WO2011007380A1

WO2011007380A1 - Apparatus for transferring data in wireless mode to a portable electronic device by means of light pulses emitted from an lcd monitor

Info

Publication number: WO2011007380A1
Application number: PCT/IT2010/000314
Authority: WO
Inventors: Roberto Agostini
Original assignee: Roberto Agostini
Priority date: 2009-07-17
Filing date: 2010-07-16
Publication date: 2011-01-20
Also published as: EP2454829A1; TW201108102A; ITRM20090379A1

Abstract

Apparatus for transferring from a computer provided with a monitor with LCD screen in a wireless fashion data relating to alphanumeric codes or data strings for configuring/programming/updating a portable electronic device wherein said computer is provided with means for transforming said alphanumeric codes in light pulses obtained switching on and off a graphic object of appropriate dimensions on the screen of said monitor, and said portable device is provided with means for transforming back said light pulses in alphanumeric codes to perform said configuration /programming /update.

Description

APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING DATA in WIRELESS MODE TO A PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE BY MEANS OF LIGHT PULSES EMITTED FROM AN LCD MONITOR

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The present invention relates to the field of electronics and more particularly to an apparatus for wirelessly transmitting data from a monitor with LCD screen driven by a graphic card, to a portable electronic device, such as, e.g. a remote control, by means of light pulses emitted through said monitor by switching on and off a graphic object which occupy at least a defined zone of the LCD screen.

Said apparatus allows for configuring/programming/updating the operation of said portable electronic device with the aid of a computer that can be connected to Internet which allows the user for accessing to a particular web site from which it is possible to download the data relating to said portable device to be configured/programmed/updated.

According to the invention, once said device is placed to a close distance from the monitor itself at an appropriate area of the site web page, such data are transferred from the web site to the portable device by light pulses emitted from the computer monitor.

Such light pulses are suitably modulated by a software existing on site the user have to download in the so-called temporary files of his/her own computer, according to an established protocol.

According to a particular feature of the invention, in order to receive said light pulses originating from the monitor, said portable electronic device is provided with at least an optical sensor or brightness sensor or light transducer adapted to transform them in electrical pulses that are received by the electronic circuit which already manages the operations of the portable device itself.

The communication protocol utilized is supported, on the one side (TX) , by the software that runs on the computer through the web site, and, on the other side

(RX) , by a firmware that is arranged within the microprocessor itself which already is into the device.

Many methods, even advanced and therefore costly, are known, whereby an electronic device can be connected to a computer in a wireless fashion for transferring data, e.g., through a bluetooth®, Wi-Fi connection, etc.

Methods are also known that allow an electronic device to be connected to a USB port or the like, through a cable. The latters, however, in addition to the connecting cable, also contemplate hardware interfaces with costs which often make the device itself less competitive on the market. Indeed, an onboard interface of the device itself is essential to connect such a device to a USB port or the like, which interface consists of electronic chips that increase significantly the manufacturing cost.

However, these solutions are effective on electronic devices which in any case can compete on the market, despite the burden of cost.

WO02/084635 describes an apparatus for wirelesslytransferring data referring to alphanumeric codes or data strings from a computer provided with a monitor to configure/program/update a portable electronic device by a complex transmission method linked to the raster graphics of a CRT monitor. According to such a method the cathode ray tube electronic beam is expected to be modulated with different intensities (Max and Min) for yielding the single row with different informatics meanings .

However, modulating bits with this technique in synchrony with a raster and with both vertical (row number) and horizontal (times) precision, is really complex from the technical point of view as well as from the economical point view. The method of read-back of transmitted bit coding is complex to the same extent, inasmuch to capture the modulated row the light sensor have to be a photosensor array which have to synchronize to the raster, and once the light levels are captured (line, line-line, line-point, point-point, etc.), it must decode them for tracing back to the original data. In practice, the light sensor to be used is an array of the type used for fax or copy machines, which proves itself to be unusable for the most of electronic products due to costs as well as dimensions.

The present invention wants to solve the problem of configuration/programming/update for all those electronic devices, the selling price of which is very low and therefore they would not be capable of sustaining the increase of manufacturing costs and, at the same time, for which it is not necessary to transfer a lot of data and it is not essentials the bidirectional transfer.

The present invention is defined by the claims. As already mentioned, a preferred application thereof is the update of transmission codes of universal and/or, configurable replacement remote controls for TV, VCR, DVD, SAT, DTT etc.

As known, within this kind of products there are universal and/or configurable replacement remote controls which are arranged to be configured from the user for the operation of the apparatus (TV, VCR, DVD, STB, etc.) owned by the user itself.

