MXPA99006974A - Remote control apparatus and method - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for providing remote control capability involves transmitting IR and RF signals in a time multiplexed manner. The present apparatus comprises an input device (20), and IR signal transmitter (16), a RF signal transmitter (17) and a controller (14) operatively coupled to the input device, the IR signal transmitter and the RF signal transmitter. The controller generates and applies the IR and RF signals to the respective signal transmitters in time multiplexed manner. The IR and RF signals may be transmitted using different protocols without significantly increasing the computing capacity of the controller as compared to a controller of a remote control device which transmits only one type of remote control signal.

Description

METHOD AND CONTROL DEVICE FOR MOTORCYCLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for transmitting and receiving remote control signals, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for transmitting and receiving a plurality of signals. Remote control signals to control an electronic device. A variety of remote control devices for transmitting remote control signals in order to control various electronic devices are known. Said remote control devices generally include an input device, such as a keyboard, to allow the user to enter, coupled to a controller, which in turn is coupled to a signal transmission circuit. In response to a user input, the controller generates an appropriate remote control signal using lookup table, and the like, from the memory and causes the signal transmission circuit to transmit the remote control signal. The signal transmission circuit may be designed to transmit the remote control signal in a number of different ways, including, but not limited to, an infrared signal and a radio frequency signal. A commonly used method of sending remote control signals is to transmit the signals in infrared form. Remote control devices that transmit infrared signals are widely used with domestic electronic devices. The format of the infrared signal is determined by the manufacturer for each model and many formats of this type are known and used. Each format specifies a series of signal characteristics, including but not limited to duration, transmission and pause intervals of the signal, carrier frequency, pulse width and pulse modulation. However, there are several disadvantages associated with the use of infrared signals to control an electronic device. First, the infrared signal is directional and as such requires the user to direct the remote control device to the controlled device for proper transmission performance. Also, the infrared signal can have a relatively short range and is easily blocked by objects such as walls, floors, ceilings and the like, so that the remote control device should generally be used in the same room where the controlled device is located . In addition, many of the infrared signal formats currently used do not have sufficient data carrying capacity to transmit all the remote control messages required for the control of many of the modern electronic devices. For example, in addition to conventional remote control messages associated with home electronic devices, such as on, off, channel up, channel down, etc. many modern electronic devices, such as satellite receivers, may require the remote control device to send other forms of information, such as ASC I data to send alphanumeric characters. Many of the existing infrared signal formats were not designed to handle such additional data and simply do not include enough capacity to carry additional types of data. Another method of sending remote control signals is to transmit the signals in the form of a radio frequency. Radio frequency signals are generally non-directional and have a wider range than infrared signals. Radio frequency signals can also be transmitted through objects such as walls, and the like, so that the user can use the remote control device to control a device in a separate room. This range and extended ability to transmit messages through objects are beneficial in situations where a central device, such as a box that is placed on the top of the device or a satellite receiver, provides input to a plurality of devices placed in different rooms in a building. In addition, the radio frequency signal formats generally have wider bandwidths than the infrared signal formats. As such, it is desirable to be able to use radio frequency signals to control modern electronic devices. However, devices and methods that use infrared signals are popular and widely used. To maintain compatibility with the past, that is, allow a remote control device to control existing devices using infrared signals, a remote control device should also be capable of transmitting infrared signals. Therefore, it is desirable to have an apparatus and method for easily and efficiently transmitting some combination of infrared and radio frequency signals to take advantage of the functions of the two forms of signal transmission. One method of transmitting a combination of radio frequency and infrared signals is to transmit a particular remote control signal in both infrared and radio frequency form. In such a method, a controller generates an appropriate signal format in response to the typing of a user's keys and applies that signal format to both the infrared signal transmitter and the transmitter of radio frequency signals simultaneously. In this way, the same signal is transmitted in both infrared and radio frequency forms. However, a method of this type does not totally solve the problems mentioned above. If the