JPH04501043A - long distance remote control - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] long distance remote control Technical field The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for remotely controlling the functions of electronic or electromechanical equipment. Regarding.

Background technology Devices with remote control capabilities are now widely used, allowing the operator (user) of the device to It is extremely useful in that you can change the behavior of the device without physically touching it. It is becoming common. Particularly useful is that modern remote control devices Properly modulated ultrasound, radio frequency, without the need for electrical connections between the controller and the device Signal generation is performed by waves or infrared energy. Using remote control of equipment Functions that can be achieved include selecting tracks to be played from a compact disc, Starting/stopping a video tape recorder, selecting channels on a TV receiver, etc. is included.

Traditional infrared or ultrasonic remote control methods typically operate over short distances in the same room as the equipment being controlled. It works well at short distances, but makes the device inoperable at long distances.

For example, you cannot start a video recorder from an office several kilometers away.

Some devices are made with wireless remote controls that allow operation over longer distances. However, ultrasonic or infrared systems are often It is almost impossible to avoid the problem of interference between controllers. It is widely used. As a result, the controllers currently manufactured and supplied cannot be used to control the majority of equipment from long distances.

The present invention allows commonly available equipment to be used over long distances without requiring modification of the equipment. The present invention provides means and methods for controlling and overcoming the aforementioned limitations.

Disclosure of invention According to the present invention, a method for remotely controlling an electronic device that allows the device to be operated from an unlimited distance the step of transmitting a control signal from a remote control point, the step of receiving the control signal; a step of transmitting and demodulating the demodulated signal by a remote control input of the equipment to be controlled; Steps to reformat the control codes to correspond with control codes suitable for receiving (the input is, for example, a standard infrared remote control receiver for household appliances); and sending said code to a device to be controlled. Ru.

In another aspect, the invention receives and demodulates a control signal from a control signal transmitter. a receiving means configured to transmit the demodulated signal to the equipment to be controlled; a controller configured to reformat to accommodate control codes; and a long-range remote control device having transmission means for sending said code to the device to be controlled. It will be.

Another novel feature that can be advantageous to include is that, subject to the current operating state of the equipment, , setting up a means to automatically change the control code sent to the device when a radio signal is received. It is a place. This feature is especially important when the operator is in close proximity to the equipment and therefore control, assuming that the current state of the device can be taken into account when pressing a button to obtain This is advantageous if the control means for the equipment to be controlled are designed. For example, many video A digital tape recorder (VTR) uses two buttons to select channels. One button increases the channel number sequentially, and the other button decreases the channel number sequentially. It uses a remote control method using the other button. Therefore, there is To select a given channel, make sure that the required number of increase or decrease commands can be generated. , it is necessary to know the currently selected channel.

Brief description of the drawing Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows the present invention suitable for use in television reception or television recording equipment. FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of another embodiment of the invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION First, a first embodiment will be described with reference to the schematic block diagram of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, a wireless transmitter 6 is provided and directed toward equipment (not shown) to be controlled. It transmits a radio signal that is once modulated to send a command. Often used in the field of wireless communications Any of the many known suitable modulation and coding schemes will give good results. It can be used without any problems. The source that sends commands to the radio transmitter 6 may be any other electronic or electrical source. This may include mechanical equipment and operators.

A wireless receiver 2 is provided to receive, demodulate, and decode transmissions from a wireless transmitter 6. do. The output of radio receiver 2, which is in properly decoded digital form, is sent to the controller. Sent to La 3. Controller 3 formats the decoded signal from radio receiver 2. After the controller output is processed by the LED driver 4, the infrared transmitter Make it suitable for modulating LED5. Wireless transmitter 6 and wireless reception The encoding method used for communication between two devices is based on the remote control built into the device to be controlled. reformat processing even if the encoding method differs significantly from that used in the control method. can be easily performed using a lookup table stored in a suitable non-volatile memory.

This lookup table is used to find the desired Must be programmed to set the response. This method is used to control various devices. A centralized radio transmitter is used to broadcast signals to a large number of receiving stations for control purposes. Control of equipment that must be generated to perform specified operations at each receiving point Specific to situations where codes vary depending on the specific type of equipment used at each location. well suited for

The control signal sent from LED 5 is directed to the device to be controlled, and is sent to the wireless receiver. Once the appropriate radio signal is received by 2, the device will respond accordingly.

