US20090068925A1

US20090068925A1 - Smart remote control system

Info

Publication number: US20090068925A1
Application number: US11/853,244
Authority: US
Inventors: Yih-Ran Sheu
Original assignee: Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology
Current assignee: Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology
Priority date: 2007-09-11
Filing date: 2007-09-11
Publication date: 2009-03-12

Abstract

A smart remote control system includes a remote controller and a remote control moving device. The remote controller includes a casing, a first direction finding unit, a signal transmission unit, and an operating unit that controls the advancing direction of the car. The remote control moving device includes a signal receiving unit to receive a control signal and a directional signal transmitted from the remote controller, a main control unit to receive the signal transmitted from the remote controller to control advancing speed and direction of the body, and a second direction finding unit detecting a relative direction between the remote controller and the moving device for the moving device to identify direction and move towards that direction.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a smart remote control system, and more particularly, to one that is capable of identifying its moving direction.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
For children or adults, a remote control model car has been always one of the most favored models. By manipulating a joystick on a remote controller, the remote control model car is controlled to advance, back, and taking a turn. However, the moving control of all remote control model cars generally available in the market is done by having the head of the car as a reference direction; therefore, a player is frequently caught in an awkward situation that the car moves in the opposite direction as commanded by the joystick. That is, with the head of the model car facing the player, the player wants the car to take a right turn and naturally operate the joystick by pulling it to the right of the player and it winds up that the car is actually taking a left turn leading to that the car is tramped by barrier or damaged due to accidental collision when the car is moving in a direction completely opposite to the direction the player has in mind. The accident due to a moment of negligence by the operator of the remote control of a model car is not unusual in the event of racing among players or in a breathtaking situation when a bomb squad is active in a demolition operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a smart remote control system having a function of identifying its moving direction.
To achieve the purpose, the present invention comprising a remote controller and a remote control moving device; the remote controller including a casing, a first direction finding unit, an operating unit mounted on the casing and manipulated to output an operating signal to control an advancing direction of the remote control moving device, a signal transmission unit electrically connected with the operating unit and mounted in the casing, the first direction finding unit detecting a control signal of an included angle of the remote controller in relation to a reference direction, and the signal transmission unit transmitting the control signal to the remote control moving device; the remote control moving device including a body that can be driven for displacement and taking turns, a second direction finding unit mounted to the body to detect an orientation signal of the body in relation to the same reference direction, a signal receiving unit mounted to the body to receive and process the control signal, and a main control unit mounted to the body to receive and integral a relative orientation signal of the body and the control signal for driving the body to displace and turn into the advancing direction as commanded.
Preferably, the operating unit is provided with a joystick or keys exposed out of the casing that can be pulled or pressed to swing in relation to the casing; and the operating unit responds by outputting the operating signal when the joystick or one of the keys is pulled or pressed.
Preferably, the transmission and receiving of the control signal between the signal transmission unit and the signal receiving unit is transmitted by means of a wireless transmission way.
Preferably, the transmission and receiving of the control signal between the signal transmission unit and the signal receiving unit is transmitted by means of a wireless transmission interface of infrared, radio wave, ultrasonic wave or light wave.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a functional block chart showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a relative orientation between a remote control moving device moving direction and a direction that a joystick is pushed of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a remote controller 3 and a remote control moving device 4. The remote controller 3 includes a casing 31, a signal transmission unit 36 mounted in the casing 31, a signal process unit 34 mounted in the casing 31 that is electrically connected to the signal transmission unit 36, an operating unit 33 exposed out of the casing 31, and a first display unit 35 and a first direction finding unit 32 electrically connected to the signal process unit 34 and exposed out of the casing 31. The first direction finding unit 32 is an electrical compass or may be other equivalent members.
The signal transmission unit 36 may be an infrared transmitter, Infrared Data Association (IRDA), laser beam, radio wave, ultrasonic wave, or other wireless.
The operating unit 33 is electrically connected to the signal process unit 34 and includes a joystick (or directional keys) 331 that can be pulled to control. When the joystick (or directional keys) 331 is pulled, the operating unit 33 will output an operating signal corresponding to the direction pulled and swing extent of the joystick (or directional keys) 331 to the signal process unit 34, and the content of the operating signal includes speed and driving direction to drive the remote control moving device 4.
The signal process unit 34 receives and controls the operating signal and in turn outputs a control signal to the signal transmission unit 36 representing physical demand a direction for the remote control moving device 4 to advance.
The signal transmission unit 36 converts the control signal into a preset type of transmission interface to be transmitted to the remote control moving device 4 to drive it to take action. The preset type of transmission interface is a wireless transmission way of infrared, radio wave, ultrasonic or light wave. In the preferred embodiment, the signal transmission 36 executes transmission of the control signal via Bluetooth wireless transceiver; however, in practice, signal transmission means includes but not limited to ultrasonic, electromagnetic wave or other photoelectric transmission means or cabled transmission.
