JPH09271082A - Remote control transmitter and backup board for the transmitter - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a remote control transmitter capable of corresponding to various machine sorts by the single transmitter itself without requiring specific button operation and enabling an infant or an aged person unfamiliar with key operation to simply execute operation and a backup board to be applied to the transmitter. SOLUTION: A required backup board 20 consisting of a rigid plate material, having a front/rear discrimination part 22 on its peripheral part, displaying functions such as function operating key numbers and pictographs on the front and rear faces, and capable of supporting a touch panel 12 from its rear face at the time of switching operation based upon the depression of the panel 12 is selected from plural boards prepared correspondingly to various machine sorts and inserted into a board inserting/ejecting part 11a of the remote control transmitter 1 having the port 11a on one side part of a casing body 11, loading an IC substrate in its inside and fixing the touch panel 12 consisting of two transparent films and having transparent switch circuits to a part of the switch operation surface of the substrate. Consequently transmitting operation corresponding to a required machine sort is executed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wireless remote control transmitter which is easy to operate even for infants and the elderly, and additionally, a remote control transmitter capable of supporting various types of receivers by a single remote control transmitter. The present invention relates to a transmitter and a novel backup member for expanding the function of the transmitter.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, wireless remote controllers have become extremely popular, and remote controllers have been installed not only in AV equipment and air conditioners but also in various lighting equipment. As is well known, these remote controllers emit light at a required modulation frequency based on signals from the switch circuit via a matrix-shaped switch circuit and a microcomputer having various functions in which predetermined programs are written in advance. Infrared light emitting diodes (infrared LEDs) and the like are arranged on the same substrate, and the operation buttons, which are arranged on the crossing line of the switch circuit of the keyboard and on which the numerical values and symbols are displayed, are pressed with a finger according to a predetermined procedure, for example, a television set. It enables remote control of audio equipment such as channel switching, volume adjustment, and image sharpness adjustment.

[0003]

However, since these remote controllers are compatible with a single model, a plurality of remote controllers corresponding to various devices are used in each home, which makes it difficult to store them. Often. Moreover, the functions of the remote control are becoming more and more complicated, and the complexity of the operation is becoming difficult to deal with for general people who are not familiar with electronic devices. In particular, the elderly people feel uncomfortable in operating the operation buttons, and it is almost impossible to correctly execute the operation procedure.

On the other hand, the designated channel of the broadcasting station is often changed depending on the region, and it is often the case that travelers have to confirm the channel in a newspaper or the like in order to tune it to the desired broadcasting station. Further, these confusions are not limited to travelers, and for example, elderly people often have to repeat the operation many times because the designated channel and the broadcasting station do not match.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its specific purpose is to use the same remote control transmitter and to support various models without requiring any special button operation. Moreover, it is to provide a wireless remote control transmitter and a backup board applied to the transmitter which are easy to operate even for infants and elderly people who are unfamiliar with key operation.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The above-mentioned object is a wireless remote control transmitter comprising an IC substrate and a switch circuit, which are the main components of the present invention, having a board insertion / removal opening on one side, The IC board is attached to the casing, and the casing where the touch panel having a transparent switch circuit made of two transparent films is fixedly attached to a part of the switch operation surface, and it is possible to insert and remove the casing from the board insertion / removal opening. It is made of a rigid plate material, has front and back identification parts on the periphery, and has function displays such as key numbers and pictograms for the same function operation on the front and back sides, and a backup that supports the touch panel from the back side when operating the touch panel switches. It is achieved by a remote control transmitter characterized by comprising a board.

[0007] Preferably, the backup board is made of synthetic resin, on the front surface of which the functional operation display by ordinary key numbers and characters is mainly displayed, and on the back surface thereof is mainly the functional operation display of pictograms and signs. The transmission is controlled by switching to one of the front and back corresponding programs of the IC substrate on the basis of the detection signal of the front and back identifying section. Further, according to a preferred aspect of the front / back surface identification section, the backup board includes a projection protruding from a part of the insertion end of the backup board in the insertion direction, and a pressing signal from the projection is conducted to the input port of the IC board. . Further, in place of the protrusion, a pinhole is formed in a part of the periphery of the backup board, or a conductive contact is provided, and a detection portion such as the pinhole or contacted element is provided at a corresponding portion of the casing. The detection signal may be conducted to the input port of the IC board.