transmitted signal is based on one of the infrared signal formats, the signal format may not have enough capacity to carry all the data that the remote control device requires to send. If the transmitted signal is based on a radio frequency signal format, the remote control may not be backwards compatible with devices that use pre-existing infrared signal formats. In other words, the radio frequency signal format, although it has a higher data capacity may not be usable with some types of electronic devices. One way to solve the problems associated with transmitting a single signal, is to simultaneously transmit different radio frequency and infrared signals, each signal based on a respective signal format, so that the infrared signal backward compatibility while the radio signal Frequency provides a format that can transfer more data than the infrared signal. However, said method is difficult to implement from a cost point of view. To implement this method, the computing power of the controller must be increased so that the controller can simultaneously process, generate and apply the two types of signal format to both transmitters, infrared signal and radio frequency signal, each time the user provides an entry, for example by pressing a key. Such an increase in computing power requires a larger, more expensive controller that can raise the total cost of the remote control device to unacceptable levels. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Therefore, what is required is an apparatus and a method to transmit and / or receive a combination of infrared signal and radio frequency signal formats efficiently and cost effectively each time it is required to transmit and / or receive a remote control message. The present invention involves an apparatus and method that transmits and / or receives a combination of infrared signal and radio frequency signal efficiently and cost effectively by transmitting and / or receiving the signal in a multiplexed time configuration. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a remote control apparatus having an input device for receiving remote control messages from a user is provided., an infrared signal transmitter, a radio frequency signal transmitter, and a controller operatively coupled to the input device, the infrared signal transmitter and the radio frequency signal transmitter, the controller that generates an infrared signal and causes The infrared signal transmitter transmits the infrared signal and generates a radio frequency signal and causes the radio frequency transmitter to transmit the radio frequency signal in a multiplexed manner in response to a user input. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the controller of the remote control apparatus causes the transmitter of the infrared signal to transmit the infrared signal during predetermined intervals interrupted by predetermined pause periods, and causes the transmitter of the radio frequency signal transmit the radio frequency signal during predetermined pause periods. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the controller of the remote control apparatus causes the infrared signal transmitter to transmit the infrared signal during predetermined intervals interrupted by predetermined pause periods, the duration of the predetermined pause period is determined by the duration of the transmission of the radio frequency signal, and the controller causes the transmitter of the radio frequency signal to transmit the radio frequency signal during the predetermined pause periods. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a remote control apparatus comprising a first signal receiver adapted to receive a first remote control message formatted in accordance with a first signal format, a second signal receiver adapted for receiving a second remote control message formatted in accordance with a second signal format, the second remote control message is multiplexed in time with the first remote control message, and a controller operatively coupled to the first and second signal receivers; The controller decodes and processes the first remote control message in accordance with the first signal format upon receipt of the first remote control message, and decodes and processes the second remote control message in accordance with the second signal format upon receipt of the second message. of remote control. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for transmitting radio frequency and infrared signals comprising the steps of receiving a remote control command, and, multiplexed in time, generating an infrared signal corresponding to the user input and transmit the infrared signal, and generate a radio frequency signal that corresponds to the user input and transmit the radio frequency signal. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the elements of a remote control device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a block diagram that illustrates the basic elements of a transmitter of the radio frequency signal; Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating the basic elements of a radio frequency signal receiver; Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating a basic sequence multiplexed in time of radio frequency and infrared signals; Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating an initial transmission of radio frequency signal followed by a sequence of transmission of radio frequency and infrared signals in response to a user input; Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating a sequence of transmission of radio frequency and infrared signals for applications of time demand; Figure 7 is a flow chart illustrating a method of transmitting radio frequency and infrared signals; Figure 8 is a block diagram illustrating the basic elements of a receiver suitable for use with the present remote control apparatus; and Figure 9 is a flow chart illustrating a method of establishing a radio frequency message. