Remote control system

• US 20050068151A1
• Filed: 03/31/2004
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LAPIS Semiconductor Co., Ltd. (ROHM Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Ushida, Yoichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,158,047 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/3.710
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/50 Receiving or transmitting feedback, e.g. replies, status updates, acknowledgements, from the controlled devices

Abstract

The present invention provides a remote control system capable of controlling a number of devices on a network by one remote controller. A remote controller (10) requires a controlled device (20) defined as an object to be controlled to send display information. Thus, the display information stored in a ROM (21) of the controlled device (20) in advance is read and transmitted to the remote controller (10). The display information is described in a language such as HTLM, JAVA or the like. A browser on the remote controller (10) side displays a screen indicative of functions corresponding to a plurality of function keys (11) on a liquid crystal display (12). Thus, the function is selected based on the screen displayed on the liquid crystal display (12), and the function key (11) corresponding to the function is depressed, thereby making it possible to control the controlled device (20).

Claims

1. A remote control system comprising:

a remote controller including,

an input unit consisting of a plurality of function keys;

a liquid crystal display which displays functions associated with the function keys;

a control information creating unit which performs a display of the liquid crystal display, based on a program described in a specific language and outputs control information about a corresponding function in accordance with a signal inputted from the corresponding function key; and

a transmitting unit which incorporates the control information into a data frame and transmits the same via a radio channel; and

a controlled device including,

a receiving unit which receives therein the data frame transmitted from the remote controller; and

a plurality of function execution units each of which decodes the control information in the data frame and executes a function designated by the remote controller.

3. A remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the specific language is HTML or JAVA (registered trademark of US Sun Microsystems, Inc.), or a combination thereof.

2. A remote control system comprising:

a remote controller including,

an input unit consisting of a plurality of function keys;

a liquid crystal display having a function display region which displays functions associated with the function keys;

a control information creating unit which performs a display of the liquid crystal display, based on a program described in a specific language and outputs control information about a corresponding function in accordance with a signal inputted from the corresponding function key;

a remote controller-side transmitting unit which incorporates the control information into a data frame and transmits the same via a radio channel;

a remote controller-side receiving unit which receives therein a data frame transmitted from a controlled device via the radio channel; and

a display control unit which decodes result information lying in the data frame received by the remote controller-side receiving unit and displays the same on the liquid crystal display; and

a controlled device including,

a device-side receiving unit which receives therein a data frame transmitted from the remote controller;

a plurality of function execution units each of which decodes the control information in the data frame received by the device-side receiving unit and executes a function designated by the remote controller;

a result information creating unit which creates result information of the function executed based on the control information; and

a device-side transmitting unit which incorporates the result information into a data frame and transmits the same to the remote controller via a radio channel.

4. A remote control system according to claim 2, wherein the specific language is HTML or JAVA (registered trademark of US Sun Microsystems, Inc.), or a combination thereof.

5. A remote control system according to claim 2, wherein the control information creating unit of the remote controller outputs a display information request command for requiring the controlled device to send display information displayed on the liquid crystal display in correspondence to the plurality of function keys in addition to the control information, and

the controlled device has a nonvolatile memory which stores therein the display information transmitted corresponding to the display information request command supplied from the remote controller.

6. A remote control system according to claim 2, wherein the control information consists of a control information identifier for identifying the control information and a single or plural instruction codes for executing each individual function of the controlled device, and the instruction codes respectively have the contents related to the operations of the function keys.

7. A remote control system according to claim 2, wherein the result information comprises a result information identifier for identifying the result information and result data indicative of the result of execution of each function of the controlled device, and the result data has the contents related to the present value of an object to be controlled.