Further, a plurality of backup boards in which the front and back identifying portions are deviated according to the model of the remote control receiver are prepared, and the IC board has a model discriminating circuit and a transmission program for each model. , Is written, using the backup board corresponding to the model used enables transmission to various models with a single remote control transmitter.

Further, in the case where a code display centering on a key number such as the number of channels is displayed on the front surface of the backup board and an instruction mark centering on pictograms etc. is displayed on the back surface, the back surface of the backup board is shown. By using, even those who are unfamiliar with key operation can easily operate. Then, all or part of the above-mentioned display on the front and back surfaces of the backup board is made by sticker pieces on which numerical values, various codes, pictograms, etc. are printed and displayed to meet the user's own display request. It can be so.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a usage diagram showing a wireless remote control transmitter 1 for TV / video which is a typical embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 3 to 7 show the appearance of the remote control transmitter 1 and FIG. 9 and 9 are cross-sectional views taken along line II and line II-II of FIG. 3, respectively.

The remote control transmitter 1 of the present invention is composed of two members including a casing 10 made of synthetic resin and a backup board 20 made of synthetic resin and having a predetermined rigidity.

The casing 10 has a main body 11 molded from a thermoplastic synthetic resin material such as ethylene, styrene, or ester. Although the outer shape can be arbitrarily designed, the outer shape according to the present embodiment is a thin box-like body having a substantially rectangular shape in which the front half portion is gradually narrowed toward the front. An elongated opening is formed in the rear wall portion 11a of the box, and this opening serves as an insertion / removal opening 11a 'of the backup board 3 which is a part of an important component of the present invention. On the other hand, a projection hole 11b 'through which light from an infrared LED described later passes is formed in the center of the front wall portion 11b of the casing body 11.

The switch operation surface corresponding to approximately 1/3 of the rear end side of the casing body 11 has a rectangular opening, and the touch panel 12 is mounted in the opening. The touch panel 12 has a known configuration using a resistance method, and two transparent films having transparent electrodes arranged in a matrix on opposite operation surfaces are laminated in a non-contact state, and The rigid frame portion is stretched to form a single panel, and terminals of each electrode are collectively extended from a part of the frame portion to extend outward. The terminal of each electrode is connected to the input port of the IC substrate described later.

On the switch operation surface of a portion corresponding to 1/3 of the front end side of the casing body 11, a TV power source operation button 13 and volume adjustment operation buttons 14 and 15 are provided.
And a housing hole 11c for the remote control battery 16 is formed in the back surface of the casing body 11, and a lid 17 thereof is detachably installed. On the other hand, the board insertion / removal opening 11a ′ of the casing body 11
Since the backup board 20 is guided and supported in the internal space communicating with the frame of the touch panel 12, the two support pieces 11d are parallel to each other with a space slightly narrower than the insertion width dimension of the backup board 20. And is projected.

On the inner rear surface side of the casing 10 configured as described above, an IC substrate (not shown) in which a predetermined program is written and which is connected to the electrode terminals of the touch panel 12 is connected to the output portion of the IC substrate. Control board 30 provided with infrared emission control parts such as infrared LEDs
Is fixed.

The backup board 20 which is inserted into and removed from the casing 10 is made of a rectangular plate material made of an insulating synthetic resin material having a certain degree of rigidity, and the front and back surfaces thereof are shown in FIGS. As shown in the figure, characters such as numbers and operating functions are printed and displayed, and a sticker on which the TV station name is printed is attached. In the illustrated example, the operation function of the television, the channel, and the video operation function are printed and displayed on the front surface of the backup board 20, and the BS broadcast channel is printed and displayed on the back surface of the same board 20 as well as a normal TV station. A sticker piece with the name printed is attached. If other kinds of seal pieces are prepared in advance, the usability can be further improved by replacing the seal pieces with the ones that are most convenient for the user.

