TWI502974B - Apparatus and system for integrating consumer electronics control - Google Patents

Description

Consumer electronic control integrated device and system

The present invention relates to a control method and apparatus, and more particularly to a consumer electronic control integration method and apparatus.

In the current high-definition TV, High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) has become an indispensable interface. Usually, high-definition multimedia players will use HDMI to transfer the contents of multimedia files to TV. Such as Blu-ray players, personal computers and so on. In general use, the multimedia player will have its own remote control to control playback, fast forward, reverse, etc., and the TV terminal will also have its own remote control to control the TV function. If an audio amplifier is also placed between the multimedia player and the TV, the audio amplifier will also have its own remote control to control the audio. At this time, if the user wants to watch a movie, it is necessary to take 2 or 3 remote controllers at the same time to set all the devices in place.

For the communication between multimedia devices, the HDMI specification defines a Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) function. The multimedia device can use this CEC function to control devices other than itself, so the user only needs one. The remote control can control all devices.

At present, various manufacturers have proposed the technology of CEC function used by their own devices, such as Sony's Bravia sync, Samsung's Anynet+, LG's Simplink, Panasonic's VIERA Link, etc. These technologies use the CEC function to achieve a remote control to control all devices. However, the actual situation is that each brand will only announce the CEC function that is compatible with its own brand, but there are problems with the compatibility of CEC functions between different brands.

For example, FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional consumer electronic control system 10. Referring to FIG. 1, when the TV 11 of the A brand and the multimedia player 12 of the B brand are connected by the HDMI port 13, although the TV 11 and the multimedia player 12 themselves have the function of CEC, due to different brands, The CEC functions supported by the two may be only part of the CEC compatibility problem, which may result in the A brand TV 11 not fully controlling the CEC function provided by the B brand multimedia player 12.

The invention provides a consumer electronic control integrated device and system, which can solve the problem of compatibility of control functions of different brand multimedia devices.

The present invention provides a consumer electronic control (CEC) integration device that includes a high resolution multimedia interface, a command receiver, a signal converter, and a signal transmitter. The high resolution multimedia interface (HDMI) is used to connect the multimedia device; the command receiver is used to receive the control command sent by the controller; the signal converter is coupled to the command receiver, and is used to convert the control command into a corresponding The consumer electronic control signal; the signal transmitter is coupled to the signal converter and the high resolution multimedia interface for transmitting the consumer electronic control signal to the multimedia device through the high resolution multimedia interface to control the function corresponding to the execution of the control instruction by the multimedia device .

In an embodiment of the present invention, the consumer electronic control integration device is connected to one of a plurality of high-resolution multimedia interfaces of the multimedia display device through a high-resolution multimedia interface, and is connected to the other through a high-resolution multimedia interface. The multimedia interface is connected to at least one multimedia playback device, wherein the high resolution multimedia interfaces are connected to each other.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the signal transmitter includes a high-resolution multimedia interface that transmits the consumer electronic control signal to the multimedia display device through the high-resolution multimedia interface, and connects through the high-resolution multimedia interface connected to each other. Thereafter, the consumer electronic control signal is forwarded to at least one multimedia playback device to control the functions of the multimedia playback device to execute the control command.

The present invention provides a consumer electronic control integration system that includes a multimedia device, a controller, and a control integration device. The control integration device includes a high resolution multimedia interface, a command receiver, a signal converter, and a signal transmitter. The high-resolution multimedia interface is used for connecting the multimedia device; the command receiver is configured to receive the control command sent by the controller; the signal converter is coupled to the command receiver for converting the control command into the corresponding consumer electronic The control signal is coupled to the signal converter and the high resolution multimedia interface for transmitting the consumer electronic control signal to the multimedia device through the high resolution multimedia interface to control the function corresponding to the execution of the control instruction by the multimedia device.

