KR100840349B1 - Remote control system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

A remote control system and a controlling method thereof are provided to enable a user to select a control object device and control the control object device by using a signal having strong straightness such as an IR(Infrared Ray) and laser. A remote control method comprises the following steps of: transmitting a device selection signal(S310); receiving a response signal from a control object device receiving the device selection signal(S320); identifying the control object device by using the response signal(S330); and generating a remote control signal by using device control information corresponding to the identified control object device, and transmitting the generated remote control signal to the control object device so as to control the control object device(S340).

Description

[0001] REMOTE CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD [0002]

1 is a block diagram of a remote control system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a detailed view of the remote control device of FIG. 1. FIG.

3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a remote control apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a flowchart showing in detail the step of controlling the control target device of FIG.

5 is a detailed block diagram of a remote control apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a block diagram of a control target device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

≪ Description of reference numerals &

100: remote control device 110: input part

120: display unit 130:

140, 160: communication unit 150, 170:

200: Control target device 210: Transmitting /

211: first transmission / reception module 213: second transmission / reception module

220: LED 230:

240:

The present invention relates to a remote control system and method.

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, electronic products such as digital TVs, digital versatile disk (DVD) players, audio devices, and air conditioners are provided with a remote control device that can control the operation of a corresponding electronic product remotely for user's convenience. Conventionally, since a dedicated remote control device is used for each electronic product, a plurality of remote control devices have to be provided in one home, and it is inconvenient to find a remote control device suitable for each electronic product . To solve this problem, an integrated remote control device capable of controlling various electronic products has been disclosed.

Meanwhile, a method of controlling a device to be controlled by a remote control device can be roughly classified into an infrared ray (IR) and laser communication method and a radio frequency (RF) communication method.

The IR and laser communication methods can directly communicate with the remote control device by using the directivity of the IR and the laser, so that the control object can be easily selected. However, if there is an obstacle between the remote control device and the control target device, It is difficult to control and receive.

The RF communication method can compensate for the drawbacks of the IR and laser communication methods in that it can control the obstacle between the remote control device and the control target device by using the diffraction characteristic of the radio wave. However, in the RF communication system, it is troublesome that the remote control device searches through all of the control target devices to configure a device selection list, selects a device to be controlled by the user, and sets a RF communication channel and controls the complicated process have.

In addition, if there are many devices that can be controlled by the integrated remote control device, the RF communication method can display a large number of devices in the device selection list. Therefore, there are cases where it is difficult to accurately determine which device is controlled only by the device name, and in some cases, the device is selected. If the device selection is incorrect, the intention of the user and other devices may malfunction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a remote control system and a remote control method that allow a user to easily and easily select and control a control target device.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a remote control method including transmitting a device selection signal, receiving a response signal from a control target device that has received the device selection signal, Identifying a device, generating a remote control signal using device control information corresponding to the identified control target device, and transmitting the generated remote control signal to the control target device to control the control target device .

The apparatus selection signal may be transmitted in a first communication method, the remote control signal may be transmitted in a second communication method, and the first communication method may be a communication method having stronger linearity than the second communication method.

The first communication method may be one of an infrared communication method and a laser communication method, and the second communication method may be a radio frequency communication method.

The step of controlling the controlled device may include displaying a control menu screen for controlling the controlled device using the device control information, inputting a control command for the controlled device from the user on the controlled menu screen Generating a remote control signal corresponding to the input control command, and transmitting the generated remote control signal to the control target device.

The step of controlling the control target device may further include a step of checking whether the control target device is registered and a step of downloading the device control information from the control target device if the control target device is not registered have.

And if the control command is the status information check command of the control subject device, the status information of the control subject device can be received and displayed.

The device control information may be a virtual machine (VM) application.

A computer-readable medium according to another embodiment of the present invention records a program for causing a computer to execute any one of the above methods.

A remote control apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a communication unit for transmitting a device selection signal, receiving a response signal from a control target device that has received the device selection signal, and transmitting a remote control signal to the control target device, A control unit that identifies the control target device using the received response signal and controls the communication unit to generate and transmit the remote control signal to the control target device using the device control information corresponding to the identified control target device .

Wherein the communication section includes a first communication module for transmitting the device selection signal in a first communication method and a second communication module for transmitting the remote control signal in a second communication method, It may be a communication method having stronger linearity than the communication method.

The first communication method may be one of an infrared communication method and a laser communication method, and the second communication method may be a radio frequency communication method.