Therefore, the present invention provides a method for transmitting appropriate messages from a remote transmitter. Can be used to remotely control equipment from locations beyond the operating range of an infrared control link . Wireless reception is provided so that individual users of the invention can only access their own equipment. The signal 2 is equipped with address decoding means, and each device can read the control message addressed to that device. It only responds to messages.

The switch array 1 is configured so that an operator near the equipment to be controlled can use the controller 3. It can be activated by operation, remote radio transmission, or push button operation. An optional control device that enables the equipment to operate.

Next, we will provide a remote control system that is particularly suitable for controlling television reception and recording equipment. A contemplated embodiment of another novel feature of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawings. I will refer to and explain. The embodiment of FIG. 2 uses a television receiver (T) to perform certain operations. The correct information is sent to the equipment to be controlled, such as V) or video tape recorder (VTR). This may occur in situations where the code is dependent on the current operating state of the equipment. It is configured to eliminate some of the limitations of the embodiment shown in FIG.

For example, some types of VTRs move the tape when they receive a "pause" code. When the tape is stopped, the tape is stopped, and when it is stopped, it is restarted. Designed. This is because a remote control is used near the VTR and the tape is This is a convenient configuration when the operator can check whether the device is moving or not. but , in the embodiment of Figure 1, where the command is issued from a distance, the tape may be paused. If the tape was previously "paused" when you send a "pause" signal , it actually restarts tape movement.

Another case where controlling equipment becomes a problem when the operating state is non-trivial is when Equipped with a remote control device that can handle only “channel up” and “channel down” commands. It happens on TV. Since a person at a remote control location is not necessarily present, the user of the present invention It is not enough to simply give commands to the user to “channel up” and “channel down.” It's a minute. It is preferable to give a command such as “Channel 2 selection”; This embodiment of the invention passes through the appropriate number of channels and allows the remote operator to multiple "channels" that are sent to the TV so that they arrive on the selected channel. Appropriately generates “channel up” and “channel down” commands based on information processing functions. This is achieved by letting

Uncertainties such as those described above may be due to the fact that embodiments of the present invention If this is the case, record all previously issued commands. This makes it fairly easy to handle, but if the device is controlled by other means as well. This method will not work if For example, a VTR has a timer setting for automatic recording. It may be activated automatically depending on the settings, and may also be activated automatically depending on the The channel can be arbitrarily selected by the operator using the TV channel selector. There is.

The embodiment of FIG. 2 monitors the operating status of the TV or VTR and sends appropriate code One that eliminates the above-mentioned difficulties by applying appropriate information processing functions to the occurrence. It is.

Now referring to Figure 2, some extra inputs and outputs have been added to controller 3. , the first embodiment of FIG. 1 except that it is possible to detect the operating state of non-controlled equipment. It can be seen that the configuration of is kept as is and operates in the same way.

A video output 8 is generated from the video output of the VTR to be controlled, which is applied to the video monitor. This is the standard video signal typically provided by a VTR for connection to a computer. video Human Power 8 uses a logic signal indicating the presence or absence of a video signal and an average brightness level of the video signal. A video detector with appropriate circuitry to generate a signal indicating whether it is changing or not. Sent to 7. Such detectors are well known and typically detect the presence or absence of a video signal. Image information that relies on the presence or absence of synchronization pulses identified on the container as a reference and also varies Detect changes in average video amplitude as an indication of.

The controller 3 preferably includes a programmed microprocessor. The output of detector 7 is read and the information is used to determine the status of the VTR.

In this embodiment, the state of the VTR is one of the following: a) Off without video) b) With video, tape paused without change) C) With video, with change (tape paused) (during tape playback or recording) Data indicating which of these states is currently available is stored on a memory set aside for that purpose. stored in memory location.

Next, a signal is generated from the controller 3 in response to the command received by the wireless receiver 2. The control code that has been entered follows the state of the VTR indicated by the output of the video detector 7. will be changed. For example, a "pause" signal is sent from the wireless receiver 2 to the controller 3. when the VTR is currently playing, referring to the corresponding memory location. The controller 3 determines whether live or recording is being performed. Currently playing If the VTR is recording, the infrared control code necessary to pause the VTR is available. It is searched from memory and sent to the VTR via LED5, and the VTR responds accordingly. Pause the tape.