The remote control moving device 4 includes a body 41 that is capable of displacing and taking turns when driven, a signal receiving unit 42 mounted in the body 41 to receive the control signal output by the signal transmission unit 36, a second direction finding unit 43 mounted in the body 41 to detect an orientation of the remote controller 3 in relation to the body 41, and a second display unit 45 to display a moving message of the body 41. The second display unit 45 is electrically connected to a main control unit 44 and exposed out of the body 41. The remote control moving device 4 may be a vacuum cleaner, a bomb demolition car or any other machine with its displacement controlled by a remote controller.
In the preferred embodiment, a motor mechanism (not illustrated) and a wheel mechanism (not illustrated) of the body 41 are respectively driven and taking turns by the main control unit 44 thus to change the displacement speed and advancing direction of the body 41. Whereas the structural design for the body 41 and operation of the motor mechanism and the wheel mechanism are the prior art and not the purpose sought by the present invention, they are not given in detailed description here.
The signal receiving unit 42 receives the control signal transmitted by the signal transmission unit 36 and then converts the control signal to be transmitted to the main control unit 44. In the preferred embodiment, the signal receiving unit 42 picks up the control signal through Bluetooth wireless transmission interface. However, in practice, the mode of the signal receiving unit 42 to receive signal may vary depending on the transmission interface of the signal transmission unit 36.
The second direction finding unit 43 is an electrical compass or may be other equivalent members. The second direction finding unit 43 detects the direction of the remote controller 3 in relation to the advancing direction of the remote control moving device 4 and in turn outputs an orientation signal representing a relative orientation signal to the main control unit 44.
The main control unit 44 receives and analyzes the control signal converted and outputted from the signal receiving unit 42 to control displacement speed of the body 41 and drive it to more in the direction desired while driving the second display unit 45 to indicate then current advancing direction of the body 41 either in pattern animation or arrow coordinates.
As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, control of taking turns of the body 41 by the remote controller 3 is described below.
Supposing that a current location of a head of the body 41 is determined by using an included angle γ° in relation to a reference direction N (e.g., a northern direction of terrestrial magnetism) measured by the second direction finding unit 43 as indicated by an arrow 501, and another included angle α° in relation to the reference direction N (e.g., a northern direction of the terrestrial magnetism) measured by the first direction finding unit 32 as indicated by an arrow 502; an operator when desiring to drive the body 41 to a certain direction, simply pulls (pushes) the joystick (or the directional keys) 331 to that direction as indicated by an arrow 503. Supposing that the direction and a front direction of the casing 31 define an included angle of β°, the operating unit 33 will respond to the direction given to and extent of a force exercised on the joystick (or the directional keys) 331 output an operating signal for the signal process unit 34 to solve the direction the body 41 is demanded to advance and output a corresponding control signal.
The main control unit 44 of the remote control moving device 4 upon receiving the control signal drives the motor mechanism (not illustrated) to take action while the main control unit 44 will integral the control signal and the orientation signal outputted by the second direction finding unit 43 to solve the current direction of the head of the body 41 and an included angle of the advancing direction the operator desires: Φ°=α°+β°−γ°; the body 41 is then driven to turn for Φ° and advancing in the direction as indicated by the arrow 503. (The aforesaid Φ°=α°+β°−γ° is calculated by that the signal process unit 34 first calculates the value of α°+β° and transmits the value to the main control unit 44, and then the main control unit 44 calculates α°+β°−γ°, or the signal process unit 34 first transmits the values of α° and β° to the main control unit 44, and then the main control unit 44 calculates α°+β°−γ°.) In the preferred embodiment, it is preset that once |Φ°|>90, the main control unit 44 drives the body 41 to retreat in the direction as indicated by the arrow 503; and once |Φ°|□ 90, the main control unit 44 drives the body 41 to forward in the direction as indicated by the arrow 503. The body 41 can be moved smoothly according to the above conditions. However, a practical operation is not limited by the preferred embodiment.
For example, if the included angle γ° of the body 41 in relation to N is equal to 90° and the included angle α° of the remote controller 3 in relation to N is equal to 30° and the operator desires to cause the remote control moving device 4 to turn to advance in the direction of an included angle β° of 90° in relation to N; the main control unit 44 solves the Φ° is equal to 30°. Whereas |Φ°|□ 90, the main control unit 44 drives the body 41 to directly advance and take a turn of 30°, that is, moving towards the direction as that commanded by pulling or pressing the joystick or one of the directional keys 331 in advancing mode.
Accordingly, by having both the direction finding units 32 and 43 to respectively detect the relative orientations of the casing 31 of the remote controller 3 and the body 41 in relation to the North Pole of terrestrial magnetism, it is no longer necessary for the operator in controlling the advancing direction of the remote control moving device 4 to take the direction of the head of the body 41 into consideration; instead, the operator simply pulls or presses the joystick or one of the directional keys 331 towards the direction desired to forthwith drive the remote control moving device 4 to move in the direction as commanded by the joystick (or the directional key) 331.
It is to be noted that the preferred embodiment disclosed in the specification and the accompanying drawings are not limiting the present invention; and that any construction, installation, or characteristics that is same or similar to that of the present invention should fall within the scope of the purposes and claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A smart remote control system, comprising a remote controller and a remote control moving device;