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A MODALITY OF EMPLOYING MODEL With reference to Figure 1, a simplified block diagram of the remote control 10 is shown. The remote control 10 can take many forms, such as a standalone or incorporated unit within another device , and can be adapted for use with a variety of electronic devices. For example, devices incorporating the elements and signal transmission characteristics of the remote control 10 include, but are not limited to, a wireless keyboard, wireless signaling devices, and portable remote control devices for controlling consumer electronic devices. . The elements for transmitting remote control messages are generally known in the art. Generally, the user input of data or remote control commands is received through the input device 20, which includes several control buttons, device selection buttons, numeric buttons and the like. It should be understood that the input device 20 may include any device where the user can provide an input to the remote control 10 including, but is not limited to, a keypad matrix, and a mouse, tracking sphere, lever controls or other types of signaling elements. The input device 20 is operatively coupled to the controller 14, which controls the overall operation of the remote control 10. In particular, the controller 14 receives input from the user and generates an appropriate remote control signal. The controller 14 may comprise any of a plurality of conventionally known devices, which may be in the form of an integrated circuit, which are capable of performing control functions. Suitable controllers of this type include, but are not limited to, ST 7291 and ST 7225 manufactured by SGS Thomson Microelectronics. The timing of the controller 14 is controlled by the crystal oscillator 18. Upon receipt of a user input from the key matrix 20, the controller 14 uses the designed reference code, or other identification information to search for the desired information of the s product code search tables stored in memory 22 to identify and generate the correct signal structure. The characteristics of the signal structure include, but are not limited to, the appropriate carrier frequency, pulse width, pulse modulation, and general signal timing information. The memory 22 may comprise random access memory and / or read-only memory and be positioned either internally or externally to the housing associated with the remote control 10. The controller 14 prompts the appropriate signals to the infra-red transmitter 16 and / or radio frequency transmitter 17 for sending control signals to the device to be controlled. The controller 14 also controls the screen 12, which may include, for example, indicating light emitting diodes, to indicate that a remote control signal has been transmitted. When the remote control signal is transmitted, an infrared receiver and / or a radio frequency receiver associated with the controlled device detects the remote control signal and provides the signal to the processor of the controlled device to decode and process. The remote control 10 may be of the universal remote control type, which is capable of controlling one of a plurality of electronic devices designed in accordance with a reference code, or other information identifying the signal format, selected by the user. The reference code may be selected using, for example, the direct manual input method, the semi-automatic step input method, the automatic input method, or any other suitable method of selecting and inserting a reference code. If the remote control 10 is of the universal remote control type, the remote control 10 uses the identification information to generate the appropriate signal associated with the particular model and manufacturer. Figures 2 and 3 show the radio frequency transmitter 40 and the radio frequency receiver 50, respectively, suitable for use in the present invention. As shown in Figure 2, the radio frequency transmitter 40 comprises the bipolar oscillator 46 with a SI ER RA resonator of a frequency stabilization port coupled to the mixer 44, which activates a linearly polarized loop antenna 48, which commonly is positioned in the housing of the remote control 10. When the user provides an input, for example by pressing a key, the controller 14 generates a modulating signal which is used to turn on and off the bipolar oscillator 46 to set the amplitude shift of the carrier It is desirable that the radio frequency transmitter 40 include minimal parts due to the limited space in the housing of the remote control 1 0. A suitable radio frequency receiver 50 for the present invention is shown in Figure 3. The radio frequency receiver 50 will commonly be placed in the housing of the controlled device. The receiver is capacitively coupled to the antenna 52, which can conveniently be a line cable acting as a receiving antenna, in which case the radio frequency signal enters through a connector placed in the housing around the receiver. radio frequency 50. The low noise amplifier 54 amplifies the signal, and reduces the noise level of the entire system while increasing the sensitivity of the receiver. The output of the amplifier 54 passes through the trap filter 56 which provides rejection of the image frequency. The signal is then converted via mixer 58 and local oscillator 60 to an intermediate frequency (IF) of 10.7 MHz. The intermediate frequency signal passes through filter 62 and is amplified by a chain of high gain logarithmic amplifiers. 