The backup board 20 has substantially the same sectional shape as the board insertion / removal opening 11a 'of the casing body 11, and has a length sufficient to support the frame portion of the touch panel 12. And FIG.
And according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the backup board 2
The projection 22 that has the same thickness as the backup board main body 21 and horizontally projects at one of the left and right ends of the insertion-side end of 0.
Are formed.

When the backup board 20 is inserted into the casing 10, the protrusions 22 identify the front and back of the backup board 20 and actuate, for example, a proximity switch, so that the IC corresponding to the switch operation on the touch panel performed later. It has a function of sending a switching signal of a program written on the substrate. Therefore, a switch means such as a proximity switch is provided inside the casing 10 so as to face the insertion limit position of the protrusion 22. In this case, since the backup board 20 is inserted into the casing 10 in two ways, that is, the front side and the back side, it is sufficient to install the program changeover switch means alone at the above-mentioned portion.

That is, for example, when the surface of the backup board 20 is inserted into the casing 10 as the proximity surface of the touch panel 12, the protrusion 22 provided at the tip of the left end of the backup board body 21 as shown in FIG. By operating the changeover switch means to the input side, the program according to the operation function display displayed on the front surface of the backup board main body 21 is executed, but conversely, the back surface of the backup board 20 is used as the proximity surface of the touch panel 12 for the casing. When inserted in 10, the position of the protrusion 22 is moved to the tip of the right end of the backup board body 21, the switch means is not operated, and the operation function display displayed on the back surface of the backup board body 21 is followed. The program will be executed.

According to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the channels of the television station are displayed on the surface of the backup board main body 21 by the normal numeral display, and the operation function display of the video is displayed. The front surface can be used for general users, while on the back surface of the backup board body 21, a sticker piece that directly displays the TV station name and operation functions in pictograms is attached to the corresponding part, so that infants and elderly people can Also, it is easy to operate.

Now, when the television power source operating button 13 provided on the casing 10 is operated to the input side and, for example, the back surface of the backup board 20 is inserted into the casing 10 as the proximity surface of the touch panel 12, the program changeover switch means operates. Instead, the channel selection / transmission program according to the display on the back surface of the backup board 20 among the two types of channel selection / transmission programs stored in the IC substrate is maintained. At this time, the display on the back surface of the backup board on the back surface side of the touch panel 12 can be seen through the touch panel 12. Therefore, when the part of the TV station name displayed by the pictograms that is desired to be viewed is lightly pressed from the surface of the touch panel 12, the position signal is sent to the IC substrate inside the casing, and the selected TV station The internal processing is performed to switch to the broadcasting of No. 2, the infrared LED is driven, infrared rays having a predetermined modulation frequency are transmitted to the television receiver, and the broadcasting on the television receiver is switched to the broadcasting of the selected television station.

The remote control transmitter 1 according to the above-described embodiment is manufactured for use in a one-to-one correspondence with a specific television receiver and VCR, and one of the features of the remote control transmitter 1 of the present invention is. It is also possible to support TV receivers and VCRs made by other companies, and it is also possible to apply it not only to TV receivers and VCRs, but also to other general-purpose applications such as air conditioners and audio products. It is possible. For this purpose, the IC board in the remote controller is provided with a data processing unit, etc. necessary for model discrimination and control for that purpose, and a program corresponding to each model is written, and at the same time a backup board is prepared in advance corresponding to each model. In addition, a plurality of pairs of program changeover switch means are provided symmetrically in the casing of the remote controller.

FIG. 10 illustrates a remote control transmitter 100 according to another embodiment of the present invention, which can be used together with a specific type of air conditioner backup board 200. FIG. 11 shows the back surface of the backup board 200. . According to this example, the projecting position of the projecting portion 220 projecting from the insertion-side tip of the backup board 200 for the air conditioner is deviated from the projecting position of the projecting portion 220 in the above-described embodiment.

