Mobile terminal capable of performing remote control of plurality of devices

• US 10,218,834 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2016
• Issued: 02/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Ham, Junseok, Kim, Jaeyoung, Shin, Yoonho, Kim, Yoonseong, Heo, Heejeong
• Primary Examiner(s): Sarwar, Babar
• Application Number:
  US15/739,985
• Publication Number:
  US 20180191890A1
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1365 Matching; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 Classification, e.g. identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/28 Recognition of hand or arm movements, e.g. recognition of deaf sign language static hand signs G06V40/113
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/42 Transmitting or receiving remote control signals via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/50 Receiving or transmitting feedback, e.g. replies, status updates, acknowledgements, from the controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal which can perform remote control of a plurality of devices. A mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a display; a reception unit which receives at least one device identification signal from at least one device or at least one transmitter corresponding to the device; a control unit which performs control so as to detect, from the received at least one device identification signal, the identification signal of a device that can be remotely controlled, extract control command information for the remote control of the device on the basis of the detected identification signal, and display a remotely controlled object for the remote control of the device, on the basis of the extracted control command information; and a transmission unit which, when a predetermined item in the remotely controlled object is selected, transmits a remote control signal corresponding to the selected item.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display;

a camera;

a reception unit to receive at least one device identification (ID) signal from at least one device or a transmission apparatus corresponding to the device;

a transmission unit; and

a controller configured to;

detect an ID signal of a remotely controllable device in the at least one received device ID signal;

extract control command information for remote control of the device based on the detected ID signal;

perform a control operation based on the extracted control command information, causing the display to display a remote control object for remote control of the device;

cause the transmission unit to transmit a remote control signal corresponding to an item selected from the remote control object;

when the mobile terminal is paired with the device, detect a pattern positioned at a central area of at least one infrared image, captured via the camera and including a plurality of patterns, as a representative pattern;

identify the paired device based on the detected representative pattern; and

perform a control operation, causing the display to display a remote control object for remote control of the paired device according to the identified paired device.

2. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein, when the mobile terminal receives the at least one device ID signal, the controller detects the ID signal of the remotely controllable device from the at least one received device ID signal, extracts the control command information for remote control of the device based on the detected ID signal, and performs a control operation based on the extracted control command information to display the remote control object for remote control of the device.

3. The mobile terminal according to claim 2, wherein the ID signal comprises an infrared ID signal,

wherein, when at least one infrared ID is received, the mobile terminal captures the at least one infrared image from the received at least one infrared ID signal.

4. The mobile terminal according to claim 3, wherein the controller detects an infrared pattern positioned in a most central area as a representative infrared pattern based on the at least one captured infrared image and identifies the paired device based on the detected representative infrared pattern.

5. The mobile terminal according to claim 3, wherein, when the reception unit receives a level variation-based infrared ID signal or a duty variation-based infrared ID signal, the controller detects a level variation-based infrared pattern or a duty variation-based infrared pattern based on a plurality of captured IR images, and identifies the paired device based on the detected infrared pattern.

6. The mobile terminal according to claim 3, wherein the controller transmits an infrared output signal to the paired device or the transmission apparatus corresponding to the paired device,

wherein the reception unit detects an infrared pattern reflected by an infrared reflection pattern formed on the paired device or the transmission apparatus corresponding to the paired device in the captured infrared image, and identifies the paired device based on the detected infrared pattern.

7. The mobile terminal according to claim 3, wherein the controller detects an infrared pattern emitted from the paired device or the transmission apparatus corresponding to the paired device in the captured at least one infrared image, and identifies the paired device based on the detected infrared pattern.

8. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein a first ID signal of the at least one ID signal is detected and a first remote control object for remote control of a first device is controlled to be displayed based on the detected first ID signal,

wherein a second ID signal of the at least one ID signal is detected and a second remote control object for remote control of a second device is controlled to be displayed based on the detected second ID signal.

9. The mobile terminal according to claim 8, wherein, when a multi-device operation item in the first remote control object is selected with the first remote control object for remote control of the first device being displayed, the controller performs a control operation to transmit a first remote control signal for remote control of the first device and a second remote control signal for remote control of the second device.

10. The mobile terminal according to claim 8, further comprising:

an audio output unit,

wherein the controller controls a first sound indicating remote control of the first device to be output, based on detection of the first ID signal, and

controls a second sound indicating remote control of the second device to be output, based on detection of the second ID signal.

11. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, further comprising:

a microphone to acquire user voice,

wherein, when the user voice is acquired through the microphone within a predetermined time while identification of the device is completed or the remote control object for remote control of the device is displayed, the controller controls a remote control signal corresponding to the user voice to be transmitted to the device.

12. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, further comprising:

a microphone to acquire a user voice,

wherein the controller extracts device information from the user voice by performing signal processing on the acquired user voice, and controls a remote control object for remote control of a device corresponding to the extracted device information to be displayed.

13. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the controller receives, from the device or the transmission apparatus corresponding to the device, device control command information for controlling the device and controls the remote control object for remote control of the device to be displayed, based on the received device control command information.

14. The mobile terminal according to claim 13, wherein, after identifying the device based on the detected device ID signal and transmitting information about the identified device to the device or the transmission apparatus corresponding to the device, the controller receives, from the device or the transmission apparatus corresponding to the device, the device control command information for controlling the device and controls the remote control object for remote control of the device to be displayed, based on the received device control command information.

15. The mobile terminal according to claim 13, wherein, after transmitting a device control command request to the device or the transmission apparatus corresponding to the device, the controller receives, from the device or the transmission apparatus corresponding to the device, the device control command information for controlling the device and controls the remote control object for remote control of the device to be displayed, based on the received device control command information.

16. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein, after transmitting a device control command request to a gateway or a server, the controller receives, from the gateway or the server, device control command information for controlling the device and controls the remote control object for remote control of the device to be displayed, based on the received device control command information, wherein the device control command request is transmitted to the gateway or the server together with information for identifying the device.

17. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the controller receives device control command information for remote control of at least one device from a gateway or a server, based on control command profile information stored in a storage unit.

18. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, further comprising:

a fingerprint recognition unit,

wherein the controller performs user authentication based on an image captured by the fingerprint recognition unit and performs a control operation to enable the remote control of the device when the user authentication is successful.

19. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls a plurality of control commands to be matched with a first item in the remote control object,

wherein the controller controls a remote control signal corresponding to a control command among the plurality of control commands to be transmitted to the device according to a number of times of selection of the first item, a time for selection of the first item, a gesture made in selecting the first item, or a user voice input in selecting the first item.

20. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein, when there is no input for a predetermined item in the remote control object within a predetermined time, the controller performs a control operation to enter a standby mode,

wherein, when the standby mode is terminated, the controller initializes the remote control object.