Television remote control system and method with alphanumeric input

• US 20050162569A1
• Filed: 01/06/2004
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Rao, Vishnu Kumar Shivaj, Sampsell, Jeffrey B., Hallberg, Bryan Severt, Fairhurst, Jon Arthur, Hanley, Mark Gregory, Fang, Henry Y.
• Application Number:
  US10/753,934
• Publication Number:
  US 20050162569A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/734
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/71 Directional beams
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

The invention relates to an improved television remote control system and method with alphanumeric keyboard input. The alphanumeric keyboard input might be used in interactive televisions to control applications and functions. The remote control includes alphanumeric and controls keyboards, an encoder to encode the alphanumeric and control keyboards with alphanumeric and control codes, respectively, and a transmitter to transmit the alphanumeric and control codes to the television.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a television; and

a remote control to control the television, the remote control including an alphanumeric keypad.

2. The system of claim 1 where the alphanumeric keypad includes a plurality of numeric, alphabetic, punctuation, space, and special character keys.

3. The system of claim 1 where the alphanumeric keypad is a QWERTY type keypad.

4. The system of claim 1 where the remote control comprises an encoder to encode each key of the alphanumeric keypad with a corresponding keypad code.

5. The system of claim 4 where the remote control comprises a transmitter to transmit any of the keypad codes to the television.

6. The system of claim 4 where the transmitter transmits any of the keypad codes to the television using infrared technology.

7. The system of claim 4 where the transmitter transmits any of the keypad codes to the television using radio waves.

8. The system of claim 5

where the transmitter includes first and second transmitting devices;

where the first transmitting device transmits any of the keypad codes to the television; and

where the second transmitting device transmits control codes associated with other keys on the remote control.

9. The system of claim 8 where the first and second transmitting devices are positioned on the remote control to transmit in first and second directions, respectively.

10. The system of claim 9 where the first direction is substantially orthogonal to the second direction.

11. The system of claim 8 where the first and second transmitting devices are infrared transmitting devices.

12. The system of claim 8 where the first and second transmitting devices are first and second directional antennas, respectively.

13. The system of claim 12 where the first and second directional antennas are oriented substantially orthogonal to each other.

14. The system of claim 12

where the first directional antenna transmits using a first frequency carrier signal;

and

where the second directional antenna transmits using a second frequency carrier signal, the first frequency carrier signal being different than the second frequency carrier signal.

15. The system of claim 12 where the first and second directional antennas transmit unique keypad codes for associated keys using a same frequency carrier signal.

16. The system of claim 1

where the remote control includes a television control keypad;

and

where the alphanumeric keypad is located along with the television control keypad on the remote control in a longitudinal direction.

17. The system of claim 1

where the remote control includes a television control keypad positioned on a top portion movably coupled to a body portion;

and

where the alphanumeric keypad is positioned on the body portion such that when a viewer flips the top portion, the alphanumeric keypad is exposed.

18. The system of claim 1

where the remote control includes a television control keypad on a same surface as the alphanumeric keypad, the television control keypad being oriented in a longitudinal direction and the alphanumeric keypad being oriented in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction.

19. The system of claim 1 where the alphanumeric keypad is overlaid with a control keypad, the alphanumeric keypad being aligned in a first direction and the control keypad being aligned in a second direction.

20. The system of claim 1

where the remote control includes a television control keypad;

where the alphanumeric keypad is located on a top side; and

where the control keypad is located on a bottom side.

21. A remote control to control a television, comprising:

a plurality of control keys; and

a plurality of alphanumeric keys.

22. The remote control of claim 21 where the plurality of alphanumeric keys include alphabetic, numeric, punctuation, space, and special character keys.

23. The remote control of claim 21 where the plurality of alphanumeric keys are arranged as in a QWERTY keyboard.

24. The remote control of claim 21

where the remote control has a top portion and lower portion;

where the control keys are positioned in the first direction on the top portion; and

where the alphanumeric keys are position in a second direction on the lower portion.

