System for remote control of identical devices

• US 20050009173A1
• Filed: 10/31/2002
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roku, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Amand, Frank
• Granted Patent: US 7,388,511 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/287.200
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for remote control of at least two controllable devices, the system comprising a remote control device (6) with communicating means for communicating to the controllable devices a user-specified command produced by the remote control device. The invention also relates to a method of remote control of at least two controllable devices, the method comprising the step of communicating a user-specified command to the controllable devices (4, 5). The method comprises the further steps of adding the user-specified command a device identifier for identification of at least one of the controllable devices; transmitting the device identifier and the user-specified command, receiving the device identifier and the user-specified command; extracting the device identifier, comparing said extracted device identifier with a further device identifier for identification of the controllable device, refraining from further operation with the received user-specified command if said identifiers do not match, and supplying the user-specified command to the controllable device.

Claims

1. A system for remote control of at least two controllable devices, the system comprising a remote control device with communicating means for communicating to the controllable devices a user-specified command produced by the remote control device, characterized in that

a) the remote control device is equipped with a coding device comprising:

an input means for obtaining the user-specified command from the remote control device;

a coding means designed to add to the user-specified command a device identifier for identification of at least one of the controllable devices;

a transmitting means adapted to transmit the device identifier and the user-specified command;

b) the controllable device is equipped with a decoding device comprising;

a receiving means adapted to receive the device identifier and the user-specified command;

a decoding means designed to extract the device identifier;

to compare said extracted device identifier with a further device identifier for identification of the controllable device;

to refrain from further operation with the received user-specified command if said identifiers do not match;

an output means for supplying the user-specified command to the controllable device.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, in which said input means of the coding device for obtaining the user-specified command is a receiving means adapted to receive the user-specified command from the remote control device.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, in which said output means of the decoding device for supplying the user-specified command is a transmitting means adapted to transmit the user-specified command for further operation to the controllable device.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communicating means of the remote control device comprises the transmitting means of the coding device and is adapted to transmit the device identifier and the user-specified command.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communicating means of the controllable device comprises the receiving means of the decoding device and is adapted to receive the device identifier and the user-specified command.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communicating means are designed to operate with infrared signals.

7. A coding device for use in the system of claim 1, comprising

an input means for obtaining the user-specified command from the remote control device;

a coding means designed to add to the user-specified command a device identifier for identification of at least one of the controllable devices;

a transmitting means adapted to transmit the device identifier and the user-specified command.

8. A decoding device for use in the system of claim 1, comprising

a receiving means adapted to receive the device identifier and the user-specified command;

a decoding means designed to extract the device identifier;

to compare said extracted device identifier with a further device identifier for identification of the controllable device;

to refrain from further operation with the received user-specified command if said identifiers do not match;

an output means for supplying the user-specified command to the controllable device.

9. A method of remote control of at least two controllable devices, the method comprising the step of communicating a user-specified command to the controllable devices, characterized in that the method comprises the further steps of:

adding to the user-specified command a device identifier for identification of at least one of the controllable devices;

transmitting the device identifier and the user-specified command;

receiving the device identifier and the user-specified command;

extracting the device identifier;

comparing said extracted device identifier with a further device identifier for identification of the controllable device;

refraining from further operation with the received user-specified command if said identifiers do not match;

supplying the user-specified command to the controllable device.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the step of supplying the user-specified command to the controllable device comprises a step of transmitting the user-specified command for further operation to the controllable device.