JP4281401B2 - Wireless remote controller and wireless remote control system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a wireless remote controller using a surface acoustic wave device and a wireless remote control system including the wireless remote controller.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Remote controllers are indispensable for home appliances, and wireless remote controllers are being applied to products where wired remote controllers such as game consoles have been mainstream. In addition, there is a demand for wireless access to the keyboard of a personal computer, but the mainstream of such remote controllers use infrared LEDs and operate with batteries, so those that are frequently operated will consume battery faster. . For this reason, a huge number of batteries are used in the entire market, and a heavy load is imposed on the production, disposal, recycling, and environment of batteries such as dry batteries. Therefore, a remote controller that does not use a battery is desired.
[0003]
In recent years, as a part of the technology, for example, as described in the following Patent Document 1, a surface acoustic wave (hereinafter abbreviated as SAW: Surface Acoustic Wave) device is used to wirelessly sense the switch state. Wireless remote control systems have been proposed.
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
US Pat. No. 6,144,288 Specification
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the following problems remain in the prior art. In other words, the above prior art was developed to detect the state of switches on the steering wheel of an automobile, so the number of switches that can be detected is small, and there are many such as remote controls for home appliances and game machines, and keyboards for personal computers. It was difficult to control the function. Furthermore, SAW attenuates as the number of comb electrodes (hereinafter abbreviated as IDT: Inter digital transducer) increases due to the structure of the SAW device. In the above prior art, since one individual switch is connected to IDT which is one excitation electrode, the number of individual switches is limited.
[0006]
The present invention is intended to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, and a wireless remote controller capable of sensing the states of a large number of individual switches and thus controlling a large number of functions, and the wireless An object is to provide a wireless remote control system including a remote controller.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following configuration. That is, in the wireless remote controller of the present invention, the first and second antenna units for transmitting and receiving radio waves and a pair of comb-shaped electrodes arranged opposite to each other on the piezoelectric substrate are provided in the first or second antenna unit. A connected surface acoustic wave device; and a switch unit connected to the surface acoustic wave device, wherein the switch unit includes a plurality of row wirings and column wirings arranged in a matrix, and the arbitrary row wirings. A plurality of individual switches connectable to the column wiring, wherein the pair of comb-shaped electrodes are at least a pair of main comb teeth connected to the pair of bus bars, and at different distances from the main comb teeth. A plurality of first comb teeth group and a second comb tooth group arranged, wherein the first comb teeth group is connected to the first antenna portion via one of the bus bars. 1st busbar side comb teeth The row wiring consists respectively connected to a plurality of row wiring side comb, said second comb teeth is, the bus bar second through the other plurality being connected to the second antenna portion of Composed of bus bar side comb teeth and a plurality of column wiring side comb teeth connected to the corresponding column wiring, and the individual switch connects any row wiring side comb teeth and the column wiring side comb teeth. It is possible.
[0008]
In the wireless remote controller according to the present invention, an arbitrary row arrangement side comb tooth and a column arrangement side comb tooth can be connected by an individual switch. Therefore, when a signal by radio waves is received by the antenna unit, any individual switch By pressing, two response signals are transmitted at time intervals corresponding to the row arrangement side comb teeth and the column arrangement side comb teeth selected from the first comb tooth group and the second comb tooth group. That is, when one individual switch is turned on, one comb-tooth electrode paired with the corresponding row-arrangement-side comb teeth and column-arrangement-side comb teeth is one in the first comb-tooth group and the second comb-tooth group. It will be selected one by one. Then, the SAW generated at the main comb tooth portion upon receiving the radio wave reaches the row arrangement side comb teeth of the selected first comb tooth group and is converted into the first response signal, and then selected. The second comb tooth group also reaches the row arrangement side comb teeth and is converted into a second response signal. At this time, the first response signal and the second response signal are generated at different times according to the positions of the selected row arrangement side comb teeth and column arrangement side comb teeth (distance from the main comb tooth portion). Therefore, the individual switch pressed can be identified from the time combination of these two signals. Accordingly, even if the same number of comb-shaped electrodes as the number of individual switches are not provided, the individual combs arranged in a matrix corresponding to the two groups having the first comb teeth group as a row and the second comb teeth group as a column Different identifiable response signals can be transmitted without power supply by the number of switches.
Thus, for example, if the number of IDTs in the first comb teeth group is 10 and the number of IDTs in the second comb teeth group is 10, for example, a total of 20 IDTs connect to 100 individual switches. And the number of individual switches that can be sensed can be greatly increased.