If the tape is already paused when the pause command is received, the control code is not sent to the VTR. Similarly, if a “resume” command is received, the VTR will If the recording is paused, the code necessary to resume recording is sent to the VTR.

Depending on the requirements of the particular VTR in which the invention is used, this code may be e.g. It may also be given as a "stop" code or a "record" code. Receipt of “reopen” directive If the VTR is recorded as "off without video" at the time of A code is generated to turn on the switch and start recording.

The deflection signal human power 9 is a deflection signal generated from a TV controlled by an embodiment of the present invention. Receive a signal. This human power is generally applied to the TV's deflection signal, e.g. the TV's deflection coil. Generated from a conversion element that can detect the magnetic field generated by the enables detection of deflection signals without the need for Deflection signal input 9 is phase comparator 1 Sent to 0's power alone. Instead of using the deflection signal human power 9 as a synchronization pulse source, You can also use Video Jinriki 8. In this case, the synchronization extractor 14 A synchronizing signal is sent from the phase comparator 10 to the phase comparator 10. Another component of the phase comparator 10 is a synchronous abstraction. The standard synchronization signal obtained from the TV tuner 13 is sent via the output device 12 . Conte The roller 3 is configured to constantly monitor the output of the phase comparator 10.

The channel being received by the TV tuner 13 is changed to the next one by the controller 3. controlled as follows. In other words, the controller 3 is received by the TV tuner 13. Compare the phase of the sync signal from the video input to the phase of the video signal or deflection signal from the video input. While doing so, each receivable channel is sequentially selected.

When the two synchronization signals match, the controller 3 uses the TV tuner 13 to The selected channel is the same as the channel currently being recorded by the VTR. considered to be the same. Then, the controller 13 stops selecting different channels. and stores the current channel number in a memory location reserved for that purpose. Record. Then, when the phase difference is detected again, the above process is repeated again and the correct The new channel number will be recorded.

Upon receiving the channel selection command, the controller 3 stores the channel selection command in memory. determining the channel to which the VTR is tuned using the current channel number; ``Channel up'' and ``Channel up'' appropriate to reach the requested channel. Generates a flannel down J code.

The ability to determine which channel is being received depends on the channel being recorded or viewed. It can also be used to operate equipment based on the channel conditions. For example, "Current It is also possible to execute a command to "temporarily stop the VTR if channel 2 is being recorded."

The above features of this embodiment of the invention ensure that there are no commercial breaks when the tape is played. You can pause the recording of a TV program during commercials so that you can watch the program more easily. It is particularly advantageous when the invention is used to control a VTR for the purpose of

When used in this manner, the radio transmitter 6 may be used by the person monitoring the television broadcast. It is operated by The available TV channels being monitored When the call starts, a ``pause'' signal is sent by the person's operation. This “temporary stop” The "Stop" signal indicates the channel on which the pause occurs (i.e. the channel where the commercial started). channel) and data indicating that the signal corresponds to "pause". It consists of ta. Similarly, when a program is restarted, the person monitoring ” signal is sent.

Upon receiving these signals, the radio receiver 2 of this embodiment of the invention receives the demodulated data. data to control 3. The controller 3 outputs the signal as “pause” or Recognizes whether it is “resume” and stores the received channel identification data in memory. Compare with the current channel stored. When both channels match, The controller 3 considers the current state of the VTR as described above and generates a corresponding command. recording is paused or resumed.

This embodiment of the invention, when considering cost-effectiveness, is suitable for both radio receiver 2 and TV tuner 4. No. 2 It can be simplified by using only one radio receiver. This simplification reduces the frequency required for each function. whether the wavenumber ranges are the same and the multiplexing times required to achieve this resource sharing. This may or may not be desirable depending on the complexity of the road. Also, the tuner is Instead of using the VTR's video output directly as described above, the VTR's radio frequency By tuning to the output of several carrier waves, you can determine which channel is being received by the VTR. It can also be used to determine whether

Several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but without departing from the scope of the invention. It is possible to make modifications that are obvious to the trader. In particular, the wireless transmitter 6 of the embodiment is a suitable means of transmitting control signals from a remote control point to the control signal receiver of the present invention. It is provided as an example only, and any other modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. transmission means can be used. Examples of other suitable means include does not involve electrical cables or optical fibers.