64 that convert the signal into an output current. The output current is converted into a voltage, passed to a noise level minimum adapter 66, and filtered low pass by the data filter 68 before being sent to the processor of the controlled device for decoding and processing. Any of a number of known infrared transmitter and receiver configurations can be used in the present invention. Generally, an infrared transmitter includes a light emitting diode coupled to a light emitting diode activating circuit, which is controlled by the controller 14. In response to a user input, the controller 14 generates a remote control signal in accordance with the search table in memory 22 and applies the remote control signal to the light emitting diode activating circuit. The light emitting diode activating circuit activates the light emitting diode to project an infrared signal towards the controlled device. An infrared light sensor in the infrared receiver detects the infrared signal and provides the signal to a processor in the controlled device to decode and process. The proper configuration of radio frequency and radio transmitter and receiver includes, but is not limited to those found in the DSS DS5450RB system manufactured by Thomson Consumer Electronics Inc., of Indianapolis, Indiana. To transmit a radio frequency signal and an infrared signal for each user input, the remote control 10 transmits the two signals multiplexed in time. A general scheme for transmitting the signals multiplexed in time is shown in Figure 4, where the remote control 10 transmits the infrared signal in the time interval 70, the radio frequency signal in the time interval 72, the infrared signal in time slot 74 and repeats the sequence as long as the user's input continues, for example, when a key is pressed continuously. As such, the radio frequency and infrared signals are transmitted alternately with the radio frequency signal transmitted during the pause interval of the infrared signal. In this manner radio frequency and infrared signals are alternated and transmitted while providing the user input to the input device 20. The transmission sequence described above is particularly suitable for use with existing infrared signal protocols since such protocols generally they require repeated intervals of transmission of infrared signals interrupted by pause intervals. Radio frequency signals can be easily transmitted during the pause intervals without affecting the transmissions of the infrared signals. Commonly the pause interval between the infrared transmissions lasts between 2-10 mS. Therefore, the radio frequency signal protocol must be designed to enter the required time interval. A radio frequency signal protocol that is especially suitable for use with the present invention is described in the co-pending United States Patent Application of North America, entitled "Communications System for Remote Control Systems "which is assigned to the assignee of the present application Transmitting the radio frequency and infrared signals allows the remote control 10 to efficiently transmit the radio frequency and infrared signals where each signal has a respective signal format without requiring that the controller 14 has significantly more computing power than a controller that handles only one of the signal formats, as the controller 14 multiplexes the two signals in time, the controller 14 processes the data and signals associated with the radio frequency signals; infrared in sequence rather than simultaneously Because of this sequential processing configuration, the controller 14 can process the data and signals associated with the infrared signal and the radio frequency signal without significantly increasing its computing capacity. a radio frequency signal, and l Subsequent reaction of a target device capable of receiving radio frequency signals, before the transmission of an infrared signal, a radio frequency signal can be transmitted immediately after a user input followed by a signal transmission sequence radio frequency and infrared. Such a transmission sequence is convenient for reducing the response time of the device when the destination device responds only to radio frequency signals. On the other hand, since the transmission time of the radio frequency signal is very short compared to the transmission time of the infrared signal, first transmitting the radio frequency signal does not significantly reduce the response time of a responding device only to infrared signals. A sequence of this type is shown in Figure 5, and is described below. During the time interval 75, the remote control 10 receives the input from the initial user and determines the data necessary to form a radio frequency transmission and in the time interval 76 transmits the radio frequency signal. During the time interval 77, the remote control 10 processes data to form an infrared transmission and in the time interval 78 transmits the infrared signal. During time interval 79, remote control 10 determines whether the key is still pressed and if so, retransmits the radio frequency signal in time slot 80. Transmissions of radio frequency and infrared signals are repeated later if the user's input continues, for example, keeping a key pressed. The only delay times between signal transmissions would be the aforementioned data processing times. As the transmission duration of the radio frequency signal is relatively short, commonly 5-8 mS, the sequence described above causes a negligible delay in the transmission performance of the infrared signal and provides a fast delivery of the radio signal frequency when pressing the keys.

