Transformer remote control

• US 20020118131A1
• Filed: 02/23/2001
• Published: 08/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SMK-Link Electronic Corp. (SMK Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Interlink Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Rose, Eric Paul, Yates, William Allen, Segal, Jack A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,750,803 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0025 in a remote control unit remote control tuning in general H03J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/26 Remote control device with touch screen display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

A remote control includes a touch pad operable in two or more touch pad modes and a switching mechanism for controlling devices having display screens such as home entertainment (HE) devices, slide projectors, and computers. The switching mechanism is operable with the touch pad for switching the touch pad between the touch pad modes. The touch pad modes include an absolute touch pad mode, a relative touch pad mode, and an annotate touch pad mode. The remote control includes a control button operable in two or more control button modes. Each of the control button modes corresponds to a respective touch pad mode. The switching mechanism is operable with the control button for switching the control button to the control button mode corresponding to the respective touch pad mode. The remote control also includes an indicator operable for displaying control button indicator modes each indicative of a respective control button mode. The switching mechanism is operable with the indicator for switching the indicator to the control button indicator mode corresponding to the control button mode. The touch pad may include two control icons representative of remote control commands. The control icons are enabled when the touch pad is in a first touch pad mode and disabled when the touch pad is in a second touch pad mode.

Claims

1. A remote control comprising:

a touch pad operable in at least two touch pad modes; and

a switching mechanism operable with the touch pad for switching the touch pad between the at least two touch pad modes.

2. The remote control of claim 1 wherein:

the at least two touch pad modes includes an absolute touch pad mode.

3. The remote control of claim 1 wherein:

the at least two touch pad modes includes a relative touch pad mode.

4. The remote control of claim 1 wherein:

the at least two touch pad modes includes an annotate touch pad mode.

5. The remote control of claim 1 wherein:

the touch pad solely operates in one of the two touch pad modes at a given time.

6. The remote control of claim 1 further comprising:

at least one control button operable to switch between at least two control button modes, each of the at least two control button modes corresponding to a respective touch pad mode, wherein the switching mechanism is operable with the at least one control button for switching the at least one control button to the control button mode corresponding to the touch pad mode.

7. The remote control of claim 6 further comprising:

an indicator operable for displaying at least two control button indicator modes each indicative of a respective control button mode, wherein the switching mechanism is operable with the indicator for switching the indicator to the control button indicator mode corresponding to the control button mode.

8. The remote control of claim 1 wherein:

the touch pad includes at least two control icons representative of remote control commands, wherein the at least two control icons are enabled when the touch pad is in a first touch pad mode and disabled when the touch pad is in a second touch pad mode.

9. The remote control of claim 8 wherein:

two respective control icons are representative of a forward slide projector remote control command and a backwards slide projector remote control command.

10. The remote control of claim 1 wherein:

two respective control icons are representative of a channel up remote control command and a channel down remote control command.

11. The remote control of claim 1 wherein:

two respective control icons are representative of an audio signal up remote control command and an audio signal down remote control command.

13. The remote control of claim 12 further comprising:

at least one control button operable to switch between at least two control button modes, each of the at least two control button modes corresponding to a respective touch pad mode, wherein the switching mechanism is operable with the at least one control button for switching the at least one control button to the control button mode corresponding to the touch pad mode.

14. The remote control of claim 13 further comprising:

an indicator operable for displaying at least two control button indicator modes each indicative of a respective control button mode, wherein the switching mechanism is operable with the indicator for switching the indicator to the control button indicator mode corresponding to the control button mode.

16. The remote control of claim 15 further comprising:

at least one control button operable to switch between at least two control button modes including a pointing mode, each of the at least two control button modes corresponding to a respective touch pad mode, wherein the at least one control button is in the pointing mode and generates a pointing signal for pointing to the display screen when the touch pad is in the first touch pad mode, wherein the switching mechanism is operable with the at least one control button for switching the at least one control button to the control button mode corresponding to the respective touch pad mode.

17. The remote control of claim 16 further comprising:

an indicator operable for displaying at least two control button indicator modes each indicative of a respective control button mode, wherein the switching mechanism is operable with the indicator for switching the indicator to the control button indicator mode corresponding to the respective control button mode.

19. The remote control of claim 18 further comprising:

at least one control button operable to switch between at least two control button modes, each of the at least two control button modes corresponding to a respective touch pad mode, wherein the switching mechanism is operable with the at least one control button for switching the at least one control button for switching the at least one control button to the control button mode corresponding to the touch pad mode.

20. The remote control of claim 19 further comprising:

an indicator operable for displaying at least two control button indicator modes each indicative of a respective control button mode, wherein the switching mechanism is operable with the indicator for switching the indicator for switching the indicator to the control button indicator mode corresponding to the control button mode.

12. A remote control for controlling a device having a display screen, the remote control comprising:

a touch pad operable in at least two touch pad modes, wherein in a first touch pad mode the touch pad is mapped relatively to a display screen of a device such that each location of the touch pad corresponds to a respective location of the display screen, wherein in a second touch pad mode the touch pad is mapped absolutely to the display screen as a function of the dimensions of the touch pad and the display screen such that each location of the touch pad corresponds to a respective object displayed on the display screen; and

a switching mechanism operable with the touch pad for switching the touch pad between the at least two touch pad modes.

15. A remote control for controlling a slide projector device having a display screen, the remote control comprising:

a touch pad operable in at least two touch pad modes, wherein the touch pad includes two control icons respectively representative of a forward slide projector remote control command for forwarding a slide displayed on the display screen upon actuation and a backwards slide projector remote control command for reversing a slide displayed on the display screen, wherein the two control icons are enabled when the touch pad is in a first touch pad mode and disabled when the touch pad is in a second touch pad mode; and

a switching mechanism operable with the touch pad for switching the touch pad between the at least two touch pad modes.

18. A remote control for controlling a device, the remote control comprising:

a touch pad operable in at least two touch pad modes, wherein the touch pad includes at least two control icons respectively representative of device control commands, wherein the at least two control icons are enabled when the touch pad is in a first touch pad mode and disabled when the touch pad is in a second touch pad mode; and

a switching mechanism operable with the touch pad for switching the touch pad between the at least two touch pad modes.

21. A remote control for controlling a slide projector device having a display screen, the remote control comprising:

a touch pad operable in at least two touch pad modes, wherein the touch pad includes a control icon representative of a slide projector remote control command for moving a slide displayed on the display screen upon actuation, wherein the control icon is enabled when the touch pad is in a first touch pad mode and disabled when the touch pad is in a second touch pad mode; and

a switching mechanism operable with the touch pad for switching the touch pad between the at least two touch pad modes.