The control unit may check whether the device control information of the control target device is registered, and if not, register the device control information from the control target device by controlling the communication unit.

And a storage unit for storing the downloaded device control information.

A virtual machine capable of executing a VM application, and the device control information may be provided in the form of a VM application.

And a display unit for displaying a control menu screen for controlling the control target device.

And an input unit for receiving a control command for the control target device from a user on the control menu screen.

The control unit may receive the device status information from the control target device and display the received device status information on the display unit when the control command is the status information check command of the control target device.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control target device for receiving a device selection signal and a remote control signal from a remote control device and transmitting a response signal to the remote control device to the device selection signal And a central processing unit for controlling the control target device to operate in accordance with the remote control signal.

The transmitting and receiving unit may include a first transmitting and receiving module for receiving the device selection signal in a first communication method and a second transmitting and receiving module for receiving the remote control signal in a second communication method, It may be a communication method having stronger linearity than the second communication method.

And may further include an LED (Light Emitting Diode), and the central processing unit may blink the LED for a predetermined time upon receiving the device selection signal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which: FIG.

First, a remote control system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

1 is a block diagram of a remote control system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a remote control system according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a remote control device 100 and a plurality of control target devices 200. The remote control apparatus 100 transmits a remote control signal corresponding to a control command input from a user to the control target device 200 and performs remote control. The remote control device 100 may be implemented as a dedicated device having only a remote control function. However, the remote control device 100 according to the present invention may be added to a personal device such as a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a digital multimedia broadcasting It can also be implemented. The control target device 200 is a home appliance such as a TV, an air conditioner, a VTR (Video Tape Recorder), or a refrigerator, and operates in accordance with a control signal received from the remote control device 100.

The remote control apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to FIG.

FIG. 2 is a detailed view of the remote control device of FIG. 1. FIG.

2, the remote control apparatus 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes an input unit 110, a display unit 120, a storage unit 130, a communication unit 140, and a controller 150 .

The input unit 110 may be implemented as a keypad or a touchpad including a numeric key, a character key, and various special keys. The input unit 110 receives various commands for controlling the controlled device 200 from the user, do. Also, the input unit 110 may include a special key (hereinafter, referred to as a 'device selection key') for selecting whether to transmit the device selection signal from the user. The user can directly select the device selection signal to be controlled by transmitting the device selection signal to the control subject device 200 without complicated menu operation by pressing the device selection key.

The display unit 120 displays a control menu screen for controlling the device 200 to be controlled. The control menu may be composed of menu items matching the characteristics of the control target device. For example, if the control target device 200 is a TV, the control target device 200 may be a menu item for adjusting volume, channel, etc., and a menu item for controlling the temperature, the wind direction, The user can confirm the control menu through the display unit 120 and input a control command through the input unit 110 to operate the control target device 120 as desired.

Meanwhile, the display unit 120 may display status information of the device 200 to be controlled. Here, the status information refers to information related to the operation of the corresponding control target device such as the current set temperature of the air conditioner, the charging status of the wireless telephone, or the CD information currently being reproduced in audio. In addition, the display unit 120 may display various kinds of information related to the use of the remote control apparatus 100.

The display unit 120 may be implemented as a flat panel display device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), or a plasma display.

The storage unit 130 stores various programs and data necessary for the operation of the remote controller 100. In particular, the storage unit 130 according to the present invention stores device control information downloaded from the device 200 to be controlled. The storage unit 130 may be implemented as a memory unit such as a RAM, a ROM, a hard disk, a flash memory, or the like.

The device control information includes various information necessary for controlling the device 200 to be controlled. For example, a control code for controlling the device is transmitted to the control target device 200 in accordance with a product identification code for sorting by product, control menu information for displaying a control menu on the screen, . On the other hand, the device control information may be provided in advance from the manufacturer of the device to be controlled and stored in the storage unit 130, but may be downloaded after the device 200 is connected to the device 200 whenever necessary. The device control information may be provided in the form of a VM application written in C, C ++, Java, or Mobile Flash.

The communication unit 140 performs a function of exchanging various information with the control target device 200 wirelessly. More specifically, the communication unit 140 transmits a device selection signal to the control target device 200 under the control of the control unit 150 and receives a response signal corresponding thereto. The communication unit 140 also transmits a remote control signal to the control subject device 200 under the control of the control unit 150. [ The communication unit 140 receives the device control information and the device status information from the control subject device 200 and transmits the device control information and the device status information to the control unit 150.