Conveniently, the transmission sequence of radio frequency and infrared signals can be configured such that the transmission of the radio frequency signal occurs during the pause interval between transmissions of the infrared signals. Such a configuration does not violate the existing infrared protocol specifications if the duration of the radio frequency signal transmission is within the appropriate pause limits of the infrared signal, still being compatible with the existing infrared receivers. Such a configuration also increases the average number of radio frequency transmissions by pressing a single key, as the periods of non-transmission are reduced, thus increasing the probability of successful reception in a radio frequency noisy environment. Additionally, such a configuration produces a pseudo-random period of radio frequency / infrared retransmissions due to the data-dependent variable length of the radio frequency message. This increases the probability that a user transmits an unblocked radio frequency message by pressing a single key while in the range of several other remote operating radio frequencies. Aditionally, the present method of time multiplexing can be modified to provide a longer duration of the radio frequency signal transmissions as necessary for time demand applications, for example the application where large amounts of data must be transmitted in a relatively short period of time. A scan of this type is shown in Figure 6. Here, the first portion of the signal transmission comprises radio frequency signals and the transmissions of infrared signals are temporarily suspended. Such a scheme can be conveniently used in applications that require time such as those that include the use of control levers, mice, tracking spheres, etc. Therefore, the multiplexing order of the signal transmissions can be configured by the controller as needed, based on the message being sent or the devices being used. The steps for transmitting the time multiplexed signals are shown in Figure 7. After entering the procedure in step 100, the controller verifies in step 102 if there is a key pressed on the remote control. If there is a key pressed, the controller generates the appropriate radio frequency signal and causes the radio frequency transmission circuit 17 to transmit the radio frequency signal in step 104. Then the controller generates the appropriate infrared signal and makes the circuit infrared transmission 16 transmits the infrared signal in step 106. The time multiplexed method used by the remote control 10 and described above is in contrast to the infrared / radio frequency remote controls that transmit radio frequency and infrared signals using the my own format. By using different formats for the radio frequency and infrared signals, the remote control 10 provides the advantages of an increased data capacity of radio frequency signals with backward compatibility of using infrared signal formats. Multiplexing the radio frequency and infrared signals allows the present remote control to send radio frequency and infrared signals in different formats allowing the remote control to transmit a signal that uses a signal protocol that can transport more data and expand as required, transmitting also another signal to maintain backward compatibility with devices based on infrared signal protocols. Also multiplexing the radio frequency and infrared signals as described above, allows the controller 14 to sequentially process and transmit the radio frequency signals in the infrared with different formats for each key pressure instead of requiring the controller 14 to simultaneously process the radio frequency and infrared signals. The present remote control can be carried out using a controller that has similar computing capacity as a controller associated with a remote control that transmits only radio frequency signals or infrared signals because the controller only has to process the infrared and radio data frequency sequentially instead of simultaneously. As such, the present invention provides the ability to transmit radio frequency and infrared signals of different formats, or protocols, for each user input using a controller that has similar computing capability as a controller that handles a single type of signal. Therefore, a reduction in the cost can be obtained. A suitable receiver for detecting, decoding and processing the radio frequency and infrared signals described above is now described. As shown in Figure 8, the suitable receiver 200 comprises the controller 202 that receives the radio frequency and infrared signals through a receiver of the infrared signal 208 and a receiver of the radio frequency signal 210. The controller 202 decodes and processes the received remote control signal and sends control signals to the device mechanism 206 to perform the operation specified by the received remote control signal. The device mechanism 206 comprises any of a plurality of components included in an electronic device that can be controlled by the remote control signal. Such components include, but are not limited to radio frequency tuners, video recorder tape transport, DSS transport decoder and television tube deflection equipment. Controller 202 is also connected to memory 214 and screen 204, which may include, for example, a front panel indicator to display the state of the receiver, a series of indicator lights, an alphanumeric screen or a display screen. The timing of the controller 202 is controlled by the oscillator 212. When an infrared signal is directed to the receiver 200, the receiver of the infrared signal 208 detects and provides the infrared signal to the controller 202. The controller 202 decodes and processes the infrared signal received with based on the appropriate infrared format specification. Likewise, the controller 202 receives radio frequency signals via the receiver of the radio frequency signal 210 and decodes and processes the received radio frequency signal, based on the appropriate radio frequency format specification. The elements of the receiver 200 and its operation are generally known in the art. The receiver 200 may be designed to perform the functions of reception, decoding and processing in a number of predetermined modes or modes selected by a user. First, the controller 202 may be programmed