KR20040077135A - Remote controller for electronic products - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A remote controller for an electronic equipment is provided to allow a user to quickly and easily select a favorite channel to view a program by selectively manipulating an abbreviated key. CONSTITUTION: A keypad(101) generates a general key signal for selecting a general channel, a set key signal for inputting a favorite channel and an abbreviated key, and an abbreviated key signal for selecting a favorite channel. The first memory(109) stores remote code data corresponding to the general key signal generated from the keypad(101). The second memory(103) stores connection code data of the abbreviated key and the favorite channel by using a sequentially inputted key signal as an abbreviated key set signal as a favorite channel set signal. A controller(102) receives the abbreviated key signal, reads a favorite channel corresponding to the inputted key signal by searching the connection code data of the second memory(103), reads the remote code data corresponding to the key signal of the favorite channel, and outputs it.

Description

Remote control for electronic equipment {REMOTE CONTROLLER FOR ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS}

The present invention relates to a remote control for an electronic device, and more particularly, to select a favorite channel after a user sets his / her favorite channel as a hotkey in a remote control that is linked to an electronic device capable of selecting a broadcasting channel such as a television and a video tape recorder. The present invention relates to a remote control for an electronic device that allows a user to easily select a favorite channel within a short time by selecting and operating a shortcut key.

In general, the remote control transmits an operation signal by wire or wireless to remotely control a function of a television, a video tape recorder, an air conditioner, and the like so that the remote control can be operated without directly operating a switch on the operation panel of each device. It is done. Due to its convenience, the remote control is used in almost all home appliances today, and a wireless remote controller that is easier to handle than wired is used.

On the other hand, a remote control that is linked to an electronic device for watching over-the-air or cable broadcasting, such as a television and a video tape recorder, also serves as a channel selection function, and a typical channel selection method requires a number key provided on the keypad of the remote control. The current channel is changed to a neighboring channel by directly inputting the channel number or by using a function key such as a direction key.

In recent years, as the broadcasting area has been expanded to cable broadcasting, satellite broadcasting, and internet broadcasting, the number of broadcasting channels has increased from dozens to as many as hundreds, which is why listeners usually select channels based on the number of airwaves. In the process, the channel number is directly selected by the input method, and the remaining channels are searched by the neighbor channel switching method using the direction keys, and then the user selects his / her preferred channel and is fixed and watched.

In addition, even though hundreds of broadcast channels can be received, most viewers prefer to watch channels according to their interests or tastes. If it is selected as the input method and the channel number is not known even for the preferred channel, the adjacent channel switching method is used.

However, when the channel is fixed and viewed after searching the channel by the adjacent channel switching method, when the number of channels reaches several hundred as described above, the process of selecting a preferred channel takes a long time and has a very troublesome problem.

The present invention has been proposed to solve such a conventional problem. When the user wants to watch a favorite channel after setting his favorite channel as a hotkey, the user can easily select and watch the favorite channel within a short time by selecting and operating a hotkey. The aim is to provide a remote control for an electronic device.

A remote control for an electronic device according to the present invention for realizing the above object is a remote control for an electronic device for transmitting remote code data having a function of selecting a broadcast channel in the form of a remote signal, for selecting a general channel among the broadcast channels. A keypad for generating a general key signal, a setting key signal for input of a preferred channel and a shortcut key, and a shortcut key signal for selecting a preferred channel, and remote code data corresponding to each general key signal generated from the keypad; A first memory unit and a second memory unit storing the hot key and the connection code data of the preferred channel using the key signals sequentially input after the setting key signal is input as the hot key setting signal and the preferred channel setting signal, and the hot key When a signal is input, the connection code data of the second memory unit is searched to read a preferred channel corresponding to the input key signal. And a controller for searching the first memory unit to read and output the remote code data corresponding to the key signal of the preferred channel.