On the other hand, the communication unit 140 is preferably implemented as a communication module that transmits and receives signals in a communication method having strong directivity (or directivity). For example, the communication unit 140 may be implemented as an infrared (IR) communication module or a laser communication module, and when using a radio frequency (RF) communication method, the communication unit 140 may be implemented as a communication module using a directional antenna .

As described above, by implementing the communication unit 140 as a module for transmitting and receiving a signal with a strong communication method, the user can direct the signal transmission direction of the communication unit 140 toward the control target device 200 to be controlled, It is possible to transmit the device selection signal directly to the control target device 200 without complicated operation. In particular, since the IR signal or the laser signal has a strong directivity, the user can adjust the device selection signal so that the device selection signal is transmitted to only the control target device desired by the user among the plurality of control target devices.

The controller 150 generally controls the operation of the remote controller 100 according to a command input from the user. More specifically, upon receipt of the response signal from the control target device 200, the control unit 150 identifies the control target device 200 based on the product identification code included in the received response signal and confirms whether or not the device is a registered device do. If it is determined that the device is an unregistered device, the control unit 150 downloads the device control information for the control target device 200 from the control target device 200, stores the device control information in the storage unit 130, and registers the device. In addition, the control unit 150 displays a control menu on the display unit 110 based on the downloaded device control information, and receives a control command from the user. The control unit 150 controls the communication unit 140 to generate a control signal corresponding to the control command input from the user, and transmits the control signal to the control target device 200. The control unit 150 transmits a control signal for requesting the device status information to the control target device 200 and displays the device status information provided on the display on the display unit 120, Lt; / RTI >

3 and 4, the operation of the remote control apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the remote control apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a step of controlling the control target apparatus of FIG. 3 in detail.

3, when the user first directs the signal transmission direction of the communication unit 140 of the remote control device 100 to the control subject device 200 and then presses the device selection key, the control unit 150 outputs the device selection signal To the control subject device 200 (S310).

Next, when the control target device 200 receiving the device selection signal transmits a response signal, the communication unit 140 receives the response signal and transmits the response signal to the control unit 150 (S320).

Next, the control unit 150 identifies the control target device 200 using the product identification code included in the received response signal (S330).

Thereafter, the control unit 150 generates a control signal corresponding to the control command input from the user using the device control information for the identified control target device 200, and transmits the control signal to the control target device 200, (S340).

Referring to FIG. 4, step S340 of controlling the control target device will be described in more detail.

After the control target device 200 is identified at step S330, the control unit 150 determines whether the control target device 200 is a device previously registered in the remote control device 100 at step S341.

If the control target device 200 is already registered (Y in S341), the control unit 150 displays the control menu on the screen using the control information of the corresponding device stored in the storage unit 130 (S343 ). On the other hand, if the control target device 200 is not already registered (N in S341), the device control information is downloaded from the control target device 200 and stored (S342), and the control menu is displayed on the screen ).

When the user inputs a command for controlling the control target device on the control menu (S345: A), the control unit 150 generates a control signal corresponding to the control command input from the user, (S347).

If the command input by the user is a termination command (S345: B), the controller 150 displays a termination screen indicating that the control operation is terminated on the display unit 120 and terminates the remote control operation (S349).

In the embodiment of the present invention described above, a case has been described in which the remote control apparatus 100 is configured to transmit and receive signals only in a communication method with strong directivity to the control subject device 200. However, And the remote control signal and the device control information may be transmitted and received with a weak directivity, for example, an omnidirectional communication method.

A remote control apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIG.

5 is a detailed block diagram of a remote control apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

5, the remote controller 100 according to another embodiment of the present invention includes an input unit 110, a display unit 120, a storage unit 130, a communication unit 160, and a control unit 170. 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof has already been described, so that the description thereof will be omitted.

The communication unit 160 performs a function of wirelessly exchanging various information with the control target device 200. More specifically, the communication unit 160 includes a first communication module 161 and a second communication module 163.

The first communication module 161 is implemented as a communication module that transmits a signal with a strong directivity communication method, and transmits the device selection signal to the control subject device 200 in a strong directivity communication method. For example, the first communication module 161 may be implemented by an infrared communication module or a laser communication module, and when using the RF communication method, the first communication module 161 may be implemented by a communication module using a directional antenna.