to decode and process the radio frequency and infrared signals in the order in which the signals are received. In a case of this type, the controller 202 sends the necessary control signals to the mechanism of the receiver 206 as the signals of the remote control are detected. Second, the receiver 200 may be configured to decode and process the incoming signals according to a predetermined priority or a priority selected by a user. For example, if the infrared signals are selected as high priority, the controller 202 may be programmed to ignore the radio frequency signals, or to store the radio frequency signals for processing at a later time if the infrared signals are present. Also, a particular signal can be given high priority by interrupting the decoding process to serve the higher priority signal. For example, if infrared signals are selected as high priority, the controller 202 can be programmed to stop temporarily. the processing of radio frequency signals as soon as an infrared signal is detected. Priority selections may be made using any conventionally known method, including, but not limited to, using an on-screen display menu. The receiver 200 may also be configured to respond to a single signal type, or to a series of signals, and ignore other type of signals For example, if the receiver 200 is programmed for use with infrared signals only, the controller 202 will ignore all the radio frequency signals. Again, the receiver 200 may be selected to respond or ignore particular signals using interface methods. of conventional users. Although Figure 8 shows the receiver of the infrared signal 208 and the receiver of the radio frequency signal 210, it should be understood that the receiver configurations described above can be implemented in a receiver having a plurality of signal receiver types. and any number of signal receivers. Due to the repeated radio frequency signal transmission intervals associated with each user input and the possibility of interference corrupting individual radio frequency messages, an associated radio frequency receiver / decoder. with the target device must contain a process to determine if a message should be carried out or if it should be ignored. A suitable processing method is described below. A method of this type can be implemented in the radio frequency receiver / decoder by programming the associated controller using programming methods known in the art. The controller may comprise any device that is capable of performing control functions and may be in the form of an integrated circuit. The method allows the radio frequency receiver / decoder to distinguish new key pressures of the remote control 10 from the previous ones. This is necessary to prevent the receiver from making multiple responses to unique key presses from the remote control. The two basic inputs of the present method are the timing of the last operation and the status of a key press bit in the radio frequency message. The timing of the last operation is measured by two separate timers, a short timer and a long timer. Timers can be implemented in computers or computer programs, for example, as part of the controller's integrated circuit. The short timer determines whether the repeated messages of a single remote key press have been terminated or whether a message is broadcast from the middle of a repeated sequence. The long timer is used to determine if an alternate bit of key pressure should be checked. The alternating key pressure bit is a status indicator that can be included in the radio frequency message and alternates with each key pressure. The appropriate timer value for the short timer is 4-6 mS and for the long timer it is 900-1 100 mS. The short timer is set for a time that will not elapse when a repeated radio frequency message is received, but will expire if a message from the repeated sequence is missing due to interference or the release of a key. The long timer is set for the period in which the requested function should be repeated if a remote key is kept pressed indefinitely. The timers are restarted after the radio frequency receiver performs the requested operation of the remote control and runs until the receiver processes a new valid radio frequency command. In Figure 9, a flow chart is shown to implement the present method. After performing the operation of the above radio frequency message in step 120, the radio frequency receiver controller restarts the short and long timers in step 122 and waits for a new radio frequency message. When a new radio frequency message is detected in step 124, the receiver controller determines whether the long timer has elapsed in step 126. If so, the receiver's controller performs the operation of the new radio frequency message. If not, the receiver controller checks whether the short timer has elapsed in step 128. If not, the receiver's controller returns to step 124 to detect a new valid radio frequency message. If so, the receiver controller checks whether the status bit of the key pressure has alternated in step 130. If so, the receiver's controller performs the operation of the new radio frequency message. If not, the receiver controller returns to step 124 to detect a new valid radio frequency message. Therefore, it can be seen that the operation for a new radio frequency message is performed if the long timer has elapsed or if the short timer has elapsed and the key pressure status bit in the radio frequency message has alternated to indicate a new key pressure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that while the invention has been described in terms of an exemplary embodiment, modifications and changes can be made to the embodiment described without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the remote control 10 may be modified to allow the user to program a security code on the remote control 10 using a pre-existing programming sequence of the remote control so that the remote control 10 includes the security code in the signal transmissions. and the control device accepts only control signals that include the appropriate security code. This modification is convenient in an environment where many radio frequency remote control devices are being used because the security code prevents signals from other surrounding remote control devices from