JP3289022B2 - Remote control receiver - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a remote control receiver having a plurality of light receiving paths for receiving a remote control signal transmitted from a remote control transmitter.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The wireless remote control function greatly contributes to improving the operability of electronic devices and the like, and has been used in various fields. Conventionally, even when the controlled device is installed at any position, a plurality of light receiving devices are required to be able to receive a remote control signal transmitted from a remote control transmitter outside the device over a wider area. A device having a path has been proposed.

A conventional remote control receiving apparatus of this type used in, for example, a camera-integrated VTR will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. Here, FIG. 4 is an external view showing a camera-integrated VTR using a conventional remote control receiver, and FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a conventional remote control receiver.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 1 denotes a camera-integrated VTR main body, which is a device to be controlled; and 2, a remote for transmitting an infrared remote control signal consisting of a pulse code time series signal for controlling various operations of the camera-integrated VTR 1. The control transmitter 3 is a first infrared receiving window made of an infrared transmission type filter capable of receiving a remote control signal from the front of the camera-integrated VTR 1, and the 4 is a remote control signal from the rear of the camera-integrated VTR 1. It is a second infrared receiving window made of an infrared transmitting filter that can be used.

As shown in FIG. 5, a remote control receiver provided in the camera-integrated VTR 1 senses and receives infrared region signals transmitted through the first and second infrared receiving windows 3 and 4. First and second light receiving units 5 and 6
And a first and second band pass filter (hereinafter, referred to as BP) for extracting a remote control signal band from the infrared region signals received by the first and second light receiving units 5 and 6.
F), 7, 8 and the first and second B.F. P. F7,8
And a signal mixing section 9 for mixing the output signals.

In the above configuration, the first infrared receiving window 3, the first light receiving section 5, the first B.W. P. F7 constitutes a first light receiving path, a second infrared light receiving window 4, a second light receiving section 6, a second B.F. P. F8 constitutes the second light receiving path.

Further, an automatic gain control circuit (hereinafter, referred to as an automatic gain control circuit) for controlling the gain of the output of the signal mixing section 9 so as to have an appropriate signal amplitude.
A. G. FIG. C) 10; G. FIG. C circuit 10
, A buffer 12 for amplifying the output of the limiter 11, and an operation control of various controlled units (not shown) based on the pulse code signal output from the buffer 12. And a microcomputer 13 for outputting a control signal for performing the control.

In the remote control receiver having the above-described configuration, when a remote control signal is emitted from the front of the camera-integrated VTR 1, the first light receiving path (the first infrared receiving window 3, the first infrared receiving window 3, the first This remote control signal is taken into the signal mixing unit 9 via the light receiving unit 5 and the first BP F7), G. FIG. After amplitude control and waveform shaping by the C circuit 10 and the limiter 11, the signal content is decoded by the microcomputer 13 and an appropriate control signal is output to the controlled unit.

On the other hand, when a remote control signal is emitted from behind the camera-integrated VTR 1, the second light receiving path (the second infrared light receiving window 4, the second light receiving section 6, the second BP F8) ), The remote control signal is taken into the signal mixing section 9, and G. FIG. After amplitude control and waveform shaping by the C circuit 10 and the limiter 11, the signal content is decoded by the microcomputer 13 and an appropriate control signal is output to the controlled unit. Thus, the remote control operation can be performed from either the front or the rear of the camera-integrated VTR 1, and the remote control operation can be performed in a wide area.

[0010]

Under the condition of intense sunlight, such as outdoors, the amount of infrared rays as natural energy enters the light receiving window in a biased manner. In addition, due to the influence of light scattering and reflection by the surrounding buildings and the like, the light enters the light receiving window as if it were an infrared ray of an AC component.

That is, in the above-described conventional remote control receiver, the sum of the pulse-coded infrared remote control signal from the remote control transmitter 2 and the amount of infrared light contained in sunlight is the first and second. The light is received by the first and second light receiving units 5 and 6 via the light receiving windows 3 and 4, and the first and second B.W. P. It will be extracted by F7 and F8.