The second communication module 163 is implemented as a module that transmits and receives signals with a weaker linearity than the first communication module 161 to transmit a remote control signal to the control target device 200, Device control information, or device status information from the device. For example, the second communication module 163 may be implemented as a non-directional RF communication module.

The control unit 170 controls the overall operation of the remote control device 100. More specifically, the control unit 170 controls the first communication module 161 to transmit the device selection signal when the user presses the device selection key. The control unit 170 controls the second communication module 163 to transmit the response signal transmitted from the control target device 200 to the RF communication channel 163 via the second communication module 163. [ And confirms whether or not the device is already registered. If it is determined that the device is an unregistered device, the control unit 170 downloads the device control information from the control target device 200 via the RF communication channel, stores the device control information in the storage unit 130, and registers the device. Further, the control unit 170 displays a control menu on the display unit 110 based on the downloaded device control information, and receives a control command from the user. The controller 170 generates a control signal corresponding to the control command input from the user and transmits the control signal to the control target device 200 through the RF communication channel. The control unit 170 transmits a control signal requesting the device status information to the control target device 200 and displays the device status information provided on the display on the display unit 120, Lt; / RTI >

Meanwhile, the remote control apparatus 100 according to the present invention may include a virtual machine (not shown) capable of executing a VM application written in C, C ++, Java, Mobile Flash, or the like. When the device control information is provided in the form of a VM application, the virtual machine can display the control menu on the screen and receive the control command from the user. The virtual machine is a general virtual machine (GVM), an eXtended Virtual Machine (XVM), a Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless (BREW), a K Virtual Machine (KVM), a Wireless Internet Terminal Open Platform (WITOP), a Wireless Internet Platform for Interoperability ). ≪ / RTI >

The control target device according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to FIG.

6 is a block diagram of a control target device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The control target device 200 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a transceiver 210, a memory 230 and a central processing unit 240, As shown in FIG.

The transceiver 210 exchanges various information with the remote controller 100 wirelessly. More specifically, the transmission / reception unit 210 receives the device selection signal from the remote control device 100 and transmits a response signal corresponding thereto. Also, the transceiver 210 receives the remote control signal from the remote controller 100 and transmits the device control information and the device status information. The response signal may include a device identification code, whereby the remote control device 100 can identify the device that sent the response signal.

The memory unit 230 stores device control information for controlling the device 200 and receives the device control information in response to an instruction from the central processing unit 240 when there is a request from the remote control device 100 .

The central processing unit 240 controls the overall operation of the control target device 200. When the central processing unit 240 receives the device selection signal from the remote control device 100, the central processing unit 240 blinks the LED 220 for a predetermined period of time and controls the transmission / reception unit 210 to transmit a response signal to the remote control device 100 do. The central processing unit 240 transmits the device control information and the device status information at the request of the remote control device 100. [ The central processing unit 240 controls the control target device 200 to perform an operation corresponding to the control signal transmitted from the remote control device 100. [

The LED 220 is flickered for a predetermined time under the control of the central processing unit 240 to indicate whether the device selection signal is received. Accordingly, the user can confirm that the device selection signal has been correctly transmitted to the control target device 200 desired by the user.

The transmission / reception unit 210 may include a first transmission / reception module 211 and a second transmission / reception module 213.

The first transmission / reception module 211 may be implemented as an infrared communication module or a laser communication module so as to receive a device selection signal transmitted in a strong directional communication mode. When the RF communication method is used, a communication module using a directional antenna .

The second transmission / reception module 213 is implemented as an RF communication module that transmits / receives a signal using a weak linearity communication method, and transmits a response signal, device control information, and device status information to the remote control device 100, The second transmission / reception module 213 broadcasts a response signal under the control of the central processing unit 240 in an RF communication system. Also, the second transmission / reception module 213 may establish a RF communication channel with the remote controller 100 after transmitting a response signal, thereby performing bidirectional communication. The second transmission / reception module 213 transmits device control information, status information, and the like to the remote control device 100 through the RF communication channel, receives various remote control signals from the remote control device 100, .

Embodiments of the present invention include a computer-readable medium having program instructions for performing various computer-implemented operations. The medium records a program or a process for executing the remote control method according to the embodiment of the present invention as described so far. The medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, etc., alone or in combination. Examples of such media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks and magnetic tape, optical recording media such as CD and DVD, programmed instructions such as floptical disk and magneto-optical media, ROM, RAM, And a hardware device configured to store and execute the program. Or such medium may be a transmission medium, such as optical or metal lines, waveguides, etc., including a carrier wave that transmits a signal specifying a program command, data structure, or the like. Examples of program instructions include machine language code such as those produced by a compiler, as well as high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, Of the right.