1 is a block diagram of a remote control for an electronic device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2A is a flowchart illustrating a process of inputting a favorite channel corresponding to a shortcut key in the remote controller illustrated in FIG. 1; FIG.

FIG. 2B is a flowchart illustrating a process of transmitting a preferred channel signal corresponding to a shortcut key in the remote controller illustrated in FIG. 1.

There may be a plurality of embodiments of the present invention. Hereinafter, preferred embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. This embodiment allows for a better understanding of the objects, features and advantages of the present invention.

As shown in the block diagram of FIG. 1, the remote controller for an electronic device according to the present invention includes a keypad 101, a control unit 102, a first memory unit 109, a second memory unit 103, and a time counting unit 111. ), A clock generator 105, a synthesizer 104, an amplifier 106, and a transmitter 107.

The keypad 101 is composed of a plurality of numeric keys and function keys to select various functions such as channel selection of an electronic device, a general key signal for selecting a general channel, a setting key signal for input of a favorite channel, and a shortcut key, and Generates a hotkey signal for selecting a favorite channel.

The first memory unit 109 matches remote code data corresponding to each general key signal generated from the keypad 101, that is, code control data for code recognition stored in data storage means in an electronic device such as a television. Remote code data is saved.

The second memory unit 103 stores the shortcut code and the connection code data of the preferred channel when the user sets the favorite channel as the shortcut key by using the keypad 101.

When the setting key signal is input from the keypad 101, the control unit 102 recognizes the key signals sequentially input afterwards as the shortcut key setting signal and the preference channel setting signal, and stores the shortcut code and the connection code data of the favorite channel in the second memory unit 103. When the general key signal is input from the keypad 101, the first memory unit 109 is searched to read the remote code data corresponding to the input key signal, and if the shortcut key signal is input from the keypad 101, The second memory unit 103 is searched to read the connection code data corresponding to the input key signal.

The time counting unit 111 counts the holding time of the key signal and transmits it to the control unit 102 so as to determine whether the key signal of the keypad 101 is a general key signal or a shortcut key signal.

The clock generator 105 generates a carrier, i.e. a clock, having a predetermined frequency required for transmitting the remote code data.

The synthesizing unit 104 synthesizes and outputs the remote code data output from the control unit 102 to the clock generated by the clock generating unit 105.

The amplifier 106 amplifies and outputs the synthesized remote code data, and the transmitter 107 transmits the amplified remote code data in the form of a remote signal such as an infrared signal or an ultrasonic signal.

A preferred channel setting process, a preferred channel selection process, and a general channel selection process performed by the remote controller for an electronic device according to the present invention configured as described above will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 1, 2A, and 2B.

Referring to FIG. 2A, a preferred channel setting process is performed. First, when a user selects and operates a key assigned to a predetermined preference channel setting function among function keys of the keypad 101 in the initial state, the controller 102 outputs a corresponding key signal. ) Recognizes the corresponding key signal as a setting key signal for input of the preference channel and the shortcut key, and waits for input of the subsequent shortcut key and the preference channel (S201 to S205).

When the user selects a key to be used as a hotkey for setting a favorite channel among various keys of the keypad 101 and then inputs a favorite channel to be connected to the corresponding hotkey using the numeric keys, the controller 102 The key signals sequentially input as described above are recognized as the shortcut key setting signal and the preference channel setting signal, and the connection code data of the shortcut key and the favorite channel are stored in the second memory unit 103 (S207 to S213).

As described above, a case in which the user selects and operates a favorite channel by using a shortcut key while the preference channel setting process is completed is described with reference to FIG. 2B. I will explain.

When the user directly inputs the channel number by using the numeric keys of the keypad 101, the time counting unit 111 counts the holding time of the corresponding key signal and transmits it to the control unit 102 (S301 to S305).

At this time, the control unit 102 determines that the key signal is a general key signal when the holding time of the corresponding key signal provided from the time counting unit 111 is shorter than the preset reference time, and searches for the first memory unit 109. The remote code data corresponding to the input key signal is read (S307).