In an embodiment of the invention, the command receiver receives the control command from the controller through a wired or wireless transmission interface, wherein the wired or wireless transmission interface comprises a universal serial bus (Universal Serial Bus, USB), RS-232 interface, infrared transmission interface, Bluetooth transmission interface, radio transmission interface or Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) transmission interface.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the control integration device further includes at least one control button, wherein each control button is coupled to the command receiver for triggering the generation of the corresponding control command and providing the command receiver .

In an embodiment of the present invention, the multimedia device is a multimedia display device, and includes a plurality of high-resolution multimedia interfaces for connecting to a high-resolution multimedia interface of the control integration device and the at least one multimedia playback device, wherein The high resolution multimedia interfaces are connected to each other.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the signal transmitter includes a high-resolution multimedia interface that transmits the consumer electronic control signal to the multimedia display device through the high-resolution multimedia interface, and connects through the high-resolution multimedia interface connected to each other. Thereafter, the consumer electronic control signal is forwarded to at least one multimedia playback device to control the functions of the multimedia playback device to execute the control command.

Based on the above, the consumer electronic control integration device and system of the present invention utilizes a separate device to integrate the complete consumer electronic control functions of the HDMI specification and to connect the device to other multimedia devices using HDMI. With the use of the universal remote control, the CEC integration device can convert the control command of the universal remote controller into a corresponding CEC signal for transmission to the multimedia device, thereby achieving the purpose of controlling all multimedia devices by using a single remote controller. .

The above described features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description.

Currently, TVs on the market are equipped with more than one set of High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) ports, and different HDMI devices can be connected. Among them, the control lines of the Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) in each HDMI port are connected together inside the TV. Such a connection method enables the TV to control the HDMI device connected to each HDMI port by CEC; otherwise, each HDMI device can also control the TV by CEC; in addition, in particular, each HDMI device can also be Other HDMI devices are used for control. The present invention is an integrated scheme of CEC based on the above situation.

2 is a block diagram of a CEC integration system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the multimedia display 21, the multimedia player 22, and the CEC integration device 23 are connected to the CEC integration system 20 via HDMI by using the principle that the CEC signals inside the TV are all connected and mutually controllable. Among them, the CEC integration device 23 provides the function of the complete CEC in the HDMI specification, and can control the multimedia display 21 and the multimedia player 22 of different brands to achieve complete CEC control.

For example, FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a CEC control concept according to an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 3, when the B-brand multimedia player needs a CEC command to activate a certain function, since the A-brand multimedia player does not receive the function of the signal, the A-brand TV cannot provide such a signal. At this time, the CEC integration device can send such a signal to control the multimedia player; on the contrary, when the B-brand multimedia player cannot send the corresponding CEC signal to the A-brand TV, the CEC integration device can also send such a signal. Give the TV. In this way, the user can realize the application of all CEC functions by using the remote controller provided by the CEC integration device, and can solve the problem of CEC compatibility of different brand devices.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned CEC integration device 23 can also be combined with a universal remote controller 24, by which the remote controller 24 inputs commands to the CEC integration device 23, and then the CEC integration device 23 controls the television or the player to achieve all Control only takes the purpose of a remote control.

4 is a block diagram of a consumer electronic control integration device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 4, the integration device 40 of the present embodiment includes a high resolution multimedia interface 41, a command receiver 42, a signal converter 43, and a signal transmitter 44. The functions are as follows: a high resolution multimedia interface 41 is used to connect multimedia. A device (not shown), for example, can be inserted into a high resolution multimedia interface on a multimedia display device such as a liquid crystal television or a plasma television, and the integrated device 40 can be connected to the multimedia display device. The multimedia display device is configured with a plurality of high-resolution multimedia interfaces, for example, and the CEC pins (ie, the 13th pins) of the high-resolution multimedia interfaces are connected to each other, so that the integrated device 40 can be connected to other multimedia devices. To provide CEC functionality.