[0009]
In the wireless remote controller according to the present invention, the comb tooth portion includes a marker comb tooth group connected to the bus bar between the first comb tooth group and the second comb tooth group. It is preferable.
That is, in this wireless remote controller, the comb teeth portion includes the marker comb teeth group connected to the bus bar between the first comb teeth group and the second comb teeth group. With reference to the response signal, it is possible to more accurately identify the generation times of the two response signals in the selected first comb teeth group and second comb teeth group. That is, after the SAW generated in the main comb tooth portion reaches the first comb tooth group and before the second comb tooth group, it always reaches the mark comb tooth group in a certain time, A response signal is generated. Therefore, the response signal generated before the beacon response signal is from the selected first comb tooth group, and the response signal generated after the beacon response signal is the selected second comb tooth group. Can be easily identified.
[0010]
In the wireless remote controller according to the present invention, the antenna unit and the bus bar are preferably connected via a matching circuit that performs impedance matching.
That is, in this wireless remote controller, since the antenna unit and the bus bar are connected via a matching circuit that performs impedance matching, reflection of a signal generated between the antenna unit and the bus bar is suppressed, Signal transmission can be performed efficiently.
[0011]
A wireless remote control system according to the present invention includes a wireless remote controller according to the present invention and a parent capable of transmitting a burst signal to the wireless remote controller by radio waves and receiving a response signal from the wireless remote controller. And a machine.
In this wireless remote control system, the wireless remote controller of the present invention includes a master unit that can transmit a burst signal by radio waves and can receive a response signal from the wireless remote controller. By simply selecting an individual switch with the remote controller, the selected individual switch can be easily identified on the master side. In other words, a burst signal is transmitted from the master unit side, and two response signals generated at a time interval corresponding to the individual switch are received by the master unit side by arbitrarily selecting an individual switch on the wireless remote controller side. The selected individual switch can be identified.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of a wireless remote controller and the wireless remote control system according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0013]
As shown in FIG. 1, the wireless remote controller 1 of this embodiment includes a slave unit antenna unit 2 for transmitting and receiving radio waves, a matching circuit 3 for impedance matching, and a pair of comb-shaped electrodes disposed on the piezoelectric substrate 4. Reference numerals 5 a and 5 b each have a SAW device 6 connected to the handset antenna unit 2 and a switch unit 7 connected to the SAW device 6. The SAW device 6 uses a piezoelectric substrate 4 made of, for example, LiNbO ₃ , quartz (LiTaO ₃ ), or langasite (La ₃ Ga ₅ SiO ₁₄ ).
[0014]
The switch unit 7 includes row wirings 8a, 8b, and 8c arranged in a matrix, column wirings 9a, 9b, and 9c, and arbitrary row wirings 8a, 8b, and 8c and column wirings 9a, 9b, and 9c. 9 switches that can be connected.
That is, the switch unit 7 includes a switch (individual switch) S11 that can connect the row wiring 8a and the column wiring 9a, a switch S12 that can similarly connect the row wiring 8a and the column wiring 9b, and the row wiring 8a and the column. Switch S13 that can connect wiring 9c, switch S21 that can connect row wiring 8b and column wiring 9a, switch S22 that can connect row wiring 8b and column wiring 9b, row wiring 8b, and column wiring 9c A switch S23 that can connect the row wiring 8c and the column wiring 9a, a switch S32 that can connect the row wiring 8c and the column wiring 9b, and a row wiring 8c and a column wiring 9c. The switch S33 which can be connected is provided.
[0015]
The pair of comb electrodes 5a and 5b includes a main IDT (main comb tooth portion) 11 connected to the pair of bus bars 10a and 10b, and an IDT group A (first comb) arranged at different distances from the main IDT 11. Tooth group) and IDT group B (second comb tooth group), and a sign IDT (mark comb tooth group) 12 connected between IDT group A and IDT group B and bus bar 10a and bus bar 10b. ing.
The main IDT 11 has a plurality of pairs of comb teeth, and is disposed at the base ends of the bus bars 10a and 10b.
[0016]
IDT group A includes first bus bar side comb teeth 13 connected to bus bar 10a and row wiring side comb teeth 14 respectively connected to corresponding row wirings 8a, 8b and 8c. IDT group B includes The second bus bar side comb teeth 15 connected to the bus bar 10b and the column wiring side comb teeth 16 connected to the corresponding column wirings 9a, 9b, 9c, respectively.