Here, a light receiving unit 6 arranged on the opposite side of the remote control transmitter 2 and receiving light via the light receiving unit 4
Since the infrared light received by the infrared ray hardly includes the remote control signal and the infrared ray amount of the sunlight component increases, the output signal of the signal mixing unit 9 has the infrared ray amount of the sunlight component compared to the remote control signal. It has become quite a lot.

In such a case, A.S. G. FIG. C circuit 1
At 0, the desired remote control signal originally required is not sufficiently amplified and the level becomes insufficient.
1 is input to the microcomputer 13 as a small signal amplitude without being affected by the amplitude limit level at 1, so that the microcomputer 13 cannot decode the code sufficiently, causing a malfunction or an unstable operation. there were.

In view of the above, conventionally, as measures to limit the incidence of sunlight, measures have been taken to limit the elevation angle of the infrared light receiving window, or to make the cabinet around the infrared light receiving window an eave-shaped shielding shape. However, this also has an effect on the reduction of the light receiving range of the remote control signal, which naturally imposes restrictions.

[0015] The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and under any conditions, an infrared pulse code signal (remote control signal) from a remote control transmitter is reliably detected, and malfunction or failure is detected. An object of the present invention is to provide a remote control receiver capable of preventing stable operation.

[0016]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a remote control receiver according to the present invention has a remote control having a plurality of light receiving paths for receiving a remote control signal transmitted from a remote control transmitter. In the control receiving device, a blocking unit capable of blocking a remote control signal is provided in each of the plurality of light receiving paths , and a plurality of receiving units are provided as the blocking unit.
A shutter provided for each of the light paths and a plurality of
A signal detector provided in each of the optical paths;
Signal comparison unit that compares the level of each signal detected by the wave unit
And, based on the output of the signal comparison unit,
And a shutter opening / closing drive section for selectively opening and closing and driving .

[0017]

[0018]

According to the remote control receiver of the present invention,
Since the light blocking means is provided in each of the plurality of light receiving paths, when the remote control transmitter emits a remote control signal toward the Nth light receiving window among the M light receiving windows, a light source other than the Nth light receiving path is used. By blocking the infrared light components incident on the (M-1) light receiving paths other than the N-th light receiving path by the blocking means provided in each of the (M-1) light receiving paths, Infrared rays of the sunlight component can be cut off, and only the signal incident on the Nth light receiving window can be output to the subsequent stage.

Thus, A.I. G. FIG. Gain control of the desired remote control signal to an appropriate level by the C circuit,
A desired pulse code signal having an appropriate amplitude and shaped by a limiter is input to a microcomputer, and the microcomputer can accurately decode the pulse code signal, thereby preventing malfunction.

Further, the output levels of the M light receiving sections are detected by each signal detecting section, and these are compared by the signal comparing section to determine the Nth light receiving path which is the light receiving path of the maximum level of the signal. The shutter provided to each of the (M-1) light receiving paths other than the N-th light receiving path is closed by the shutter opening / closing drive unit, and the shutter enters the (M-1) light receiving paths other than the N-th light receiving path. By blocking the infrared component, the infrared component of the sunlight component from unnecessary directions is cut off, and only the signal incident on the Nth light receiving window is automatically output to the subsequent stage.

Thus, A.I. G. FIG. Gain control of the desired remote control signal to an appropriate level by the C circuit,
A desired pulse code signal having an appropriate amplitude and shaped by a limiter is input to the microcomputer, and the microcomputer can accurately decode the pulse code signal, thereby preventing malfunction.

[0022]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of a remote control receiver according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The same parts as those in the above-mentioned conventional example are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. I do. Here, FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a remote control receiving device of the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing a shutter and a shutter opening / closing drive unit in the remote control receiving device of the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the remote control receiver of this embodiment has first and second infrared light receiving windows 3 and 4 and first and second light receiving windows in addition to the configuration of the above-described conventional example. First and second shutters 2 provided between parts 5 and 6
1 and 22, and a shutter opening / closing drive unit 23 for selectively opening and closing the first and second shutters 21 and 22.