The user, after buying a universal replacement remote control must configure it for his/her own apparatus. The numerous diversity of brands and models of audio-video products makes the search of the code to be manually inputted in the remote control very difficult, relying upon the sole instructions contained in the manual supplied with the universal remote control itself.

Also, the ever-evolving products in this field cause new codes to be issued very rapidly such that a remote control becomes old in a few weeks inasmuch the codes resident in the factory replacement remote control do not comply with the new TV, VCR, DVD, SAT, DTT etc.

With the present invention it is possible to overcome all these drawbacks making the user finding the code to be inputted in the remote control owned by selecting brand and model of the sought-after remote control on the specific web site.

Said codes are included in a data base which is continuously updated by the manufacturer of the remote control or by a third-party in charge. In this way, according to the invention, the user can program at home with ease and at very low cost, a universal remote control for a product (TV, VCR, DVD, SAT, DTT, etc.) which can be designed and put on the market even after buying the remote control itself.

Further advantages and characteristics of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, referring to the attached drawings which illustrate two preferred embodiments of the invention by the way of example, and not as a limitation.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a first embodiment of the apparatus object of the invention comprising a computer and a portable electronic device to be configured/programmed/updated, such as, e.g. a television remote control;

Fig. 2 shows the block diagram of the portable electronic device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows the block diagram of a variant of the portable electronic device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 shows a method of modulation of light pulses emitted from the monitor of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 shows a second embodiment of the apparatus;

Fig. 6 shows a method of modulation of light pulses emitted from the monitor of fig. 5;

Fig. 7 shows the block diagram of the portable electronic device of Fig. 5.

With reference to the Figures, in a preferred embodiment disclosed, the apparatus comprises:

- an Internet connectable computer to allow the user to gain access to a specific web site from which downloading a proper software in his/her own computer; in said web site existing a database containing an alphanumeric code or data string for each portable electronic device (brand - model) for configuring/programming/updating each of said portable electronic devices;

- a portable electronic device owned by the user the alphanumeric code of which is to be configured/programmed/updated;

wherein said software is adapted to transform the alphanumeric code selected by the user for configuring/programming/updating his/her portable device in light pulses which are emitted through the screen of said computer and wherein said portable device is provided with at least, an optic sensor or light sensor o light transducer for receive said light pulses and their transformation in electrical pulses to be sent to a specific microprocessor which the portable device itself is provided with or implemented by.

Once the download of the software in his/her own computer temporary file is completed, the user selects the brand and model relating to his/her portable device to be configured/programmed/updated, and after the confirmation of the selected model, the computer sends the data needed for the configuration/programming/update of the portable device in the form of light pulses that are emitted from at least an appropriate area of the web page, which is visible on the monitor and on which said device must be brought near. Preferably, said area displayed on the web page represents the image or shape of the portable device itself whereto the alphanumeric codes refer.

The pulse sequence in the form of light, with the strong difference in contrast (white-black Bit=0 Bit=l) reaches the portable electronic device.

Such a sequence is emitted according to a standard or proprietary communication protocol (for example RS 232) such as the one described hereafter.

Once the user has placed his/her own portable device at close range on the monitor, according to the instructions available on the web site itself, such light pulses are received from the device through at least an optical sensor of which the device is provided with. For this purpose, it is apparent that the electronic device is provided at each optical sensor with an appropriate opening to allow the reception of light pulses.

Each of said optical sensors transform the light pulses in electrical pulses that accurately correspond to the codes included in the database of the web site and that are received from the microprocessor, which already manages the electronic device functions.

In other words, the data transmission is a serial- type transmission and the monitor can be seen as a transmitter that emits a sequence of light pulses, of bright-dark light, modulated according to an specific communication protocol for the transfer of data needed to the portable electronic device for its own configuration/programming/update, and each optical sensors can be seen as a receiver that receives said pulses containing such data.

The monitor surface through which are emitted the modulated light pulses will be large enough to avoid coupling criticalities of the monitor area adapted to transmit such pulses with the dimensions of the portable device to be configured/programmed/updated.

At this point the data transfer procedure can be started by the user.

Pressing a mouse button or executing a command on the device and software of the computer (for example pressing two keys at the same time) it is possible to synchronize the serial communication protocol.

