmitter according to the first embodiment. The remote control transmitter 1 transmits a remote control signal to a device main body (not shown) using infrared light. The remote control transmitter 1 includes a transmission unit 2, a reception unit 3, a remote control signal transmission control unit 4, an oscillation frequency dividing circuit 5, Consists of

The transmitting unit 2 includes a plurality of non-locking keys 6.
A keypad 7, a key input interface circuit 8, a data register 9 composed of a RAM or the like for temporarily storing information related to input keys,
Encoding and modulation circuit 10 for generating a remote control command code corresponding to an input key and outputting a pulse position modulated signal based on the remote control command code
And a light emitting circuit 11 for emitting a remote control signal based on the modulation signal 10a.

The light emitting circuit 11 includes a battery power supply VB (not shown).
Light emitting diode LED whose anode side is connected to
And an NPN-type switching transistor Q, and an emitter resistor RE for setting a light emission current flowing through the infrared light emitting diode LED.

The key input interface circuit 8 outputs a key press detection signal 8a when any key 6 is pressed. The oscillation frequency dividing circuit 5 stops its operation until the key press detection signal 8a is given in order to reduce the consumption of the battery power, and when any key 6 is pressed, the oscillation and the division of the original clock are performed. The clock starts to supply various clocks to each circuit. The oscillation frequency dividing circuit 5 is configured to continue supplying various clocks until the operation stop signal 4a is supplied from the transmission control means 4.

When various timing clocks are supplied from the oscillation frequency dividing circuit 5, the key input interface circuit 8
Monitors the chattering and double-pressing of the key. If the key input is normal, the key input confirmation signal 8b
Is output.

The transmission control means 4 includes a key input confirmation signal 8b
When the key input confirmation signal 8b is received, the address of the data register 9 is designated via the address control bus 4b, and the write control signal is supplied to output the key control signal from the key interface circuit 8. The pressed key information 8c is stored in the data register 9.

The receiving section 3 includes a light receiving circuit 12, a level comparing circuit 13, and an interfering signal interval detecting circuit 14. The light receiving signal circuit 12 includes a light receiving element PD such as a PIN photodiode or a phototransistor for detecting infrared light,
An amplifier AMP for amplifying the light receiving output of the light receiving element PD is provided.

The level comparator circuit 13, for example, a voltage comparator circuit 13a configured using an operational amplifier or the like, exceeding the interference permissible level VT level previously set for receiving the output 12a of the light receiving times <br/> path 12 In this case, for example, an H level interference level detection signal 13b is output. The interference allowable level VT is set to a level substantially equal to or slightly lower than the lower reception limit level of a remote control signal receiving unit (not shown) provided in the device body to be controlled. When the remote control transmitter is used in a place where a specific noise source is present, the setting of the allowable interference level is appropriately set in consideration of the positional relationship between the remote control transmitter 1, the device body, and the noise source. Is desirable.

The interference signal interval detection circuit 14 measures the interval of the interference signal based on the interference level detection signal 13b and outputs data 14a relating to the interval, and detects an edge of the interference level detection signal 13b. And a counter circuit for measuring an edge interval, a memory for temporarily storing a plurality of past measurement results, an output data selecting means for selecting and outputting data having the shortest time from the stored data, and the like. .

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the interference signal interval detection circuit. The disturbing signal interval detecting circuit 14 starts operation in response to the supply of various clocks. As shown in FIG. 2A, the interfering signal interval detection circuit 14 detects the time from the falling edge to the next rising edge of the detection signal 13a of the interfering signal such as the external noise arriving in a pulse train. And the count data is stored, for example, for the past five times as shown in FIG. 4B, and the shortest time data is selected from the stored data, and the transmission control means 4
It is configured to supply to.

The transmission control means 4 receives the key input confirmation signal 8b
After writing the depressed key information 8c to the data register 9 based on the above, the logic level of the interference level detection signal 13b is checked. If no signal that might cause interference is detected, the read address and the read address are written to the data register 9. A read control signal is supplied, and the key information 9a read from the data register 9 is encoded and modulated by the modulation and modulation circuit 1.
0.