[0017]
The first bus bar side comb teeth 13 are constituted by three sets of comb electrodes, IDTa11, IDTa21, and IDTa31. Further, the row wiring side comb teeth 14 are constituted by three sets of comb-teeth electrodes, IDTa12, IDTa22, and IDTa32. The IDTa12 is connected to the row wiring 8a, the IDTa22 is connected to the row wiring 8b, and the IDTa32 is connected to the row wiring 8c.
The second bus bar side comb teeth 15 are constituted by three sets of comb electrodes, IDTb12, IDTb22, and IDTb32. The column wiring side comb teeth 16 are constituted by three sets of comb-teeth electrodes, IDTb11, IDTb21, and IDTb31. The IDTb11 is connected to the column wiring 9a, the IDTb21 is connected to the column wiring 9b, and the IDTb31 is connected to the column wiring 9c.
[0018]
Moreover, IDTa1 is formed by the comb electrode pair of IDTa11 and IDTa12, and IDTa2 is formed by IDTa21 and IDTa22. IDTa3 is formed by IDTa31 and IDTa32, and IDTb1 is formed by IDTb11 and IDTb12. IDTb2 and IDTb22 form IDTb2, and IDTb31 and IDTb32 form IDTb3.
[0019]
The subunit | mobile_unit antenna part 2 is comprised by the antenna 2a and the antenna 2b. Depending on the frequency, a whip antenna or a small antenna is used. For example, in the case of a 400 MHz band, the length of a whip antenna is about 18 cm, and when a helical antenna is used, a length of 2 to 3 cm is sufficient.
The matching circuit 3 includes a capacitor C and an inductor L. The capacitor C is connected between the antennas 2a and 2b, and the inductors L1 and L2 are connected between the bus bar 10a and the antenna 2a. 10b and the antenna 2b.
[0020]
Next, a wireless remote control system using the wireless remote controller of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
The wireless remote control system of this embodiment includes a master unit 17 that can transmit a burst signal to the wireless remote controller 1 by radio waves and can receive a response signal from the wireless remote controller 1.
[0021]
The base unit 17 includes a base unit antenna unit 18 that transmits and receives radio waves, a matching circuit 19 that is connected to the base unit antenna unit 18 for impedance matching, and an RF switch that is connected to the matching circuit 19 and switches and controls a high frequency that is transmitted and received. Unit 20, a receiving circuit 21 connected to the RF switch unit 20 for demodulating the received high-frequency signal, and an arithmetic circuit 22 connected to the receiving circuit 21 and connected to a device main body to be controlled such as a home appliance. And a transmission circuit 23 that is connected to the arithmetic circuit 22 and outputs a high-frequency signal (burst signal) in accordance with an instruction from the arithmetic circuit 22.
The arithmetic circuit 22 supports the transmission of the high-frequency signal in the transmission circuit 23 and performs a process of determining the state of the switch based on the response signal received by the reception circuit 21.
[0022]
Next, a remote control method in the wireless remote controller and the wireless remote control system of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0023]
First, when all the switches of the switch unit 7 are not operated, as shown in FIG. 3, when a burst signal is transmitted from the master unit antenna unit 18, the burst signal is received by the slave unit antenna unit 2. . Then, the received signal is transmitted to the bus bars 10a and 10b via the matching circuit 3, and the SAW is generated on the surface of the SAW device 6 by the main IDT 11 and the sign IDT 12, and propagates on the SAW device 6 oppositely. . These two SAWs are converted into electric signals by the sign IDT 12 and the main IDT 11 and returned from the slave unit antenna unit 2. As a result, the signal shown in FIG. Since the main IDT 11 and the sign IDT 12 are spaced apart from each other by a certain distance, the response signal of the wireless remote controller 1 is a reflected radio wave signal from a space or the like, and a response by SAW propagated between the main IDT 11 and the sign IDT 12 They are received on the time axis in the order of signals.
[0024]
Next, a state in which a certain switch in the switch unit 7 is operated will be considered. For example, when the switch S11 in the switch unit 7 is turned on, the row wiring 8a and the column wiring 9a are connected via the switch S11, and the IDTa 12 in the IDT group A and the IDT b11 in the IDT group B are connected. Connected. Therefore, IDTa12 forms IDTb12 and a pair of comb-tooth electrode via row wiring 8a, column wiring 9a, and IDTb11. That is, IDTa11 and IDTb12 are connected to bus bars 10a and 10b by IDTa12 and IDTb11 that are connected in series and perform a capacitor function.
