Remote controlled electronic apparatus and remote control method thereof

• US 20020030603A1
• Filed: 03/13/2001
• Published: 03/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Amano, Toshio, Konuma, Kenichi, Ueki, Toshihisa
• Granted Patent: US 6,747,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825.69
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link

Abstract

An electronic apparatus wherein a remote control signal received via a filter is decoded and, upon decision that the control signal is a power cutoff instruction, a controlling microcomputer outputs a filter control signal for actuating the filter to place the apparatus in a reception standby mode while the microcomputer itself is also set in its low power state, hence preventing a malfunction that some noise derived from external light of a fluorescent lamp or the like is recognized erroneously as a remote control signal and that the apparatus is shifted in error from the low power state to its wake-up mode. Consequently, the power consumption can be reduced in the standby mode. The remote control signal is composed of a fixed-width pulse and a succeeding control code, and upon detection of the fixed-width pulse, the controlling microcomputer is released from the low power state to wake up and then halts the operation of the filter.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a filter for attenuating a predetermined frequency component of a remote control signal composed of a fixed-width pulse and a succeeding control code; and

a control unit for decoding the remote control signal transmitted thereto via said filter and, upon decision that the remote control signal is a power cutoff instruction, demagnetizing a relay, thereby placing said apparatus in a reception standby mode, while outputting a filter control signal to actuate said filter and setting itself in a low power state.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, upon detection of the fixed-width pulse in the low power state, said control unit releases itself from the low power state and stops the attenuation of said filter.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 or 3, wherein said low power state is obtained by halting a clock or execution of an instruction in said control unit.

3. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a filter for attenuating a predetermined frequency component of a remote control signal composed of a fixed-width pulse and a succeeding control code; and

a control unit for decoding the remote control signal supplied via a first input terminal and, upon decision that the remote control signal is a power cutoff instruction, demagnetizing a relay to place said apparatus in a reception standby mode and to set itself in a lower power state, thereby disabling said first input terminal from accepting the remote control signal;

wherein, when the fixed-width pulse included in the remote control signal supplied via said filter has been received at a second input terminal, said control unit releases itself from the low power state and enables said first input terminal to accept the remote control signal again.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, if the control code is not existent within a predetermined time after a release from the low power state and a stop of said filter, said control unit outputs another filter control signal for further enhancing the noise eliminating function of said filter, and then places itself in the low power state again.

6. A remote control method for an electronic apparatus, comprising:

a step of decoding a remote control signal composed of a fixed-width pulse and a succeeding control code; and

a step of attenuating, upon decision that the decoded remote control signal is a power cutoff instruction, a predetermined frequency component of the remote control signal to set a control unit in a low power state, and

a step of demagnetizing a relay to place said apparatus in a reception standby mode.

7. The remote control method according to claim 6, further comprising, upon detection of the fixed-width pulse, a step of releasing said control unit from the low power state, and bringing the action of attenuation to a halt.

9. The remote control method according to claim 7 or 8, further comprising a step of enhancing the attenuation if the control code that succeeds the fixed-width pulse is not existent within a predetermined time after a release of said control unit from the low power state and a stop of the attenuation, and then placing said control unit in the low power state again.

8. A remote control method for an electronic apparatus, comprising:

a step of decoding a supplied remote control signal, via a first input terminal, composed of a fixed-width pulse and a succeeding control code and, upon decision that the decoded control signal is a power cutoff instruction, demagnetizing a relay to place said apparatus in a reception standby mode and to set a control unit in a low power state, and disabling said first input terminal from accepting the remote control signal;

a step of attenuating a predetermined frequency component of the remote control signal; and

a step of making a decision as to whether the fixed-width pulse included in the attenuated remote control signal is existent or not and, upon detection of the fixed-width pulse, releasing said control unit from the low power state and enabling the first input terminal to accept the remote control signal again.