In Fig. 2 is shown the block diagram of a portable device, such as, e.g. a television remote control, which comprises:

an optical sensor A, such as, e.g. a photoresistance, which is suitably polarized to transform the light alternation (white-black) emitted for the monitor in electrical signals,

- a microprocessor C adapted to manage the remote control functions and to process said electrical signals;

- a amplifier B adapted to be connected to said optical sensor A and to said microprocessor C, capable to make the amplitude of electrical signals well-suited to be understood from said microprocessor C.

It is preferred that the amplifier B is provided with an automatic gain control to make the signal changes less affected from external interferences caused by ambient brightness and to better adapt the apparatus to brightness differences of the monitors of individual users.

It is further preferred that said amplifier B is provided with a gain control controlled by a response signal originating from microprocessor C, and that the remote control further includes a Schmitt ' s trigger F, which, connected to amplifier B and to microprocessor C, is adapted to square the output waveform from the amplifier B prior reaching said microprocessor (Fig. 3) .

The use of such an amplifier allows an automatic calibration of the amplifier itself, adapting the system to all interested variables: ambient brightness, monitor brightness and contrast, possible interferences, etc.

The calibration can be envisaged by way the communication protocol, by providing an initial signal pattern exactly established to allow the microprocessor C to correct the gain of the amplifier B until the initial pattern is properly received.

The microprocessor C was implemented with a digital circuit capable of demodulate the serial signal that originates from the computer monitor.

Typically said digital circuit consists of a firmware which can be added to the remote control microprocessor intended to be configured/programmed/ updated.

The microprocessor C will decode the data according to a pre-established serial protocol at the established speed.

This is a usual technique in communication firmwares . Once the data are decoded, the firmware will use them as expected, within the portable device itself managed by its own microprocessor.

In the practical application of the invention it should be noted that the maximum speed cannot be very high in order to not incur into dynamic limits of the system, such as, for example: monitor response time to the bright changes, receiving optical sensor response time, time needed by the protocol to guarantee data integrity in the case of pulse interferences.

However it is always possible improving the speed performances of the system by using protocols that can transmit more information under the same time, compressing data.

It should be noted that the limit of data mono- directionality can cause problems in the case of communication errors, not guaranteeing the quality of the transmission.

Also in this case, it is possible to improve this performance by using a protocol with parity checks or more or less complex security controls known as checksum, that in the case of an error discard the received data and ask the user to retry the ongoing update or setup, e.g. with light signals (LED or other) emitted from the product itself.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE OPERATION

The hereinbelow description will be carried out relative to the case of a configuration of a portable electronic device such as a universal remote control for LCD or plasma television.

Once the model is selected on the website and the confirmation command is inputted for said model, the user ask for the download of a software that selects the alphanumeric codes relating to de desired model among those present in the database.

The download of said software occurs in temporary files of the user's computer.

On the computer monitor appears the full-scale image of the universal remote control with the instructions that guide the user for positioning the remote control on said image.

In this way, the remote control photoresistance is properly hit by pulse light emitted from the image visible on the monitor.

A preferred solution adopted in the first embodiment described envisages a photoresistance mounted within the remote control under the battery space.

This, advantageously allow to employ the invention simply removing the remote control battery space cover prior to the configuration step without making additional openings on the housing of the remote control itself.

At this time, the user can activate the software pressing a specific button highlighted on the web page and activate the update procedure on the remote control by a non-common pre-established sequence, for example pressing two pre-established key of the remote control at the same time.

Then comes a first synchronization step, a second calibration step and a third step of transferring the data from the monitor to the remote control in the following modes:

1. The computer sends a synchronization pattern, such as white and black alternations, each of which preferably 40 ms in duration, for 5 seconds, at the maximum speed the system can accept according to its physical limits (monitor response, photoresistance response speed, etc.); said pattern being received from photoresistance A, amplified by the amplifier B and squared by Schmitt's trigger F.

The output signal from trigger F could not be a square wave with the proper amplitude and the 40 ms cycle as expected, because the interested parameters could be not well-suited (monitor brightness and contrast, ambient light influence, etc. ) .

2. Therefore it follows the automatic system calibration step. In fact, the signal from trigger F, which will be digitally read from the port, will arrive to the microprocessor C on which the remote control functions rely.

The firmware is able to self-adjust the amplifier B gain by means of two serial wires (data-clock) placed on amplifier B response and connected to a chip, the variable resistance of which represents exactly the variable-gain response resistance of the amplifier B, bringing the square wave signal of 40 ms in duration on the microprocessor C port, then accurately reproducing the signal sent from the computer, reading the duration of the signal sent from the computer.