[0025]
Here, when a burst signal is transmitted from the master antenna unit 18, a SAW is generated in the same manner as described above, propagates on the SAW device 3, and is converted into an electrical signal by the main IDT 11, the sign IDT 12, the IDTa1, and the IDTb1. Is returned from the handset antenna unit 2.
[0026]
As a result, the signal shown in FIG. Since the distance from the main IDT 11 is set longer in the order of IDTa1 in the IDT group A, the sign IDT12, and IDTb1 in the IDT group B, the response signal of the wireless remote controller 1 is a reflected radio wave signal from space, etc., from IDTa1 , The response signal from the sign IDT 12, and the response signal from IDTb1 are received on the time axis in this order. Further, by adjusting the logarithm of each IDT, the intensity and width of the returned signal can be changed, and each signal can be distinguished.
[0027]
Next, consider a case where a burst signal is transmitted from the base unit antenna unit 18 with the switch S22 turned on. When the switch S22 is turned on, the IDTa 22 in the IDT group A and the IDTb 21 in the IDT group B are connected via the switch S22 as described above. Here, a response signal is returned from the slave unit antenna unit 2 in the same operation order as described above. As a result, the signal shown in FIG. Since IDTa2 in IDT group A is arranged farther from main IDT11 than IDTa1, the response signal from IDTa2 is transmitted with a delay on the time axis from the response signal from IDTa1. Further, since IDTb2 in IDT group B is arranged farther from main IDT11 than IDTb1, the response signal from IDTb2 is transmitted with a delay on the time axis from the response signal from IDTb1.
[0028]
The master unit 17 receives the radio wave returned from the slave unit antenna unit 2 from the master unit antenna unit 18 and demodulates the high frequency switched by the RF switch unit 20 via the matching circuit 19 for performing impedance matching. Further, the arithmetic circuit 22 determines which switch in the switch unit 7 is turned on. Then, the arithmetic circuit 22 controls the apparatus main body based on the function or command assigned to the determined switch.
[0029]
The base unit 17 basically identifies the single switch on state of the wireless remote controller 1, but the switch S11 and the switch S22 in the switch unit 7 are turned on at the same time. Consider a case where a burst signal is transmitted from the antenna unit 3. At this time, it is assumed that there is a slight deviation in the time for which the switch is turned on, the switch S11 is turned on first, and the switch S11 and the switch S22 are turned on after S11 remains in the on state. FIG. 4 shows the transmission signal of the base unit 17 and the response signal of the wireless remote controller 1 at this time. When the switch S11 is turned on, a response signal is transmitted from the slave unit antenna unit 2 in the same operation order as described above. As a result, the signal shown in FIG. Subsequently, when the switch S11 and the switch S22 are turned on, the signal shown in FIG. 4C is obtained in the receiving circuit 21 by the same operation sequence as described above. At this time, since the response signal is complex, the switch that is turned on cannot be identified.
[0030]
Therefore, the switch S11 that was pressed first due to the time difference when the switch is turned on is stored, and the response signal of the switch S11 that was turned on first is removed from the composite signal, thereby identifying the switch S22 that was turned on later. Thus, signal processing is performed by the arithmetic circuit 22.
Therefore, even if a composite signal response is generated at the same time, there is a time difference in a normal case, so that it can be identified by the above method.
[0031]
When a plurality of keys are pressed with a short-time difference that cannot be identified by the above method, the arithmetic circuit 22 determines the received signal as an error, and prevents a malfunction of the apparatus by not outputting a control signal.
[0032]
By making the logarithm of the main IDT 11 larger than the logarithm of other IDTs, the response signal pulse can be strengthened. Further, by making the distance between the main IDT 11 and another IDT longer than the distance between the left end of the IDT group A and the right end of the IDT group B, the response signal and the unnecessary signal can be separated by time.
[0033]
As described above, in the wireless remote controller and the wireless remote control system of the present embodiment, the IDT group A is a row and the IDT group B is a column without providing the same number of comb-shaped electrodes as the number of individual switches. Different identifiable response signals can be transmitted without power supply by the number of individual switches arranged in a matrix.