The clock generator 105 generates a carrier having a predetermined frequency, that is, a clock, required for transmitting the remote code data, and the synthesizer 104 outputs the clock generated from the clock generator 105 to the clock generated from the controller 102. And synthesizes the remote code data corresponding to the general key signal.

Then, the amplifier 106 amplifies and outputs the remote code data synthesized by the synthesizer 104, and the transmitter 107 outputs the amplified remote code data in the form of a remote signal such as an infrared signal or an ultrasonic signal. It transmits (S313).

On the main body side of the electronic device, the code control data stored in the data storage means after receiving the remote signal through a remote signal receiver such as an infrared receiver or an ultrasonic receiver installed in a predetermined front part thereof and performing signal restoration through signal correction and decoding operations. It switches to the normal channel corresponding to the remote code data transmitted from the remote controller.

Referring to the preferred channel selection process with reference to Figure 2b, first, when the user selects and operates the shortcut key registered to correspond to the favorite channel in the initialization state, the corresponding key signal is transmitted to the control unit 102, the time counting unit 111 The holding time of the key signal is counted and transmitted to the control unit 102 (S301 to S305).

At this time, the controller 102 determines that the key signal transmitted from the keypad 101 is a shortcut key signal when the holding time of the corresponding key signal provided from the time counting unit 111 is equal to or greater than the preset reference time. Search the connection code data of the shortcut key and the favorite channel stored in 103 to extract the preferred channel corresponding to the shortcut key, and search the first memory unit 109 to read the remote code data corresponding to the key signal of the preferred channel. Output to the synthesis section 104 (S307 to S309).

The clock generator 105 generates a carrier having a predetermined frequency, that is, a clock, required for transmitting the remote code data, and the synthesizer 104 outputs the clock generated from the clock generator 105 to the clock generated from the controller 102. Synthesize and output the remote code data.

Then, the amplifier 106 amplifies and outputs the remote code data synthesized by the synthesizer 104, and the transmitter 107 outputs the amplified remote code data in the form of a remote signal such as an infrared signal or an ultrasonic signal. It transmits (S311).

On the main body side of the electronic device, the code control data stored in the data storage means after receiving the remote signal through a remote signal receiver such as an infrared receiver or an ultrasonic receiver installed in a predetermined front part thereof and performing signal restoration through signal correction and decoding operations. Is switched to the preferred channel corresponding to the remote code data transmitted from the remote controller.

In the above description, but limited to one embodiment of the present invention, it is obvious that the technology of the present invention can be easily modified by those skilled in the art. Such modified embodiments should be included in the technical spirit described in the claims of the present invention.

As described above, in the present invention, when a user selects a broadcasting channel and sets his / her preferred channel as a hotkey, and then wants to watch the favorite channel, the user can easily select and watch the favorite channel within a short time by selecting and operating a hotkey. There is.

Claims (2)

In the remote control for an electronic device for transmitting the remote code data having a function of selecting a broadcast channel in the form of a remote signal, A keypad for generating a general key signal for selecting a general channel among the broadcast channels, a setting key signal for inputting a favorite channel and a hotkey, and a hotkey signal for selecting a favorite channel; A first memory unit for storing remote code data corresponding to each general key signal generated from the keypad; A second memory unit for storing connection code data of the shortcut key and the preferred channel using the key signals sequentially input after the setting key signal is input as a shortcut key setting signal and a preference channel setting signal; When the shortcut key signal is input, the connection code data of the second memory unit is searched to read a preferred channel corresponding to the input key signal, and then the first memory unit is searched to search the connection code data corresponding to the key signal of the preferred channel. Remote control for an electronic device comprising a control unit for reading and outputting. The method of claim 1, And a time counting unit for counting the holding time of the key signal generated by the keypad and transmitting the key signal to the controller so as to be used as a reference for determining whether the corresponding key signal is the general key signal or the shortcut key signal.