As described above, according to the present invention, the user can easily and intuitively select and control the control target device. Particularly, it is possible to accurately select a control target device by using a signal having a strong linearity such as IR and laser.

In addition, since the remote control device is controlled through the RF communication channel after selecting the control target device, it is not necessary to transmit the control signal while avoiding the intermediate obstacle, so that the user can conveniently control the control target device.

In addition, since the remote control device can be connected to the device every time it is needed to control and download the device information, it is possible to control the controlled device released after the manufacture of the remote control device and efficiently use the memory capacity of the remote control device .

Claims (22)

Transmitting a device selection signal, Receiving a response signal from the control target device that has received the device selection signal, Identifying the control target device using the response signal, and And generating the remote control signal using the device control information corresponding to the identified control target device and controlling the control target device by transmitting the generated remote control signal to the control target device, Wherein the device selection signal is transmitted in a first communication method, the remote control signal is transmitted in a second communication method, Wherein the first communication method is a communication method having stronger linearity than the second communication method. delete The method according to claim 1, Wherein the first communication method is one of an infrared communication method and a laser communication method, and the second communication method is a radio frequency communication method. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the step of controlling the control- Displaying a control menu screen for controlling the controlled device using the device control information, Receiving a control command for the control target device from a user on the control menu screen, and Generating a remote control signal corresponding to the input control command and transmitting the generated remote control signal to the control target device. 5. The method of claim 4, Wherein the step of controlling the control- Confirming whether the control target device is registered, and If the control target device is not registered, downloading the device control information from the control target device Further comprising the steps of: 5. The method of claim 4, Wherein the status information of the control target device is received and displayed when the control command is a status information check command of the control target device. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the device control information comprises a virtual machine (VM) application. A computer-readable medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1, 3, and 7. A communication unit for transmitting a device selection signal, receiving a response signal from the control target device that has received the device selection signal, and transmitting a remote control signal to the control target device Identifies the control target device using the received response signal, and controls the communication unit to generate the remote control signal using the device control information corresponding to the identified control target device and transmit the remote control signal to the control target device And a control unit, Wherein, A first communication module for transmitting the device selection signal by a first communication method and a second communication module for transmitting the remote control signal by a second communication method, Wherein the first communication method is a communication method having stronger linearity than the second communication method. delete 10. The method of claim 9, Wherein the first communication method is one of an infrared communication method and a laser communication method, and the second communication method is a radio frequency communication method. 10. The method of claim 9, Wherein the control unit checks whether or not the device control information of the control target device is registered and controls the communication unit to download the device control information from the control target device if the device control information is not registered. 13. The method of claim 12, And a storage unit for storing the downloaded device control information. 14. The method of claim 13, Further comprising a virtual machine capable of executing a VM application, Wherein the device control information is provided in the form of a VM application. 15. The method of claim 14, Further comprising a display unit for displaying a control menu screen for controlling the control target device. 16. The method of claim 15, And an input unit for receiving a control command for the control target device from a user on the control menu screen. 17. The method of claim 16, Wherein the control unit receives the device status information from the control target device and displays the device status information on the display unit when the control command is the status information check command of the control target device. A control subject device operated according to a remote control signal transmitted from a remote control device, A transceiver for receiving a device selection signal and a remote control signal from the remote control device and transmitting a response signal for the device selection signal to the remote control device, And a central processing unit for controlling the control target device to operate in accordance with the remote control signal, The transmitting / A first transmission / reception module for receiving the device selection signal in a first communication mode; and a second transmission / reception module for receiving the remote control signal in a second communication mode, Wherein the first communication method is a communication method having stronger linearity than the second communication method. delete 19. The method of claim 18, Wherein the first communication method is one of an infrared communication method and a laser communication method, and the second communication method is a radio frequency communication method. The method of claim 20, wherein Further comprising a memory unit for storing device control information capable of controlling said control target device, Wherein the central processing unit causes the remote control apparatus to display a control menu screen for downloading the device control information to the remote control device and receiving a control command from the user. The method of claim 20, wherein Further comprising an LED (Light Emitting Diode) And the central processing unit blinks the LED for a predetermined time when receiving the device selection signal.

Images