When receiving the new key input confirmation signal 8b, the transmission control means 4 writes new key input information 8c while managing the address of the data register 9. Further, when the transmission of the remote control signal for all the key input information 8c written in the data register 9 is completed, the operation stop signal 4a is output to the oscillation frequency dividing circuit 5,
Oscillation and frequency division operation are stopped.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a format of a remote control signal. The encoding and modulation circuit 10
As shown in FIG. 3, a series of remote control command signals including a remote control command code (data code) corresponding to the input key information 9a is generated, and this signal 10a is transmitted to the light emitting circuit 11
To emit light. The leader code is for informing the receiving side that data will be transmitted from now on, the custom code is for specifying the device to be controlled, and each inverted code is for using the receiving side for error detection.

When a signal that may cause interference is detected by checking the logic level of the interference level detection signal 13b, the transmission signal control means 4 suspends reading from the data register 9. Then, the logic level of the interference level detection signal 13b is continuously monitored, and the time interval 14a of the interference signal output from the interference signal interval detection circuit 14 is determined by the transmission time of the remote control signal transmitted by the transmitter 1. 3) (strictly speaking, the sum of the transmission time TS of the remote control signal and the time required for reading the data register 9 and for the encoding and modulation by the modulation circuit 10). When the signal 13b goes low (a state in which no interference signal is detected), the data register 9 is immediately read to transmit a remote control signal.

When the interference signal interval detection circuit 14 is not provided, the transmission control means 4 immediately reads the data register 9 when the interference level detection signal 13b becomes L level (state where no interference signal is detected). To transmit a remote control signal.

Although the present embodiment has been described with reference to a configuration in which a remote control signal is transmitted for each key input, a remote control transmission having a configuration in which a plurality of commands are stored in advance and then a series of commands are transmitted based on the operation of a transmission start key. The apparatus is configured to check the presence or absence of an interference signal when the transmission start key is operated, that is, before transmitting the remote control signal. If a periodic jamming signal is detected,
Instead of transmitting a series of remote control commands continuously, the number of remote control commands to be transmitted is set in accordance with the time interval of the interference signal, and is transmitted in a plurality of times.

FIG. 4 is an external view showing a specific example of the remote control transmitter. FIG. 4A shows the tip 1b of the transmitter body 1a.
Is formed in a dome shape using a material that transmits infrared light, a light emitting element LED is arranged in a direction S indicated by a solid line arrow in the figure, and a light receiving element PD is arranged in the inner part of the dome-shaped tip. This is an expansion of the reception directivity of the interference signal. Note that a plurality of light receiving elements PD may be scattered at the dome-shaped tip, and the light receiving output of each light receiving element PD may be added.

FIG. 4B shows a configuration in which light receiving elements PD are provided on the side surfaces of the transmitter main body 1a except for the bottom surface.
The light receiving window corresponding to each light receiving element PD is provided with a structure suitable for light collection or a member such as a light collecting lens to widen the light receiving directivity.

With the above configuration, the remote control transmitter 1 according to the first aspect checks the presence or absence of an interfering signal before transmitting the remote control signal, and if a signal that may cause interference is not received by the receiving unit 3. In addition, since the remote control signal is transmitted, it is possible to reduce reception errors on the main device side.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a remote control transmitter according to the second aspect. The remote control transmitter 21 includes a transmission unit 22, a reception unit 23, a transmission control unit 24, and an oscillation frequency dividing circuit 5. The oscillation frequency dividing circuit 5 is the same as that shown in FIG.

The transmitting section 22 is the same as that shown in FIG. 1 except that the configuration of the encoding and modulating circuit 30 is different from that shown in FIG. The receiving unit 23 includes the interference signal detection circuit 4
0 is provided.

FIG. 6 is a time chart showing the operation of the remote control transmitter according to the second aspect. The encoding and modulation circuit 30 transmits the remote control signal during the remote control signal transmission time TS shown in FIG.
a is output. As shown in FIG. 6A, the pulse position modulation signal 30b shown in FIG. 6B is output while the transmission state signal 30a is held at the H level.

