REMOTE CONTROL DEVICE WITH APPLIANCE POWER AWARENESS

• US 20030164787A1
• Filed: 03/01/2002
• Published: 09/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Hayes, Patrick H., Dresti, Mauro
• Granted Patent: US 6,642,852 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/176
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/33 Remote control using macros, scripts
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/50 Receiving or transmitting feedback, e.g. replies, status updates, acknowledgements, from the controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/63 Generation or supply of power specially adapted for television receivers

Abstract

A controlling device having programming which ensures an appliance will be placed into a desired power state. The controlling device transmits a query message to a power monitor associated with the appliance to obtain the current power state of the appliance. If the current power state does not correspond to the desired power state, the controlling device transmits a command to the appliance to effect a change in the current power state of the appliance.

Claims

1. In a controlling device, a method of commanding an appliance to enter into a desired power state, the method comprising:

determining if the appliance is responsive to discrete power commands or power toggle commands;

if the appliance is responsive to discrete power commands transmitting to the appliance a discrete power command, the discrete power command being selected as the discrete power command to which the appliance is adapted to respond to enter the desired power state; and

if the appliance is responsive to power toggle commands further determining if the current power state of the appliance corresponds to the desired power state and if the current power state does not correspond to the desired power state transmitting to the appliance a power toggle command, the power toggle command selected as the power toggle command to which the appliance is adapted to respond to change power states.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the controlling device is a universal remote control adapted to transmit commands to the home appliance via an IR communications link.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising transmitting a query message to a power monitor associated with the home appliance to obtain the current power state of the home appliance.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the method is repeated for each of a plurality of appliances to place each of the plurality of appliances in the desired power state.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the plurality of appliances are powered via a power strip and further comprising transmitting a query message to the power strip to obtain the current power state of each of the plurality of home appliances.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the method is executed during execution of a macro programmed with a command to place the appliance in the desired power state.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising suppressing the transmission of the power toggle command if the power state of the appliance is determined to be unknown.

8. In a controlling device adapted to control the operation of appliances in a plurality of device modes, a readable media comprising:

for each of the plurality of device modes, a first data field containing data indicative of whether the controlling device has been configured to transmit commands to an appliance when the controlling device is placed in the device mode, a second data field containing data indicative of an address of a power monitor associated with the appliance, and a third data field containing data indicative of the current power state of the appliance as reported by the power monitor.

9. In a controlling device, a method of commanding an appliance operation, the method comprising:

determining if a macro program includes commands to place an appliance in a desired power state and, if so, transmitting a query message to a power monitor associated with the appliance to obtain the current power state of the appliance and, if the current power state does not correspond to the desired power state, transmitting to the appliance a command, the command selected as one to which the appliance is adapted to respond to change to the desired power state.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the controlling device is adapted to transmit commands to the appliance using IR transmissions and query messages to the power monitor using RF transmissions.

11. A system for controlling the operation of a plurality of appliances, the system comprising:

a plurality of power monitors each associated with one of the plurality of appliances, each power monitor having a unique address, circuitry for determining the current power state of its associated appliance, and a first wireless communication module; and

a control device having a command codes library, a second wireless communication module for transmitting one or more command codes selected from the command code library to each of the plurality of appliances, and a third wireless communication module for exchanging communications with each of the plurality of power modules;

wherein the control device has programming for transmitting a query communication to each of the plurality of power monitors to which each of the plurality of power monitors responds with a communication including the current power state of its associated appliance and programming for transmitting one or more command codes to each of the plurality of home appliances to place each of the plurality of home appliances in a desired power state taking into account the current power state of each of the plurality of home appliances.

12. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein, in response to the query communication, each of the plurality of power monitors waits a predetermined time corresponding to its address before responding to the control device with the communication including the power state of its associated appliance to thereby avoid communication collisions at the control device.

13. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the first communication module and the third communication module each comprise an RF communication module.

14. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the second communication module comprises an IR communication module.