Other advantageous variants are also conceivable. In the embodiments described above, the present invention Each device is equipped with its own unique address decoding means for the purpose of accessing individual devices. However, it can also be configured to respond to "broadcast" addresses. In other words, the original Akira was shown a video tape recorder during a TV commercial. Control signals applicable to multiple users of the present invention, such as "pause" commands, operate simultaneously special addressing code that allows access to all devices at the same time. It can also be configured to respond to calls.

It also allows users of the invention to operate equipment from long distances using a suitably equipped transmission. In addition to being able to operate the transmitter personally, it can also be controlled by a central transmitting station, e.g. via telephone. Another option would be to request the recipient to send a valid code. The latter configuration In some cases, users can request that their equipment function according to a certain schedule. . For example, if you watch your videotape at a time when a particular TV show series is being aired, - You can request that the recorder be activated for recording.

Many more convenient additional features may be added to the invention as described in the foregoing embodiments. I can do it. For example, by including calendar and/or clock functionality, The present invention can be used to automatically activate equipment functions at predetermined times. of Contains a suitable transducer element that can activate the device when it detects a specific stimulus such as noise or light. If the doorbell rings or the sun goes down, the wireless receiver will respond accordingly. You can achieve the function of turning on.

Although the present invention has been described above in connection with remote control of household appliances, the present invention extends beyond that. It is equally applicable to other electronic or electromechanical devices.

Furthermore, the present invention described above uses infrared rays to transmit open signals to and from the equipment to be controlled. However, the invention may also be practiced using other means of signal transmission, including in particular ultrasound and radio waves. It can be done.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that discrete electronic components, specially designed integrated circuits, or suitable Electronic components, including microprocessor components with software Any of the available techniques that are well known to those of ordinary skill in the field. It will be understood that the present invention can be practiced using any of these methods.

The embodiment of the invention described herein detects the status of the TV or VTR to be controlled. A specific configuration of measures is used, but other measures can also be used with good results. . For example, the identification of the currently received channel may be Instead of comparing the phases of two sync signals as shown above, we compare the phases of two television signals. This can also be done by comparing audio and audio components.

In order to further increase the diversity of the embodiments of the present invention described above, the infrared transmitting LE of the present invention D is preferably located in close proximity to the equipment to be controlled; The location of the device may make such a location unsuitable for transmitting infrared signals from the LED to the device. When the LED transmitter is in the receiving area of the infrared receiver, the user should The present invention has an adjustable external protrusion, including a flexible elongated support that can be adjusted by An outside line transmitter can be placed. Alternatively, for the same purpose, a light pipe, optical fiber or A reflector configuration may also be used.

Industrial applicability Many electronic devices are controlled by hand-held remote controls located in close proximity to the device. It is designed to

The present invention enables such operations to be carried out from a distance greater than that at which the equipment's normal remote control device functions. provides a method (system) for controlling such equipment. How many uses can this invention have? In order to be able to automatically record TV programs, a remote central station is connected to a home computer. It is used to control a video cassette recorder.

FIG. 1 (Case 3A name 9 doors Japanese embroidery) Copy and translation of written amendment) Submission form

Claims (14)