Further, since the pair of comb-shaped electrodes 5a and 5b includes the sign IDT12 connected to the bus bars 10a and 10b between the IDT group A and the IDT group B, the comb-shaped electrodes 5a and 5b are selected based on the response signal in the sign IDT12. It is possible to more accurately identify the generation times of the two response signals in the IDT group A and IDT group B.
[0034]
In addition, according to the wireless remote controller of the present embodiment, since no battery is used for the wireless remote controller 1, it is environmentally friendly, there is no contact failure due to battery terminals, and there is an advantage that there is no failure due to battery leakage.
In addition, since radio waves are used, transmission and reception can be performed even when there is an obstacle between the base unit 17 and the wireless remote controller 1, and by using weak radio waves, communication distance can be limited and interference can be prevented. . In addition, it is possible to prevent interference between adjacent devices of the same type by being attenuated by the wall of the building.
[0035]
The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, in the above embodiment, the number of IDT groups A and IDT groups B is three as an example, but the number of switches that can be connected can be increased by increasing the number of IDTs. For example, when the number of IDT groups is 10 in each of A and B, the number of connected switches is 100. Moreover, the subunit | mobile_unit antenna part 2 is good also as a monopole which makes PCB a ground.
[0036]
【The invention's effect】
According to the wireless remote controller of the present invention, the number of switches that can be sensed without providing the same number of IDTs as the number of switches can be greatly increased as compared with the prior art. Therefore, attenuation of SAW can be suppressed, and the number of switches can be increased to control many functions without power supply.
[0037]
According to the wireless remote control system of the present invention, since the base unit capable of transmitting and receiving the response signal of the wireless remote controller of the present invention is provided, simply selecting an individual switch with a wireless remote controller without power supply, An individual switch selected from a large number of switches can be easily identified on the master unit side, and can be applied to various devices that require a large number of function controls.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram including a circuit configuration in a wireless remote controller according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a system block diagram illustrating a wireless remote control system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a graph illustrating signal strength with respect to time when a single switch is turned on in a wireless remote controller according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a graph illustrating signal strength with respect to time when two switches are turned on in a wireless remote controller according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[Explanation of symbols]
1: Wireless remote controller 2: Slave unit antenna unit 3: Matching circuit 4: Piezoelectric substrate 5a, 5b: Comb electrode 6: Surface acoustic wave device 7: Switch unit 8a, 8b, 8c: Row wiring 9a, 9b, 9c: Column Wiring 10a, 10b: Bus bar 11: Main IDT (main comb tooth group) 12: Marking IDT (marking comb tooth) 13: First bus bar side comb tooth 14: Row wiring side comb tooth 15: Second bus bar side comb tooth 16: Column wiring side comb teeth 17: Master A: IDT group A (first comb teeth group) B: IDT group B (second comb teeth group)

Claims (4)

A surface acoustic wave device in which a first and a second antenna unit for transmitting and receiving radio waves, and a pair of comb-shaped electrodes arranged opposite to each other on a piezoelectric substrate are connected to the first or second antenna unit; A switch unit connected to the surface acoustic wave device, and the switch unit can connect a plurality of row wirings and column wirings arranged in a matrix, and a plurality of the row wirings and the column wirings. With individual switches,
The pair of comb-shaped electrodes include at least a pair of main comb teeth connected to the pair of bus bars, and a plurality of first comb teeth and a second comb arranged at different distances from the main comb teeth. With teeth,
The first comb teeth group includes a plurality of first bus bar side comb teeth connected to the first antenna portion via one of the bus bars, and a plurality of row wirings respectively connected to the corresponding row wirings. It consists of side comb teeth,
The second comb teeth group includes a plurality of second bus bar side comb teeth connected to the second antenna portion via the other of the bus bars, and a plurality of column wirings respectively connected to the corresponding column wirings. It consists of side comb teeth,
The wireless remote controller characterized in that any one of the row wiring side comb teeth and the column wiring side comb teeth can be connected by the individual switch. The wireless remote controller of claim 1, wherein
The wireless remote controller, wherein the comb tooth portion includes a label comb tooth group connected to the bus bar between the first comb tooth group and the second comb tooth group. The wireless remote controller according to claim 1 or 2,
The wireless remote controller, wherein the antenna unit and the bus bar are connected via a matching circuit that performs impedance matching. A wireless remote controller according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A wireless remote control system comprising: a master unit capable of transmitting a burst signal to the wireless remote controller by radio waves and receiving a response signal from the wireless remote controller.

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