the remote controller including a casing, a first direction finding unit, an operating unit mounted on the casing and manipulated to output an operating signal to control an advancing direction of the remote control moving device, a signal transmission unit electrically connected with the operating unit and mounted in the casing, the first direction finding unit detecting a control signal of an included angle of the remote controller in relation to a reference direction, and the signal transmission unit transmitting the control signal to the remote control moving device;

the remote control moving device including a body that can be driven for displacement and taking turns, a second direction finding unit mounted to the body to detect an orientation signal of the body in relation to the same reference direction, a signal receiving unit mounted to the body to receive and process the control signal, and a main control unit mounted to the body to receive and integral a relative orientation signal of the body and the control signal for driving the body to displace and turn into the advancing direction as commanded.

2. The smart remote control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operating unit is provided with a joystick or keys exposed out of the casing that can be pulled or pressed to swing in relation to the casing; and the operating unit responds by outputting the operating signal when the joystick or one of the keys is pulled or pressed.

3. The smart remote control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmission and receiving of the control signal between the signal transmission unit and the signal receiving unit is transmitted by means of a wireless transmission way.

4. The smart remote control system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the transmission and receiving of the control signal between the signal transmission unit and the signal receiving unit is transmitted by means of a wireless transmission interface of infrared, radio wave, ultrasonic or light wave.

5. The smart remote control system as claimed in claim 1, the first and second direction finding units are electrical compasses.