In the Example described it should be noted that the adjustable amplifier dynamics should compensate the efficiency loss of the photoresistance used and different conditions of monitor brightness and contrast regulation and that the variable resistance chip must have a minimum of 64 regulation steps in order to obtain an optimal calibration. Within the 5 seconds in which the computer sends the calibration pattern, the remote control should detect the proper amplifier gain to have the proper data at the microprocessor port; in the Example a common consecutive approximation algorithm for detecting the suitable amplification range and then a finer adjustment for centering the gain was used. This, remarkably reduces the calibration time, improving the system efficiency. Once 5 seconds are elapsed and the calibration occurred, the computer transmits a white pulse (250 ms) and a black pulse (250 ms) to give to remote control the signal to stop synchronization and to start the dispatch of data.

3. Therefore the data transfer step starts.

In the Example described, in order to make the communication efficient in terms of time and reliability regarding light interferences that can occur during communication, the following proprietary protocol was studied:

a. Dispatch of one byte that designates the total number of byte to be transferred. This serves for a final control if the received bytes correspond to those expected. On the contrary, a light signaling of a LED on the remote control will indicate to the user that the procedure is not properly completed and must be repeated,

b. Sequentially dispatch of all the data, byte by byte. Ex.

number of byte to be transferred:

96dec 01 10 00 00 bin 60 hex

Data :

Oδdec 00 00 01 01 bin 05hex 12dec 00 00 11 00 bin OChex

Last practical byte:

186dec 10 11 10 10 bin BAhex

• Transmission of a 600 ms in duration, white- black pulse (white 300 ms - black 300 ms) to close the communication .

The method of modulation used in this example is as follow (Fig. 4) :

• The byte to be transmitted is divided in two-bit pairs at a time. This allows to compress the information while maintaining long transmission times and therefore assuring that the receiver is capable of discriminating longer duration pulses as compared to interferences, which can occur during the transmission, in a system like this one. In this way, the firmware can more easily discard or not consider the possible current interferences thus assuring data integrity.

• The receiver is able to rebuild the sequence of the transmitted bits by measuring times of the incoming pulses. Once the received data are recognized, the remote control microprocessor will store them in the internal flash memory and use them as the codes to be transmitted every time a remote control functional key is pressed, thus obtaining the intended result.

According to a second embodiment of the present invention it is possible to increase both data transfer speed and efficiency in terms of errors in the transfer itself.

The improvement consists of transforming the communication in a two-channels way, or with a protocol as the previous one to halve transmission time or for using a data-clock serial communication protocol.

In this case, the monitor transmits two different signals in the form of light pulses, a data signal and a clock signal (shown in Fig. 6) , each of which is transferred from an specific area that appears on the web site (as seen in Fig. 5) . In order to receive both signals, the remote control is provided with two light sensors A and A' , each of which is adapted to receive one of said two signals (Fig. 7) .

Each signal, once received from a corresponding light sensor A and A' , is amplified by a respective amplifier B, B' as well as squared by a respective threshold trigger F, F¹ prior that both signals are processed by the remote control microprocessor C.

Accordingly, the data-clock serial communication is synchronous.

Indeed, the first area emits light pulses relating to the transmission of data, by providing modulation of the (bright-dark) light based on the bits to be transmitted (bit=0-bit=l) , while the second area emits light pulses at a clock signal synchronous to the data.

As can be seen in Figure 6, at each clock front (rise or fall) , the data is already arranged and stable for being read from the receiver.

In the described Example, the microprocessor C, which serves as the receiver within the remote control to be updated, reads the pulse fronts of the clock, e.g. such as an interrupt, and at each front reads the state of the data line, thus rebuilding the sequence of the transmitted bits and therefore of the received data.

This method offers the following advantages:

- Immunity from the changes in transmission speed, which could occur in different manners from computer to computer as a function of the machine performances, of installed softwares or of the operative system;

- reliability of properly reading the data as they are synchronously generated between data and clock and read from the receiver correspondingly at a front, which designates the proper presence of data with certainty;

possibility of obtaining the maximal transmission speed (about 40 ms for bit) , which has as limit the light sensor response and the monitor refresh time, which do not suffer from possible changes in this example. In fact, with this method, with no need of measuring the pulses duration for discriminating the bits with a value "0" from those with a value "1", there is no risk of compromising the data integrity if a change in times of transmitted bits for any disturbance would occur. At the most, a temporary variation in the transmission speed would occur.

In any case, an initial synchronization step is contemplated, wherein the transmitter emits a sequence of identical bytes, a start word, the number of bytes to be transmitted and then proper data: Ex.