In the above configuration, the first and second shutters 21 and 22 have basically the same configuration. For example, as shown in FIG.
And a fixed magnet 25 attached thereto, and is connected to an arbitrary fixed end of an equipment cabinet or the like by a spring 26 and provided. Also, a shutter opening / closing drive unit 2
Reference numeral 3 has a switch 29 which is individually provided for each of the shutters 21 and 22 and is connected in series with a DC power supply 27 and an electromagnetic coil 28. The shutter can be opened and closed.

When the switch 29 is turned on by the operator, a DC current flows through the electromagnetic coil 28, and an electromagnetic force is generated. The shutters 21 and 22 are displaced in the direction of arrow A against the urging force of the spring. 21 and 22 are in an open state, for example, so that the infrared light transmitted through the infrared light receiving window 3 can reach the light receiving unit 5. Also, switch 29
Is turned off, the electromagnetic force of the electromagnetic coil 28 disappears, and the shutters 21 and 22 are displaced in the direction of arrow B by the urging force of the spring. The transmitted infrared rays cannot reach the light receiving unit 5.

In the remote control receiving apparatus configured as described above, for example, the first remote control receiving apparatus is used outdoors in strong sunlight.
When the remote control signal is emitted toward the infrared receiving window 3 of the first embodiment, the first infrared receiving window 3 receives a superimposed signal of the pulse code signal and the solar infrared component, and the second infrared receiving window 4 receives the superimposed signal. The light-infrared ray component is incident.

At this time, the operator operates the switch 29 of the shutter opening / closing drive unit 23 to leave the first shutter 21 in the first light receiving path where the originally desired remote control signal is incident, in the open state, By driving the second shutter 22 in the second light receiving path where the sunlight and infrared component is incident so as to close the signal, the signal input to the signal mixing unit 9 is only the signal from the first light receiving path. , And unnecessary components from the second light receiving path are completely cut.

The remote control signal from the first light receiving path is transmitted to the next stage A. G. FIG. The amplitude is controlled by the C circuit 10 to an appropriate amplitude in accordance with the level, the waveform is shaped into a pulse code signal of an appropriate amplitude by the limiter 11, and then read into the microcomputer 13. With this, the microcomputer 1
In step 3, the input pulse code signal can be correctly decoded, and a desired control signal can be output to the controlled unit.

In the first embodiment, the operator manually turns on and off the switch 29 of the shutter opening / closing drive unit 23 to open and close the shutters 24 and 25 so as to cut off an unnecessary light receiving path. Although the selected one has been described, it is clear that this switch 29 may be operated by a remote control signal.

Next, in the above-mentioned first embodiment, a description has been given of the case where the selective opening / closing drive of the shutter is manually performed. However, the second embodiment of the remote control receiving apparatus of the present invention relates to a case where the selective opening / closing drive of the shutter is completely automated.
Will be described with reference to FIG. Here, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the remote control receiver of the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 3, the remote control receiver according to the present embodiment has the first and second B.P.M. P. The detection output levels of the first and second signal detectors 31 and 32 provided at the subsequent stage of F7 and F8 are compared with the detection output levels of the first and second signal detectors 31 and 32, and according to the comparison result. A signal comparing section 33 for outputting a control signal for controlling the driving of the shutter opening / closing drive section 23;

In the remote control receiving apparatus configured as described above, for example, the first remote control receiving apparatus can be used outdoors in strong sunlight.
When the remote control signal is emitted toward the infrared receiving window 3 of the first embodiment, the first infrared receiving window 3 receives a superimposed signal of the pulse code signal and the solar infrared component, and the second infrared receiving window 4 receives the superimposed signal. The light-infrared ray component is incident, and these are the first and second light receiving units 5 and 6 and the first and second B.W. P. The signals are input to the first and second signal detectors 31 and 32 via F7 and F8.

