Electronic equipment control system and control method

• US 20030120356A1
• Filed: 12/03/2002
• Published: 06/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Hironori, Maeda, Kouji, Shibata, Naoya, Matumoto, Isao, Fukuya, Makoto, Nishida, Norifumi, Natori, Tetsuya
• Granted Patent: US 6,946,971 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/11
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control

Abstract

An electronic equipment control system including an electronic equipment body and a remote control terminal for providing an operation instruction to the electronic equipment body. The electronic equipment body has a receiving part for receiving a remote control signal, a movable operation unit for operating the electronic equipment body, a fixed operation unit, and an arranging part for moving the movable operation unit to bring the fixed operation unit into a visually identifiable state. The remote control terminal has input keys for providing the operation instruction, and a sending part for sending operation information input by the input keys.

Claims

1. An electronic equipment control system comprising:

an electronic equipment body; and

a remote control terminal for providing an operation instruction to the electronic equipment body,

wherein the electronic equipment body comprises;

a receiving part for receiving a remote control signal;

a first operation unit to be operated according to the received remote control signal;

a second operation unit disposed in the back of the first operation unit and operated according to the received remote control signal; and

an arranging part for moving at least one of the first and second operation units to bring both of the first and second operation units into a visually identifiable state,

wherein the remote control terminal comprises;

an input key for providing the operation instruction; and

a sending part for sending the operation instruction to the electronic equipment body as the remote control signal.

2. An electronic equipment control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first operation unit further comprises a display part for displaying information about an operation or an operation state of the first operation unit.

3. An electronic equipment control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second operation unit further comprises a display part for displaying information about an operation or an operation state of at least one of the first and second operation units.

4. An electronic equipment control system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the arranging part works to bring the second operation unit into a visually identifiable state when the remote control signal relates to an operation to be displayed on the display part of the second operation unit and the second operation unit is in a visually unidentifiable state.

5. An electronic equipment control system as claimed in claim 3, wherein a power source of at least the display part of the second operation unit is turned off when the second operation unit is in a visually unidentifiable state.

6. An electronic equipment control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein reception of the remote control signal relating to use of a second operation unit function does not make the second operation unit perform an operation corresponding to the remote control signal when the second operation unit is in a visually unidentifiable state, and make the second operation unit perform the operation corresponding to the remote control signal when the second operation unit is in a visually identifiable state.

7. An electronic equipment control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic equipment body further comprises a determination part for determining whether or not the received remote control signal relates to use of a second operation unit function.

8. An electronic equipment control system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the arranging part works to bring the second operation unit into a visually identifiable state when the determination part determines that the remote control signal relates to use of the second operation unit function.

9. An electronic equipment control system as claimed in claim 7, wherein a power source of the second operation unit is turned on when the determination part determines that the remote control signal relates to use of the second operation unit function.

10. An electronic equipment control system as claimed in claims 1, wherein the receiving part is disposed on the first operation unit.

11. An electronic equipment control system as claimed in claims 1, wherein the receiving part is disposed at a cabinet front portion of the electronic equipment body.

12. An electronic equipment control system as claimed claim 1, wherein the remote control signal is sent using infrared rays.

13. An electronic equipment control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the remote control signal is sent using weak radio waves.

14. An electronic equipment control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic equipment body further comprises at least one of a reproducing part for reproducing music content information, a radio broadcast receiving part and a television broadcast receiving part.

15. An electronic equipment control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic equipment body further comprises a slot for record medium insertion, the slot is exposed when the second operation unit is moved.

16. An electronic equipment control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic equipment body further comprises a third operation unit for operating the electronic equipment body, the third operation unit is exposed when the second operation unit is moved, and

wherein the arraigning part moves the second operation unit to bring the third operation unit into a visually identifiable state when the remote control signal relates to use of a third operation unit function.

17. An electronic equipment control method in an electronic equipment control system comprising an electronic equipment body and a remote control terminal for providing a operation instructions to the electronic equipment body, the method comprising:

a receiving step of receiving a remote control signal by the electronic equipment body;

a first operation step of operating the electronic equipment body according to the received remote control signal by a first operation unit of the electronic equipment body;

a second operation step of operating the electronic equipment body according to the received remote control signal by a second operation unit provided in the back of the first operation unit;

a arrangement step of moving at least one of the first and second operation units to bring both of the first and second operation units into a visually identifiable state;

an input step of inputting an operation instruction to the electronic equipment body by input keys of the remote control terminal; and

a sending step of sending the operation instruction toward the electronic equipment body by the remote control terminal as the remote control signal.

18. An electronic equipment control method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

a determination step of determining whether or not the received remote control signal relates to use of a second operation unit function,

wherein the second operation unit is brought into a visually identifiable state in the arrangement step when the remote control signal is determined to relate to use of the second operation unit function.