Synchronization pattern:

85dec 01 01 01 01 bin 55hex 85dec 01 01 01 01 bin 55hex 85dec 01 01 01 01 bin 55hex

Start byte:

51dec 00 11 00 11 bin 33hex

Number of bytes to be transmitted:

96dec 01 10 00 00 bin 6hex

Data :

05dec 00 00 01 01 bin 05hex 12dec 00 00 11 00 bin OChex

Last practical byte

186dec 10 11 10 10 bin BAhex

At the end of the proper transmission, the receiver can verify and then accept the data, if the number of received data match the number of byte to be transmitted declared in the beginning of the protocol.

In conclusion, as it should be understood, the invention described reduces the costs, which presently have to be sustained for the manufacturing and operation for updatable, portable electronic devices, due to the necessary use of additional components for the connection to a computer for transferring of the data, both using bluetooth®-, Wi-Fi-, etc. connections and using physical connections contemplating connecting cable and hardware interfaces. Therefore, with a minimal increase of cost of the product the data transfer can be obtained. Therefore, a first advantage of this invention is to be able to configure/programming/update such electronic devices with ease and with remarkably reduced cost.

A second significant advantage is given by the simplicity of the procedure that allows everyone, even from home, to update his/her own portable device by using her/his own computer connected to Internet.

Claims

1. An apparatus for transferring from a computer provided with a monitor with LCD screen driven by a graphic card, in a wireless mode, data relating to alphanumeric codes o data strings for configuring/programming/updating a portable electronic device characterized in that said computer is provided with means for transforming said alphanumeric codes in light pulses emitted inducing at least one specific graphic object to flash, which occupies a defined zone of the LCD screen, and in that said portable device is provided with means for transforming back said light pulses in alphanumeric codes to perform said configuration/programming/update.

2. An apparatus according to the preceding claim characterized in that said means adapted to transform said alphanumeric codes in light pulses comprise a resident or Internet-downloadable software.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that the means for transforming back said light pulses in alphanumeric codes to perform the configuration/programming/update of said portable electronic device comprise at least one light transducer (4a, 4a') to be located so that it receives the light pulses originating from the monitor.

4. An apparatus according to the preceding claim characterized in that at each light transducer is provided a corresponding opening on the portable electronic device to allow such a light transducer (A, A' ) to receive the light pulses emitted from the monitor.

5. An apparatus according to claim 3 characterized in that said light transducer (A) can be located in the electronic device battery space.

6. An apparatus according to claim 4 characterized in that the portable electronic device further comprises an amplifier (B) for amplifying the output signal to the light transducer (A, A¹) and a microprocessor (C) for processing the amplified signal from said amplifier; said microprocessor (C) being provided with or implemented by a digital circuit adapted to demodulate the signal originating from the monitor, such as, e.g. a firmware.

7. An apparatus according to preceding claim characterized in that said amplifier (B) is provided with a gain automatic control, preferably by means of a variable resistance.

8. An apparatus according to preceding claim characterized in that said variable resistance is driven by said microprocessor (C) .

9. Apparatus according to any one of claims from 6 onwards characterized in that said portable electronic device further comprises a Schmitt's trigger (F) adapted to square the output waveform from the amplifier (B) ; said trigger (F) being connected to said amplifier (B) and to said microprocessor (C) .

10. An apparatus according to claim 7 characterized in that it contemplates the employ of a specific communication protocol which minimizes the interferences; said protocol contemplating an initial signal pattern established to be sent to the electronic device to allow the microprocessor (C) τ.o correct the amplifier gain (B) until the initial pattern is properly received.

11. An - apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that on web site are contemplated two close, discrete areas adapted to transmit two different signals in the form of light pulses, data-clock, and in that said electronic device is provided with two discrete light sensors adapted to receive said two different signals; thereby obtaining that data-clock serial communication is synchronous.

12. An apparatus according to the preceding claim characterized in that the first area emits light pulses relating to data transmission providing to modulate the bit-based light (bright-dark) to be transmitted (bit=0- Mt=I) , while the second area emits light pulses at a clock signal synchronous to data; at each clock front (rise or fall) , the data being already arranged and stable to be read from microprocessor.

13. An apparatus according to the preceding claim characterized in that the microprocessor (C) is adapted to read clock pulse fronts, and at each front it reads the line state of data thereby rebuilding the sequence of transmitted bits and therefore of received data; said microprocessor having the function of a receiver within the electronic device to be updated.

14. Apparatus according to anyone of the preceding claims characterized in that said portable electronic device to be configured/programmed/updated is a television remote control.