In detail, FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of a multimedia device according to an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 5, the multimedia device 50 of the present embodiment includes three HDMI ports 51, 52, and 53. The 13th pins of these HDMI ports are used as CEC functions, which are connected to each other and are also connected to the CEC signal receiver 54 of the multimedia device 50, so that the multimedia device 50 can transmit the CEC control signals to the HDMI port through the pins. The multimedia devices connected to 51, 52, and 53 are used to control the functions corresponding to the execution of the control instructions by the multimedia devices. The other pins of the HDMI ports 51, 52, 53 are used for the transmission of the video images, which are, for example, connected to the switch 55 of the multimedia device 50, and are available for multimedia connected by the multimedia device 50 at the HDMI ports 51, 52, and 53. Switch between devices to play the corresponding video image.

The command receiver 42 is for receiving a control command issued by the controller. The controller is, for example, a universal remote controller, and the command receiver 42 can receive a control command from the controller on the controller through a wired or wireless transmission interface. The above wired or wireless transmission interface includes Universal Serial Bus (USB), RS-232 interface, infrared transmission interface, Bluetooth transmission interface, radio transmission interface or Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi). Transport interface.

The signal converter 43 is coupled to the command receiver 42 for converting the control command into a corresponding CEC signal. In detail, the signal converter 43 records, for example, a comparison table of various control commands and CEC signals, and when the command receiver 42 receives the control command, the lookup table is queried to find the corresponding CEC signal.

The signal transmitter 44 is coupled to the signal converter 43 and the high-resolution multimedia interface 41 for transmitting the CEC signal to the multimedia device through the high-resolution multimedia interface 41 to control the function of the multimedia device to execute the control command. The CEC signal is sent to the high-resolution multimedia interface of the multimedia display device through the high-resolution multimedia interface 41, and is transmitted to the high-resolution multimedia interface through the high-resolution multimedia interface connected to each other on the multimedia display device. The multimedia playback device connected to control the functions corresponding to the execution of the control instructions by the multimedia playback devices.

For example, if the integrated device 40 is connected to the HDMI port of the LCD TV and the other HDMI port of the LCD TV is connected to the Blu-ray player, when the integrated device 40 receives the play command issued by the user, The play command is converted into a corresponding CEC signal and transmitted to the Blu-ray player through the LCD TV, and the Blu-ray player can be controlled to play the movie. Thereby, the user can control the application of all CEC functions by using the controller of the present invention, thereby solving the problem of compatibility of CEC functions between different brands.

It should be noted that, in addition to the above manner of transmitting a control command through the controller, the present invention further includes configuring physical control buttons on the CEC integration device, and the control buttons are all coupled to the command receiver, so that the control buttons are used. When triggered, a corresponding control command is generated and provided to the command receiver.

In summary, the consumer electronic control integration device and system of the present invention controls different brands of multimedia devices by a CEC integration device, and transmits CEC signals to all connected multimedia devices through control lines connected to each other in HDMI. And can achieve complete CEC control. The invention further utilizes a universal remote controller to input commands to the CEC integration device, thereby achieving the purpose of taking only one remote controller for all control.

Although the present invention has been disclosed in the above embodiments, it is not intended to limit the invention, and any one of ordinary skill in the art can make some modifications and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is defined by the scope of the appended claims.

11. . . TV

12, 22. . . Multimedia player

twenty one. . . Multimedia display

23, 40. . . CEC integration device

twenty four. . . remote control

41, 51, 52, 53. . . High resolution multimedia interface

42. . . Instruction receiver

43. . . Signal converter

44. . . Signal transmitter

1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional consumer electronic control system.

2 is a block diagram of a CEC integration system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a CEC control concept according to an embodiment of the invention.

4 is a block diagram of a consumer electronic control integration device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of a multimedia device according to an embodiment of the invention.