[Claims] 1. A remote control method for the remote operation of electronic equipment, in which said equipment is a hand-held remote control. In those who have the means, transmitting a control signal from a remote control point; receiving and demodulating the control signal; and a step suitable for being received by the remote control input of the equipment to be controlled. reformatting the demodulated signal to correspond with a control code; transmitting said code to a device to be controlled; remote control method. 2. a control code suitable to be received by the remote control input of the equipment to be controlled; Said step of correspondingly reformatting the demodulated signal is performed by the machine to be controlled. a substep of detecting the operating state of the device; The code sent to the device to be controlled is changed depending on the detected operating state. The electronic device according to claim 1 is capable of being remotely operated. Remote control method. 3. The device is a video tape recorder, and detects the operating status of the device to be controlled. said step of generating a varying video signal at the output of said videotape recorder; remote control of the electronic device according to claim 2, including the step of detecting the presence of the remote control method. 4. The device is a video tape recorder, and detects the operating status of the device to be controlled. The step of determining which one of the plurality of television channels is connected to the video tape. Claim 2 including the step of detecting whether the image is being received by the recorder. A remote control method capable of remotely operating the electronic device described in . 5. The device is a television receiver; The step of detecting the operating state of the equipment to be controlled is performed on a plurality of television channels. detecting which one of the images is being received by the television receiver; A remote control method capable of remotely operating an electronic device according to claim 2. 6. The device is a video tape recorder, and detects the operating status of the device to be controlled. The step of determining which one of the plurality of television channels is connected to the video tape. a step of detecting whether the video tape is being received by the precoder; and detecting the presence of a changing video signal at the output of the recorder. Furthermore, the code sent to the device to be controlled is changed depending on the detected operating state. Said step includes a sub-channel receiving a control signal representing one of a plurality of television channels. transmitting the received control signal to the detected currently receiving channel; and upon receiving a control signal representing a command to pause, the step of comparing the and the change in the output of said videotape recorder. The pause control code should be controlled only when the presence of a video signal is detected. remote control of the electronic device according to claim 2, remote control method. 7. The previous device is a video tape recorder, which detects the operating status of the device to be controlled. The step of determining which one of the plurality of television channels is connected to the video tape. a step of detecting whether the video tape is being received by the precoder; and detecting the presence of a changing video signal at the output of the recorder. , Furthermore, the code sent to the device to be controlled is changed depending on the detected operating state. The step includes a sub-switch receiving a control signal representing one of a plurality of television channels. step, and transmitting the received control signal to the detected currently receiving channel. Upon receiving the step to be compared and a control signal representing a command to resume, the comparison results in equality. The video is determined to be positive and changes at the output of the video tape recorder. A resume control code is sent to the equipment to be controlled only when the presence of a signal is detected. The electronic device according to claim 2, which includes the sub-steps of interval control method. 8. In a remote control means for an appliance equipped with a hand-held remote control means, a transmitting means for transmitting a control signal from a remote control point; and a transmitting means for receiving and demodulating the control signal. and a means suitable for being received by the remote control input of the remote device to be controlled. means for reformatting the demodulated signal to correspond with a control code; and means for transmitting said code to the equipment to be controlled. 9. a control code suitable to be received by the remote control input of the equipment to be controlled; Said means for re-formatting the demodulated signal to correspond to that of the equipment to be controlled. A means for detecting an operating state, and a device to be controlled according to the detected operating state. and means for changing the code transmitted to the remote control according to claim 8. means. 10. The device is a video tape recorder, which detects the operating status of the device to be braked. The means for detecting a varying video signal at the output of the video tape recorder. 10. Remote control means according to claim 9, comprising means for detecting the presence of a remote control. 11. The device is a video tape recorder, and it detects the operating status of the device to be controlled. The means for determining which one of the plurality of television channels is connected to the video tape. Claim 9 includes means for detecting whether an image is being received by a recorder. Remote control means included. 12. The device is a television receiver, and before detecting the operating state of the device to be controlled. The recording means determines which one of the plurality of television channels is selected by the television receiver. The remote control means according to claim 9, which includes means for detecting whether an image is being received. . 13. The device is a video tape recorder, and it detects the operating status of the device to be controlled. The means for determining which one of the plurality of television channels is connected to the video tape. means for detecting whether an image is being received by a recorder; means for detecting the presence of a changing video signal at the output of the device; said means for changing the code sent to the equipment to be controlled in accordance with the operating state of said device; means for receiving a control signal representing one of a plurality of television channels; means for comparing the detected control signal with the detected currently received channel; When a control signal representing a time stop command is received, the comparison determines that they are equal and The presence of a changing video signal at the output of said videotape recorder is detected. means for transmitting a pause control code to the equipment to be controlled only when the A remote control means according to claim 9. 14. The device is a video tape recorder, which detects the operating status of the device to be braked. The means for determining which one of the plurality of television channels is connected to the video tape. means for detecting whether an image is being received by a recorder; means for detecting the presence of a changing video signal at the output of the device; said means for changing the code sent to the equipment to be controlled in accordance with the operating state of said device; means for receiving a control signal representing one of a plurality of television channels; means for comparing the detected control signal with the detected currently received channel; When a control signal representing an open command is received, the comparison determines that they are equal and the previous The presence of a changing video signal at the output of the video tape recorder is detected. and means for transmitting the restart control code to the equipment to be controlled only if Remote control means according to item 9.