Now, using the backup board 200 for the air conditioner shown in FIG. 10, the remote control transmitter 10 of this embodiment is used.
The operation procedure of the air conditioner by 0 and its action will be described. First, the casing 110 so that the surface of the air conditioner backup board 200 faces the touch panel 120.
Insert inside. When the backup board 200 is inserted, the corresponding program changeover switch means (not shown) is activated, and the signal is sent to the IC board to identify the model and select the program corresponding to the same model.

Next, when the power source operating button 130 provided on the casing 110 is operated to the entry side, the air conditioner starts operating. Here, when the touch panel 120 is lightly pressed according to the surface display of the backup board 200 that is visible through the touch panel 120, the touch panel 1
Corresponding intersections of the matrix-shaped switch circuit provided in 20 contact, the position signal is sent to the IC substrate and processed by the data processing unit, and the infrared LED is operated at a predetermined modulation frequency based on the dedicated program of the air conditioner. Is driven to adjust the temperature of the air conditioner, the air volume, the air direction, and the timer.

Backup board 200 for the air conditioner
On the back side of the above, operation function displays such as the temperature adjustment, air flow rate adjustment, wind direction adjustment, timer setting, etc. are displayed mainly with pictograms etc. so that they can be understood more concretely and easily than the display contents on the front side. When the back surface of the backup board 200 for an air conditioner is inserted into the casing so that the back surface of the backup board 200 faces the touch panel 120, the protrusion 220 becomes a position symmetrical with respect to the above-mentioned insertion, and the protrusion 220 is the program changeover switch means for the air conditioner. Is operated to activate the program changeover switch means at the symmetrical position, send the signal to the IC board, select the model and the program corresponding to the same model, and perform the complicated key operation of the remote control transmitter 100. The operation can be performed without requiring a special procedure, and even a person who is not familiar with key operations can easily perform the operation.

As can be understood from the above description, the remote control transmitter of the present invention is not limited to a specific model but can be compatible with various models if a backup board corresponding to various models is prepared. For example, FIG. 10 and FIG.
The present invention is not limited to the embodiment shown in FIG.
In addition, it is also easy to understand that operation codes and the like for causing the remote controller to execute completely different transmission functions are separately displayed on the front and back sides of the backup board, and two different function operations can be independently enabled on the front and back sides. Could be As described above, the remote control transmitter of the present invention is not limited to a specific model within the range of the functions of the IC board and its peripheral devices, and is highly versatile and can be applied to an extremely wide variety of models. .

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the projections 22 and 220 are provided as the front and back identifying portions of the backup board, and the program changeover switch means such as the proximity switch is provided at the corresponding portion in the casing body. As shown in FIG. 3, a pinhole 220a is formed in a part of the periphery of the backup board in place of the protrusions 22 and 220, and a board insertion space of the casing corresponding to the pinhole 220a is shown in the drawing, such as an optical sensor. A pinhole detecting means may be provided, or FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, a conductive contact 220b is provided as a front and back identification part at a part of the insertion end of the backup board, and a contacted member (not shown) is provided at a position opposite to the board insertion space of the casing to provide the pinhole. It is also possible to make the detection signal of 220a or the contact signal of both contacts 220b conductive to the input part of the IC substrate.

[0029]

Since the present invention has the above-mentioned structure,
By replacing the front and back sides of the backup board with the same or different functions displayed on the front and back sides and inserting them in the casing of the remote control transmitter,
The remote control transmitter can transmit according to the display on the front and back of the backup board, especially when one of the operation displays on the front and back is displayed on the other side concretely with a sign such as pictograms. By inserting the display surfaces such as the above into the casing of the remote control transmitter so as to face the touch panel, even a person who is unfamiliar with the key operation can realize desired transmission with a simple operation. It is also possible to replace the display with a sticker piece on which a pictogram or the like desired by the user is printed, and in this case, the operation becomes easier.

Further, in the present invention, the I inside the remote controller is
When a variety of programs compatible with various models are written on the C board and peripheral devices such as corresponding switches are added, create a backup board corresponding to each model in advance and replace them. By using the same remote control transmitter, it is possible to support a large number of models such as a television, an air conditioner, an audio device, and various devices for each company.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a mode of use of a remote control transmitter that is a typical embodiment of the present invention when a board is inserted.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a backside display example of a backup board applied to the present invention as seen from the backside thereof.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the remote control transmitter.