40. . . CEC integration device

41. . . High resolution multimedia interface

42. . . Instruction receiver

43. . . Signal converter

44. . . Signal transmitter

Claims (10)

A consumer electronic control integration device includes: a high resolution multimedia interface connected to a multimedia device; an instruction receiver receiving a control command sent by a controller; and a signal converter coupled to the command receiver according to a The lookup table converts the control command into a corresponding consumer electronic control signal, wherein the lookup table records the plurality of control commands of the controller and the consumer electronic control signal corresponding to the function of the multimedia device; and a signal transmitter The high-resolution multimedia interface is coupled to the high-resolution multimedia interface to transmit the consumer electronic control signal to the multimedia device to control the multimedia device to perform the function of the multimedia device corresponding to the control command. The consumer electronic control integrated device of claim 1, wherein the command receiver receives the control command issued by the controller through a wired or wireless transmission interface, wherein the wired or wireless transmission interface comprises a universal serial Universal Serial Bus (USB), RS-232 interface, infrared transmission interface, Bluetooth transmission interface, radio transmission interface or Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) transmission interface. The consumer electronic control integrated device of claim 1, further comprising: at least one control button, each of the at least one control button being coupled to the command receiver, triggering a corresponding control command, and providing Give the instruction receiver. Consumer electronic control as described in item 1 of the patent application scope The device is connected to one of a plurality of high-resolution multimedia interfaces of a multimedia display device through the high-resolution multimedia interface, and is connected to other multimedia interfaces through the high-resolution multimedia interfaces. At least one multimedia playback device connected to the network, wherein the high resolution multimedia interfaces are connected to each other. The consumer electronic control integrated device of claim 4, wherein the signal transmitter comprises the high-resolution multimedia interface for transmitting the consumer electronic control signal to the multimedia display device through the high-resolution multimedia interface. And transmitting, by the high resolution multimedia interface connected to each other, the consumer electronic control signal to the at least one multimedia playback device to control the at least one multimedia playback device to perform the function corresponding to the control instruction. A consumer electronic control integration system includes: a multimedia device having a plurality of high resolution multimedia interfaces; a controller issuing a control command; and a control integration device comprising: a high resolution multimedia interface connected to the multimedia device One of the high-resolution multimedia interfaces; an instruction receiver receiving the control command sent by the controller; a signal converter coupled to the command receiver, converting the control command according to a lookup table to correspond a consumer electronic control signal, wherein the lookup table records the plurality of control commands of the controller and the consumer electronic control signal corresponding to the function of the multimedia device; and a signal transmitter coupled to the signal converter and the High resolution The media interface transmits the consumer electronic control signal to the multimedia device through the high-resolution multimedia interface to control the multimedia device to perform the function of the multimedia device corresponding to the control command. The consumer electronic control integrated system of claim 6, wherein the command receiver receives the control command issued by the controller through a wired or wireless transmission interface, wherein the wired or wireless transmission interface comprises a universal serial Universal Serial Bus (USB), RS-232 interface, infrared transmission interface, Bluetooth transmission interface, radio transmission interface or Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) transmission interface. The consumer electronic control integrated system of claim 6, wherein the control integration device further comprises: at least one control button, each of the at least one control button being coupled to the command receiver, triggering a corresponding Control instructions are provided to the instruction receiver. The consumer electronic control integrated system of claim 6, wherein the multimedia device is a multimedia display device, wherein the high resolution multimedia interfaces of the multimedia display device are connected to the control integrated device and at least one A high resolution multimedia interface of the multimedia playback device, wherein the high resolution multimedia interfaces are connected to each other. The consumer electronic control integration system of claim 9, wherein the signal transmitter comprises the high-resolution multimedia interface for transmitting the consumer electronic control signal to the multimedia display device through the high-resolution multimedia interface. Transmitting the consumer electronic control signal to the at least one of the high resolution multimedia interfaces connected to each other a multimedia playback device for controlling the at least one multimedia playback device to perform the function corresponding to the control command.