Remote-controllable media device and method of operating propheral devices using the same

• US 20020024617A1
• Filed: 08/31/2001
• Published: 02/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kwon, Il Gun
• Granted Patent: US 7,038,738 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/734
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

Disclosed is a remote-controllable media device and method of operating peripheral devices using the same including the steps of monitoring whether a remote code is received from a remote controller, verifying that a present external input source mode corresponds to which one of the peripheral media devices when the remote code is received from the remote controller, and converting the received code into a code corresponding to the present external input source mode when the peripheral media device corresponding to the present external input source mode is connected to the media device and then transferring the converted code to the peripheral media device corresponding to the present external input source mode.

Claims

1. A media device comprising:

a remote controller producing a remote code for controlling for its own use, a remote code for controlling peripheral media devices, and selection signals of external input sources in accordance with a user'"'"'s selection;

a communication port to be connected with the peripheral media devices through a communication line;

a receiver part receiving one of the remote codes from the remote controller;

a controller verifying that a present external input source corresponds to which one of the peripheral media devices and produces a code conversion control signal and an output control signal;

a memory storing code conversion data; and

a code converter converting the code into a code corresponding to the verified peripheral media device using the code conversion data stored in the memory by responding to the code conversion control signal, the code converter outputting the converted code to the verified peripheral media device through the communication port by responding to the output control signal.

2. The media device of claim 1, wherein the media device and peripheral media devices include TV receiver, DVD, video cassette recorder, and set-top box.

3. The media device of claim 1, wherein the communication port is one of RS232C, I2C, and parallel port.

4. The media device of claim 1, wherein the media device further comprises a display part displaying a menu of the media device'"'"'s own, a menu of the verified peripheral media device, and an operation status of the controller by responding to the code of the remote controller.

5. The media device of claim 1, wherein the remote controller includes keys for selecting the external input sources corresponding to the peripheral media devices enabling to be connected to the media device.

6. The media device of claim 1, wherein the peripheral media devices includes communication ports identical to the communication port so as to establish communication channels with the media device.

7. A method of operating peripheral media devices using a media device having a remote controller, comprising the steps of:

monitoring whether a remote code is received from a remote controller;

verifying that a present external input source mode corresponds to which one of the peripheral media devices when the remote code is received from the remote controller; and

converting the received code into a code corresponding to the present external input source mode when the peripheral media device corresponding to the present external input source mode is connected to the media device and then transferring the converted code to the peripheral media device corresponding to the present external input source mode.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of displaying on a screen whether the media device and the peripheral media device corresponding to the present external input source mode are connected to each other.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of displaying character and video signals from the peripheral media device corresponding to the present external input source mode on a screen of the media device in accordance with the remote code.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

processing the code to operate the media device itself when the peripheral media device corresponding to the present external input source mode fails to be connected to the media device or the present external input source mode corresponds to the media device itself; and

operating the media device in accordance with a command corresponding to the processed code.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein information of the code processed by the media device itself includes volume adjustment of the media device and change of the present external input source mode.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the media device and peripheral media devices include TV receiver, DVD, video cassette recorder, and set-top box.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

executing a command corresponding to the converted code in the peripheral media device corresponding to the present external input source mode;

transferring an execution result from the peripheral media device corresponding to the present external input source mode to the media device; and

displaying an image according to the execution result on a screen and outputting a voice according to the execution result through a speaker of the media device.

14. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of providing a communication channel set-on or set-off signal from the remote controller to the media device by a user'"'"'s selection so as to turning on or off a mode for establishing communication channels between the media device and the peripheral media devices.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the communication channel set-on signal is provided when the peripheral media devices have the same communication ports of the media device on an on-screen display menu of the media device from the remote controller by a user and wherein the communication channel set-off signal is provided when the peripheral media devices fail to have the same communication ports of the media device on an on-screen display menu of the media device from the remote controller by a user.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the communication port is one of RS232C, I2C, and parallel port.

17. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

monitoring whether a code to change the present external input source mode into a new external input source mode is produced from the remote controller; and

relieving the established communication channel between the present external input source and the media device and establishing a new communication channel between the new external input source and the media device.