The interference signal detection circuit 40 includes, for example, an AND circuit 41, an inverter circuit 42, and an integration circuit 43. This interference signal detection circuit 40 transmits the transmission state signal 3
0a is at the H level and the pulse position modulation signal 3
When 0a is at the L level, that is, at the non-light emitting timing, if the interference level detection signal 13b of the level comparison circuit 13 is at the H level, the interference signal detection signal 40a is output. The integration circuit 43 is for removing glitches and the like generated by the delay time of each circuit.

The transmission control means 24 transmits the transmission status signal 30a
Is detected, the next key input information 9a is read from the data register 9. Further, the transmission control means 24 is configured to read the previously read address again when the interference signal detection signal 40a is applied. That is, when a light receiving output 12a of a predetermined level or more is obtained at the non-light emitting timing, it is determined that there is another optical signal that may interfere with the remote control signal emitted from the remote control transmitter 21, and that The remote control signal at that time is re-emitted.

Therefore, if the interfering light as shown in FIG. 6C is emitted from another remote control transmitter, a noise source, or the like while the code B is being transmitted, the receiving unit 23 transmits the interfering light. To generate a disturbance signal detection signal 40a. The transmission control means 24 receives the interference signal detection signal 40a,
Stop incrementing the read address of the data register 9,
At the next light emission timing, the same read address is designated again, and control is performed so that the code B which may have been disturbed is again emitted.

As described above, the remote control transmitter 21 according to the second aspect detects a light emitting code at the time when the remote control signal of the remote control signal of the remote control transmitter 21 at the non-light emitting timing detects a light which may cause interference. Is transmitted again, even if the controlled device shifts to an undesired operation mode due to interference light, it can be returned to a desired state by the retransmitted remote control signal.

[0038]

As described above, the remote control transmitter according to the first aspect checks whether or not there is any interfering light before transmitting the remote control signal, and transmits the remote control signal when no interfering light is detected. Since the configuration is performed, it is possible to reduce reception errors on the controlled device side.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the remote control transmitter transmits the remote control signal again when the interference light is detected while the remote control signal is being emitted. Transition to the mode can be prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a remote control transmitter according to claim 1;

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the interfering signal interval detection circuit.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a format example of a remote control signal.

FIG. 4 is an external view showing a specific example of a remote control transmitter.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a remote control transmitter according to claim 2;

FIG. 6 is a time chart showing the operation of the remote control transmitter according to claim 2;

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 21 ... remote control transmitter, 2, 22 ... transmitting unit (light emitting unit), 3, 23 ... receiving unit (light receiving unit), 4, 24 ... transmission control means, 5 ... oscillation frequency dividing circuit, 7 ... keypad, 8 ... key input interface circuit, 9 ... data register, 10,
30 ... encoding and modulating circuit, 11 ... light emitting circuit, 1
2. Light receiving circuit, 13: Level comparison circuit, 14: Interference signal interval detection circuit, 40: Interference signal detection circuit.

Claims (2)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. A remote control transmitter for wirelessly transmitting a remote control signal using a transmission medium such as light, radio waves, and ultrasonic waves including infrared light, a key input unit and a code corresponding to an operation by the key input unit. A biography representing
A transmission unit for transmitting a transmission medium, a reception unit for receiving a transmission medium serving as an interference signal, and a reception output of the reception unit corresponding to a preset allowable interference level.
Detecting means for detecting whether or not the number has exceeded the detection result;
If exceeds the allowable interference level,
Waiting for the transmission of the transmission medium, and receiving the
If the reception output of the
Control to execute transmission of the transmission medium from the communication unit
A remote control device characterized in that it is provided with control means for performing the control. 2. Use of a transmission medium made of light including infrared light.
Remote control transmitter that transmits the remote control signal wirelessly
A key input section and a code representing a code corresponding to an operation by the key input section.
A transmission unit that transmits a transmission medium, a reception unit that receives a transmission medium that becomes an interference signal , and a period during which the transmission unit is transmitting the code, and
When at the non-light emitting timing, the reception output of the receiving unit
Is higher than the preset allowable interference level.
Detection means for output, a result of detection by the detection means, receiving the output of the receiving section
If the code exceeds the permissible interference level,
A remote control transmitter characterized in that it is provided with a control means for controlling transmission.