The signals detected by the first and second signal detectors 31 and 32 are input to a signal comparator 33, and the output signal of the first signal detector 31 is output by the second signal detector 33. It is determined that the level is higher than the output signal of. Since this indicates that the originally desired remote control signal has entered the first light receiving path, the first shutter 21 in the first light receiving path is kept open and the second shutter in the second light receiving path is left open. A control signal for closing the shutter 22 is output to the shutter opening / closing drive unit 23.

Thus, the shutter opening / closing drive unit 23
Then, by keeping the first shutter 21 in the first light receiving path in the open state and closing the second shutter 22 in the second light receiving path, the signal mixing section 9
Are only signals from the first light receiving path, and unnecessary components from the second light receiving path are completely cut.

The remote control signal from the first light receiving path is transmitted to the next stage A. G. FIG. The amplitude is controlled by the C circuit 10 to an appropriate amplitude in accordance with the level, the waveform is shaped into a pulse code signal of an appropriate amplitude by the limiter 11, and then read into the microcomputer 13. With this, the microcomputer 1
In step 3, the input pulse code signal can be correctly decoded, and a desired control signal can be output to the controlled unit.

In the second embodiment, the shutter opening / closing drive unit 23 operates in response to a command from the microcomputer 13.
After a certain period of time after the above-mentioned shutter opening / closing operation is completed, drive control is performed so that both the first and second shutters 21 and 22 are opened again.

In the above embodiment, the remote control receiving apparatus having two light receiving paths has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It goes without saying that the shutters provided in the respective light receiving paths may be driven so that only the light receiving paths can transmit signals and the other light receiving paths are blocked.

[0038]

According to the remote control receiver of the present invention, since the above-described configuration is used, other unnecessary paths other than the specific light receiving path are cut off, and the remote control signal incident from the specific light receiving path is transmitted. By preventing disturbances due to sunlight and infrared rays incident from unnecessary paths, this remote control signal can be input to the microcomputer at the subsequent stage as a pulse code signal of an appropriate level. Malfunction can be prevented by making it readable.

Further, the signal levels in the respective light receiving paths are compared, and the light receiving path having the highest signal level is determined as the light receiving path on which the remote control signal is incident.
Unnecessary paths other than the light receiving path having the highest signal level can be cut off. This automatically prevents a remote control signal incident from a specific light receiving path from being disturbed by sunlight and infrared rays incident from an unnecessary path, and converts the remote control signal into a pulse code signal of an appropriate level in a subsequent stage. Since the pulse code signal can be accurately decoded, malfunction can be prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a first example of a remote control receiver according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a first example of the remote control receiver according to the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a schematic explanatory view showing a shutter and a shutter opening / closing drive unit in the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 3 shows a second example of the remote control receiver according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an external view illustrating a camera-integrated VTR using a conventional remote control receiver.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a conventional remote control receiving device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Camera-integrated VTR 2 Remote control transmitter 3 First light receiving window 4 Second light receiving window 5 First light receiving unit 6 Second light receiving unit 7 First B. P. F 8 Second B.F. P. F 9 signal mixing section 10 A. G. FIG. C 11 Limiter 12 Buffer 13 Microcomputer 21 First shutter 22 Second shutter 23 Shutter open / close drive unit 31 First signal detection unit 32 Second signal detection unit 33 Signal comparison unit

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A remote control receiver having a plurality of light receiving paths for receiving a remote control signal transmitted from a remote control transmitter, wherein a remote control signal can be blocked in each of the plurality of light receiving paths. Blocking means provided in each of the plurality of light receiving paths.
A shutter, a signal detector provided in each of the plurality of light receiving paths, and a signal for comparing the level of each signal detected by the signal detector.
Signal comparing section, and opening and closing of the shutter based on the output of the signal comparing section.
And a shutter opening / closing drive section for selecting and driving the remote control receiver.