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the remote control transmitter.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the remote control transmitter.

FIG. 6 is a rear view of the remote control transmitter.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the remote control transmitter.

8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line I-I in FIG.

9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a mode of use of the remote control transmitter according to another embodiment of the present invention when the board is inserted.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the backup board, which is applied to the embodiment and shows an example of the back surface of the backup board viewed from the back surface.

FIG. 12 is a partial perspective view showing a modified example of the front and back identifying portions formed on the backup board.

FIG. 13 is a partial perspective view showing another modified example of the front and back identifying portions formed on the backup board.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1,100 Remote control transmitter 10,110 Casing 11 Casing body 11a Rear wall 11a 'Board insertion / removal opening 11b Front wall 11b' Projection hole 11c Battery storage hole 11d Guide support piece 12,120 Touch panel 13 TV power operation button 130 Power Buttons for operation 14,15 Volume control buttons 16 Battery for remote control 17 Lid 20,200 Backup board 21,210 Backup board 22,22 Projection 220a Pinhole 220b Contact 30 Control board

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A wireless remote control transmitter comprising an IC board and a switch circuit, which has a board insertion / removal opening on one side, the IC board is mounted inside, and a part of a switch operation surface thereof. A casing having two transparent films and a transparent position detection circuit, and a touch panel having the same position detection circuit connected to the IC substrate, and a rigidity capable of being inserted into and removed from the board through the board insertion / removal opening. It consists of a plate material and has front and back identification parts in the peripheral part, and function displays such as key numbers and pictograms for function operation are made on the front and back sides, and a backup board that supports the touch panel from the back side when operating the touch panel switches, A remote control transmitter characterized by being provided. 2. A function operation display using normal key numbers or characters is mainly displayed on the front surface of the backup board, and a function operation display of pictograms or signs is displayed mainly on the back surface, and the front / back identification unit is detected. 2. The remote control transmitter according to claim 1, wherein transmission control is performed by switching to one of the front and back side compatible programs of the IC board based on the signal. 3. The front / back identification section is a projection protruding from a part of the insertion end of the backup board in the insertion direction, and a pressing signal from the projection is conducted to an input port of the IC board. Remote control transmitter. 4. The front and back identification section is formed of a pinhole formed in a part of the periphery of a backup board, the casing has a detection section for the pinhole, and the detection signal is input to an input port of the IC board. The remote control transmitter according to claim 1, which is electrically connected. 5. The front and back discriminating portion is composed of a conductive contactor provided at a part of an insertion end of a backup board, and has contactees at opposite portions of a board insertion space of the casing, and both contactors. 2. The remote control transmitter according to claim 1, wherein the contact signal is transmitted to the input port of the IC substrate. 6. The remote control transmitter according to claim 1, wherein the backup board is made of a synthetic resin material. 7. The setting part of the front / back identification section is displaced according to the model of the remote control receiver, the IC board has a model discrimination circuit, and a transmission program for each model is written. The remote control transmitter described in 1. 8. A board insertion / removal opening is provided on one side and an I
The present invention is applied to a wireless remote control transmitter having a casing in which a C substrate is mounted and a touch panel having a transparent switch circuit made of two transparent films is fixedly provided on a part of a switch operation surface of the switch. It consists of a rigid plate material that can be inserted into and removed from the board insertion / extraction slot in the board insertion space, and has front and back identification parts in the peripheral part, and key numbers, various codes, signs for function operation are displayed on the front and back sides, A backup board, which supports the touch panel from the back side when the switch of the touch panel is operated. 9. The backup board according to claim 8, wherein a code display centering on a key number such as the number of channels is provided on the front surface, and an instruction mark centering on a pictogram or the like is displayed on the back surface. 10. The backup board according to claim 8, wherein all or part of the display is made by a sticker piece on which numerical values, various codes, pictograms and the like are printed and displayed.