interfering with the operation of the controlled device. Additionally, the remote control 10 may be configured to transmit one of a plurality of security codes to control an electronic device designated from a plurality of electronic devices in the same home. For example, a security code can be assigned to a satellite receiver and a different security code can be assigned to a television receiver. Any conventionally known method can be used to program remote control devices to assign the security codes, for example, the user can program the remote control by pressing a key of the appropriate device, for example, television, video recorder or DSS, and then insert a security code, for example, a three-digit code. The user can be guided through the programming sequence through an appropriate user interface, for example, a menu in a screen display. Therefore, it should be understood that the present invention is intended to encompass all modifications that would fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims (10)

1. CLAIMS 1. A remote control apparatus, comprising: an input device (20) for receiving a remote control input from a user; a first signal transmitter (16); a second signal transmitter (17); a controller (14) operatively coupled to such an input device, said first signal transmistor and said second signal transmitter, such a controller, in response to an input from the user, causes said first signal transmitter to transmit a first signal of remote control (IR) having pause intervals and causes said second signal transmitter to transmit a second remote control (RF) apparatus during said pause intervals of said first control signal. The remote control apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first remote control signal is formatted according to the first signal format number and said second remote control signal is formatted according to a second signal format. The remote control apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first signal transmitter comprises a transmitter of the infrared signal (16) and said second signal transmitter comprises a transmitter of the radio frequency signal (17). 4. The remote control step of claim 3, wherein said second remote control signal includes a security code associated with said second signal transmitter. The remote control apparatus of claim 4, wherein said security code is selected by the user using a screen display. The remote control apparatus of claim 5, wherein said controller changes the transmission sequence of said first and second control signals in accordance with said remote control input. 7. A method for transmitting remote control signals, comprising the steps of: receiving a user input; and transmitting in response to user input a first remote control signal (I R) having pause intervals using a first transmission r of signals (16); and transmitting a second remote control (RF) signal during the pause intervals of the first remote control signal. The method of claim 7, wherein said step of transmitting comprises transmitting the first remote control signal according to a first signal format and the second remote control signal according to a second signal format. The method of claim 8, wherein said step of transmitting comprises the step of transmitting the first and second remote control signals using infrared and radio frequency transmitters, respectively. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of transmitting comprises transmitting a second remote control signal having a security code associated with the second signal transmitter. eleven . A remote control system, comprising: a first signal receiver (208) adapted to receive a first remote control signal (I R) formatted according to a first signal format and having pause intervals; a second signal receiver (210) adapted to receive a second remote control (RF) signal formatted according to a second signal format, said second remote control signal being transmitted during said pause intervals of said first control signal remote; and a controller (202) operatively coupled to such first and second signal receivers, said controller decodes and processes said first remote control signal in accordance with said first signal format upon receipt of said first remote control signal, and decodes and processes said second remote control signal gives agreement with said second signal format upon receipt of said second remote control signal. 12. The remote control system of claim 1 1, wherein said first signal receiver comprises a receiver of the infrared signal and said second signal receiver comprises a receiver of the radio frequency signal. 1 3. The remote control system of claim 12, further comprising a remote control signal transmitter, said remote control signal transmitter has first and second signal transmitters, such first and second signal transmitters are adapted for transmitting said second remote control signal during said pause intervals of said first remote control signal. The remote control system of claim 12, wherein said controller decodes and processes said first and second remote control signals in a predetermined order in accordance with a predetermined priority value, and said system further comprises an input device to receive a user input, such predetermined priority value is determined in accordance with said user input. 15. The remote control system of claim 14, wherein said predetermined priority value is selected using an on-screen display. RESU MEN An apparatus and method for providing remote control capability includes transmitting radio frequency and infrared signals multiplexed in time. The present apparatus comprises an input device (20), and a transmitter of the infrared signal (16), a transmitter of the radio frequency signal (17) and a controller (14) operatively coupled to the input device, the transmitter of the infrared signal and the transmitter of the radio frequency signal. The controller generates and applies the radio frequency and infrared signals to the respective signal transmitters multiplexed in time. The radio frequency and infrared signals can be transmitted using different protocols without significantly increasing the computing capacity of the controller compared to a controller of a remote control device transmitting a single type of remote control signal.