Universal transmitter

• US 20010034213A1
• Filed: 06/19/2001
• Published: 10/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tsui, Philip Y.W.
• Original Assignee: Tsui, Philip Y.W.
• Inventors: Tsui, Philip Y.W.
• Granted Patent: US 6,556,813 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/92
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0346 Hand-held transmitters

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing a universal transmitter that can detect and emulate a transmission signal of a transmitter, the transmission signal having a corresponding transmission frequency and a corresponding modulation pattern. The universal transmitter comprises: a detection circuit that detects a frequency and a modulation pattern of a transmitted signal of a separate transmitter and a memory. A processor coupled to the detection circuit and the memory, stores a frequency value representative of the detected frequency and a plurality of value representative of the detected modulation pattern, in the memory. A transmitting circuit coupled to the processor, is operable to transmit an output signal having the frequency and the modulation pattern of the transmission signal.

Claims

1. A universal transmitter, comprising:

a detection circuit that detects a frequency and a modulation pattern of a transmitted signal of a separate transmitter;

a memory;

a processor coupled to the detection circuit and the memory, the processor storing a frequency value representative of the detected frequency and a plurality of value representative of the detected modulation pattern, in the memory; and

a transmitting circuit coupled to the processor, the transmitting circuit being operable to transmit an output signal having the frequency and the modulation pattern of the transmitted signal .

2. The universal transmitter of

claim 1

, wherein the detection circuit comprises:

an antenna that receives the transmitted signal;

a wave shaping circuit coupled to the antenna that conditions the received signal;

a wave envelope detection circuit coupled to the antenna that detects values corresponding to a plurality of timing intervals of the received signal, each of said plurality of timing intervals being representative of a corresponding transmission period within a transmission cycle of the received signal.

3. The transmitter of

claim 2

, wherein the processor comprises:

a counter coupled to the wave shaping circuit, the counter being configured to count a plurality of transitions of the received signal;

a timer coupled to the wave envelope detection circuit, the timer determining the timing intervals representative of a corresponding transmission period within a transmission cycle of the received signal;

an execution unit coupled to the counter and the timer, the execution unit determining a frequency of the received signal based on the count and said plurality of transitions and said timing intervals.

4. The transmitter of

claim 3

, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the modulation pattern based on the count and the plurality of timing intervals.

5. The transmitter of

claim 4

, wherein the processor generates a first output signal, in response to an enable signal, the first output signal being representative of the frequency of the received signal, and wherein the processor generates a plurality of signals representative of the modulation pattern of said received signal.

6. The transmitter of

claim 5

, further comprising:

a tuner circuit having an oscillator circuit, the tuner circuit being coupled to said processor and said antenna, that the transmission frequency; and

an oscillator switch coupled to said processor and said oscillator circuit,

wherein the tuner circuit generates an output signal having the transmission frequency and the modulation pattern of the previously received signal.

7. The universal transmitter of

claim 5

, further comprising:

a power source; and

a switch coupled between the power source and the processor, the switch being operable to generate the enable signal.

8. The universal transmitter of

claim 1

, wherein the frequency is in the radio frequency range.

9. A system for detecting and emulating a transmission signal of a transmitter, the transmission signal having a corresponding transmission frequency and a corresponding modulation pattern, the system comprising:

a detection circuit that detects a frequency and a modulation pattern of the transmission signal of the transmitter;

a memory;

a processor coupled to the detection circuit and the memory, the processor storing a frequency value representative of the detected frequency and a plurality of value representative of the detected modulation pattern, in the memory; and

a transmitting circuit coupled to the processor, the transmitting circuit being operable to transmit an output signal having the frequency and the modulation pattern of the transmission signal .

10. The system of

claim 9

, wherein the detection circuit comprises:

an antenna that receives the transmitted signal;

a wave shaping circuit coupled to the antenna that conditions the received signal;

a wave envelope detection circuit coupled to the antenna that detects values corresponding to a plurality of timing intervals of the received signal, each of said plurality of timing intervals being representative of a corresponding transmission period within a transmission cycle of the received signal.

11. The transmitter of

claim 10

, wherein the processor comprises:

a counter coupled to the wave shaping circuit, the counter being configured to count a plurality of transitions of the received signal;

a timer coupled to the wave envelope detection circuit, the timer determining the timing intervals representative of a corresponding transmission period within a transmission cycle of the received signal;

an execution unit coupled to the counter and the timer, the execution unit determining a frequency of the received signal based on the count and the plurality of transitions and said timing intervals.

12. The system of

claim 11

, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the modulation pattern based on the plurality of timing intervals.

13. A method of detecting and emulating a transmission signal of a transmitter, the transmission signal having a corresponding transmission frequency and a corresponding modulation pattern, the method comprising:

receiving the transmission signal;

determining the transmission frequency and the modulation pattern of the transmitted signal;

storing the transmission frequency and the modulation pattern in memory; and

transmitting an output signal having the transmission frequency and the modulation pattern, in response to an enable signal.

14. The method of

claim 13

, wherein determining the transmission frequency and the modulation pattern comprises:

conditioning the received signal to provide a signal having enhanced transitions;

determining a number of counts between each enhanced transition;

determining a timing interval between each enhanced transition;

determining the transmission frequency and the modulation pattern based on the number of counts and the timing interval between each enhanced transition.

15. The method of

claim 13

, wherein the transmission frequency is in the radio frequency range.

16. A method of detecting and emulating a transmission signal of a transmitter, the transmission signal having a corresponding transmission frequency and a corresponding modulation pattern, the method comprising:

providing a template transmitter that emulates the transmission signal of the transmitter;

receiving, by a universal transmitter, the transmission signal;

determining, by the universal transmitter, the transmission frequency and the modulation pattern of the transmission signal;

storing the transmission frequency and the modulation pattern in a memory located in the universal transmitter; and

transmitting, by the universal transmitter, an output signal having the transmission frequency and the modulation pattern, in response to an enable signal.

17. The method of

claim 16

, wherein determining the transmission frequency and the modulation pattern comprises:

conditioning the received signal to provide a signal having enhanced transitions;

determining a number of counts between each enhanced transition;

determining a timing interval between each enhanced transition;

determining the transmission frequency and the modulation pattern based on the number of counts and the timing interval between each enhanced transition.

18. The method of

claim 16

, wherein the transmission frequency is in the radio frequency range.

19. The method of

claim 16

, wherein the universal transmitter comprises:

a detection circuit that detects the transmission frequency and the modulation pattern of the transmission signal;

a memory;

a processor coupled to the detection circuit and the memory, the processor storing a frequency value representative of the detected frequency and a plurality of value representative of the detected modulation pattern, in the memory; and

a transmitting circuit coupled to the processor, the transmitting circuit being operable to transmit an output signal having the frequency and the modulation pattern of the transmitted signal .

20. The method of

claim 19

, wherein the detection circuit comprises:

an antenna that receives the transmitted signal;

a wave shaping circuit coupled to the antenna that conditions the received signal;

a wave envelope detection circuit coupled to the antenna that detects values corresponding to a plurality of timing intervals of the received signal, each of said plurality of timing intervals being representative of a corresponding transmission period within a transmission cycle of the received signal.

21. The method of

claim 18

, wherein the processor comprises:

a counter coupled to the wave shaping circuit, the counter being configured to count a plurality of transitions of the received signal;

a timer coupled to the wave envelope detection circuit, the timer determining the timing intervals representative of a corresponding transmission period within a transmission cycle of the received signal;

an execution unit coupled to the counter and the timer, the execution unit determining a frequency of the received signal based on said plurality of transitions and said timing intervals.