Remote control device

• US 20030204272A1
• Filed: 03/06/2003
• Published: 10/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Niyama, Kaho, Hatanaka, Itaru
• Granted Patent: US 7,453,371 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/17
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A menu is displayed on an input function installed display device such as a liquid crystal touch panel based on display information, which is generated from menu data obtained from a station, in other words from an operation target device. When a menu to be displayed is generated, such an idea is used that a displayed menu provides information most suitable for an owner by selecting and processing proper data matching personal information registered in advance in a remote controller out of the received menu data. Age, sex, settlement information or the like can be registered as personal information, some TV channels are restricted for an owner of minority, correct owner fees for transportation facilities, theaters and movie houses are displayed where age-dependent fees are adopted, and menus for restaurants are properly displayed where charges are different for different sexes. In addition, settlement can be made concurrently with ordering when settlement information such as in credit cards are stored.

Claims

1. A remote control device for generating an input interface by receiving information from a station, said device comprising:

a receiving device for receiving menu data from said station;

a storage device for storing the menu data;

a menu display module for generating display information by reading out the menu data from said storage device;

an input function installed display device for displaying the display information generated by said menu display module and accepting an input;

a command transmitting module for generating a command from the input given from said input function installed display device; and

a transmission device for transmitting the command generated by said command transmitting module.

2. A remote control device for generating an input interface by receiving information from a station, said device comprising:

a receiving device for receiving menu data from said station;

a storage device for storing the menu data;

a menu display module for generating display information by reading out the menu data from said storage device;

an input module for displaying the display information generated by said menu display module and accepting an input;

a command transmitting module for generating a command from the input on said input module; and

a transmission device for transmitting the command generated by said command transmitting module.

3. A remote control device according to claim 2, wherein said storage device stores therein individual information of an owner of remote controller.

4. A remote control device according to claim 3, wherein said menu display module notifies said input function installed display device of only information which is corresponding to the individual information, among the menu data received from the station as display information.

5. A remote control device according to claim 4, wherein the individual information is information about an age or a distinction of sex, and

a menu screen corresponding to the age or the distinction of sex of the owner of remote controller, is displayed on said input function installed display device.

6. A remote control device according to claim 4, wherein settlement information of the owner of remote controller is registered as the individual information on said storage device.

7. A remote control device according to claim 5, wherein the individual information is the age information, and

a menu screen based on an age-oriented fee system and an input button are displayed on said input function installed display device.

8. A remote control device according to claim 4, wherein said remote control device is a remote controller for operating a television receiver having said input function installed display device on which channels are displayed,

the individual information is the age information, and

said menu display module does not display an age-limited channel with reference to the age information in the individual information.

9. A remote control device according to claim 4, wherein said remote control device is a reservation remote controller at a restaurant, which has said input function installed display device on which food-and-drink menus are displayed,

the individual information is the distinction-of-sex information, and

said menu display module displays the food-and-drink menu suited to the distinction of sex with reference to the distinction-of-sex information in the individual information.

10. A remote control device according to claim 2, wherein initial setting information in addition to the individual information can be recorded on said storage device of said remote control device, and

a communication destination device can be registered in the initial setting information.

11. A readable-by-computer storage medium stores therein a control program of a remote control device generating an input interface by receiving information from a station, said program comprising:

a step of receiving menu data from said station;

a step of storing the menu data;

a step of generating display information by reading out the menu data from a storage device;

a step of displaying the generated display information and accepting an input;

a step of generating a command from the accepted input; and

a step of transmitting the generated command.

12. A readable-by-computer storage medium stores therein a control program according to claim 11, wherein said storage device stores therein individual information of an owner of remote controller, and

said program further comprises a step of using this individual information.

13. A readable-by-computer storage medium stores therein a control program according to claim 11, wherein said generating step of generating the display information involves generating as the display information only the information, mapping to the individual information, among the menu data received from said station.

14. A readable-by-computer storage medium stores therein a control program according to claim 11, wherein said storage device is registered with settlement information of an owner of remote controller as the individual information, and said program further comprises a step of using the settlement information.

15. A station device for transmitting information to a remote controller generating an interface, said station device comprising:

a menu identification information storage module for storing menu identification information for identification of a menu;

a display layout information storage module for storing display layout information of a display module of said remote controller;

a button layout information storage module for storing layout information of buttons on said remote controller;

a command information storage module for storing information of commands that should be transmitted to said station from said remote controller; and

a transmitting module for transmitting the respective pieces of information as menu data.

16. A readable-by-computer storage medium stores therein a control program of a station device transmitting information to a remote controller for generating an interface, said program comprising:

a step of reading out menu identification information for identification of a menu;

a step of reading out display layout information of a display module of said remote controller;

a step of reading out layout information of buttons on said remote controller;

a step of reading out information of commands that should be transmitted to said station from said remote controller; and

a step of transmitting the respective pieces of information as menu data.

17. A remote control system comprising:

a menu identification information storage module for storing menu identification information for identification a menu;

a display layout information storage module for storing display layout information of a display module of a remote controller;

a button layout information storage module for storing layout information of buttons on said remote controller;

a command information storage module for storing information of commands that should be transmitted to said station from said remote controller;

a transmitting module for transmitting the respective pieces of information as menu data;

a receiving device for receiving the menu data from said transmitting module;

a storage device for storing the menu data;

a menu display module for generating display information by reading out the menu data from said storage device;

an input module for displaying the display information generated by said menu display module and accepting an input;

a command transmitting module for generating a command from the input on said input module; and

a transmitting device for transmitting the command generated by said command transmitting module to said station.

18. A remote control method, in a station, comprising:

a step of reading out menu identification information for identification a menu;

a step of reading out display layout information of a display module of a remote controller;

a step of reading out layout information of buttons on said remote controller;

a step of reading out information of commands that should be transmitted to said station from said remote controller; and

a step of transmitting the respective pieces of information as menu data;

said method, in said remote controller, further comprising;

a step of receiving the menu data from said station;

a step of storing the menu data on a storage device;

a step of generating display information by reading out the menu data from said storage device;

a step of displaying the generated display information and accepting an input;

a step of generating a command from the accepted input; and

a step of transmitting the generated command to said station.