Method of detachably attaching an insert to a remote control base and the resulting remot control

• US 20040086840A1
• Filed: 10/16/2003
• Published: 05/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Donald S. Stern, Peter M. Redford
• Original Assignee: Donald S. Stern, Peter M. Redford
• Inventors: Stern, Donald S., Redford, Peter M.
• Granted Patent: US 6,968,151 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/307R
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/047 using sets of wires, e.g. crossed wires
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/02 with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/062 Combinations of audio and printed presentations, e.g. magnetically striped cards, talking books, magnetic tapes with printed texts thereon
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/056 Keyboard or overlay identification features
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/0235 specially adapted for remote control, e.g. of audio or video apparatus

Abstract

A remote control includes a base and an insert that is attached in a detachable manner to the base. The base includes a remote control circuit, a button coupled to operate the remote control circuit and a fastener capable of holding the insert. The insert includes a printed publication (such as a card, a sheet of paper or a booklet) containing at least one leaf having human-understandable content (such as text and/or graphics). To assemble the remote control, a user attaches the insert to the fastener, so that the human-understandable content is laid over the button. Thereafter, when the user operates the button (e.g. by touching the leaf), the base transmits a remote control signal that causes a host device to visually display information related to the human-understandable content at the touched location. A base in the form of a three ring binder gives the user an intuitive feel of simply touching human-understandable content on a leaf in the binder to view a display of information related to the content. In addition to the human-understandable content, the insert can carry a predetermined pattern that can be sensed by a sensor during mounting of the insert on the base. The base transmits, in the remote control signal, a number determined from the predetermined pattern thereby to indicate to the host device the insert currently in the base.

Claims

1. A remote control comprising:

a file folder including a front cover, a back cover and a spine located between said front cover and said back cover, said file folder further including a fastener mounted on said spine;

a printed publication detachably mounted on said fastener, said printed publication including a storage media physically attached to said printed publication;

a remote control circuit supported by said file folder; and

a button supported on said back cover and coupled to said remote control circuit;

wherein said remote control circuit generates a remote control signal in response to application of pressure to said button.

2. The remote control of claim 1, wherein information in the form of electronic content is encoded on said storage media.

3. The remote control of claim 2, wherein the electronic content is related to content printed on said leaf.

4. A remote control base comprising:

a file folder including a front cover, a back cover and a spine located between said front cover and said back cover, said file folder further including a fastener mounted on said spine, said fastener being capable of detachably holding a printed publication;

a remote control circuit supported by said file folder, said remote control circuit including a memory programmed with a predetermined number; and

a button supported on said back cover and coupled to said remote control circuit;

wherein said remote control circuit generates a remote control signal in response to application of pressure to said button.

5. The remote control base of claim 4 wherein information in the form of electronic content encoded on a storage media is accessible over the Internet by use of said predetermined number.

6. A remote control base comprising:

a file folder including a front cover, a back cover and a spine located between said front cover and said back cover, said file folder further including a fastener mounted on said spine;

said fastener being capable of detachably holding a printed publication;

a remote control circuit supported by said file folder;

an electromagnetic signal transmitter electrically coupled to said remote control circuit; and

a button supported on said back cover and coupled to said remote control circuit;

wherein said remote control circuit generates a remote control signal in response to application of pressure to said button, and further wherein said electromagnetic signal transmitter generates an electromagnetic signal carrying data in response to said remote control signal.

7. A remote control comprising:

a file folder including a front cover, a back cover and a spine located between said front cover and said back cover, said file folder further including a fastener mounted on said spine;

said fastener being capable of detachably holding a printed publication;

a remote control circuit supported by said file folder;

a button supported on said back cover and coupled to said remote control circuit; and

a leaf detachably attached to said fastener such that said leaf is laid over said button, said leaf being sufficiently flexible for pressure on said leaf to transfer through said leaf to operate said button;

wherein said remote control circuit generates a remote control signal in response to operation of said button.

8. A remote control base comprising:

a file folder including a front cover, a back cover and a spine located between said front cover and said back cover, said file folder further including a fastener mounted on said spine, said fastener being capable of detachably holding a printed publication, and wherein said fastener comprises a rail having a cross-section in the shape of the letter “

C”

with a longitudinal cavity formed behind two longitudinal edges that face each other;

a remote control circuit supported by said file folder; and

a button supported on said back cover and coupled to said remote control circuit;

wherein said remote control circuit generates a remote control signal in response to application of pressure to said button.

9. An insert for use with a remote control base, said insert comprising a printed publication and devoid of one or more electronic components permanently attached to said printed publication, said printed publication having a group of leaves connected each to the other at a spine, each of said leaves having a plurality of holes adjacent to said spine, each leaf in said group having printed content and a mark, each mark being positioned differently from the position of another mark, each mark being substantially identical to another mark.

10. The insert of claim 9 further comprising:

a storage media holder for holding a storage media encoded with information in the form of electronic content, said information being related to at least a portion of said printed content.

11. The insert of claim 9, wherein said mark identifies the leaf in a signal generated by said remote control base when said insert is mounted on said base and said mark is touched.