25. The remote control of claim 21

where the plurality of control keys are aligned in a first direction;

and

where the plurality of alphanumeric keys are aligned in a second direction, the first direction being substantially orthogonal to the second direction.

26. The remote control of claim 25

where the remote control includes:

a body; and

a top movably coupled to the body;

where the control keys are located on the top; and

where the alphanumeric keys are located on the body.

27. The remote control of claim 25

where remote control includes first and second portions;

where the control keys are located on the first portion in the first direction; and

where the alphanumeric keys are located on the second portion in the second direction.

28. The remote control of claim 21 comprising an encoder to encode the control and alphanumeric keys into control and alphanumeric codes, respectively.

29. The remote control of claim 21 comprising a transmitter to transmit control and alphanumeric codes associated with the control and alphanumeric keys.

30. The remote control of claim 29 where the transmitter includes first and second transmitting devices, the first transmitting device transmitting in a first direction and the second transmitting device transmitting in a second direction, the first direction being substantially orthogonal to the second direction.

31. The remote control of claim 30

where the first transmitting device transmits any of the control codes associated with the control keys;

and

where the second transmitting device transmits any of the alphanumeric codes associated with the alphanumeric keys.

32. The remote control of claim 30 where the first and second transmitting devices are infrared transmitting devices.

33. The remote control of claim 30 where the first and second transmitting devices are first and second directional antennas.

34. The remote control of claim 33

where the first directional antenna transmits using a first frequency carrier signal;

and

where the second directional antenna transmits using a second frequency carrier signal.

35. The remote control of claim 33 where the first and second directional antennas transmit unique control and alphanumeric codes associated with each control and alphanumeric key using a same frequency carrier signal.

36. The remote control of claim 29 where the transmitter includes:

a transmitting device; and

at least two mirrors arranged to split a signal from the transmitting device in first and second directions.

37. The remote control of claim 29 where the transmitter includes a multidirectional antenna.

38. A method of controlling a television with a remote control, comprising:

encoding a plurality of alphanumeric keys on the remote control with a corresponding plurality of alphanumeric codes; and

transmitting any of the plurality of alphanumeric codes to the television.

39. The method of claim 38 comprising

transmitting any of the plurality of alphanumeric codes when the remote control is oriented in a first direction.

40. The method of claim 39 comprising

encoding a plurality of control keys on the remote control with a corresponding plurality of control codes;

and

transmitting any of the plurality of control codes to the television.

41. The method of claim 40 comprising

transmitting any of the plurality of control codes when the remote control is oriented in a second direction.

42. The method of claim 38 comprising

positioning the alphanumeric keys on a bottom portion of the remote control;

and

positioning the control keys on a top portion of the remote control.

43. The method of claim 42 where transmitting includes

transmitting the alphanumeric codes and the control codes using a transmitting device oriented in a first direction.

44. The method of claim 38 comprising

positioning the alphanumeric keys on a body of the remote control;

and

positioning the control keys on a top portion of the remote control movably coupled to the body such that when the top portion is flipped up, the alphanumeric keys are exposed.

45. The method of claim 44 where transmitting includes

transmitting the alphanumeric codes when the remote control is oriented in a first direction;

and

transmitting the control codes when the remote control is oriented in a second direction.

46. The method of claim 45

where transmitting the alphanumeric codes includes using a first transmitting device;

and

where transmitting the control codes includes using a second transmitting device.

47. The method of claim 46 where the first and second transmitting devices are infrared devices.

48. The method of claim 46 where the first and second transmitting devices are first and second directional antennas.

49. The method of claim 44 where transmitting includes

transmitting the alphanumeric codes when the top portion is flipped up.

50. The method of claim 38 comprising

positioning the alphanumeric keys on a first portion of the remote control aligned in a first direction;

and

positioning the control keys on a second portion of the remote control aligned in a second direction.

51. The method of claim 50 where transmitting includes

transmitting the alphanumeric codes when the remote control is aligned in the first direction;

and

transmitting the control codes when the remote control is aligned in the second direction.

52. The method of claim 38 comprising

overlaying the alphanumeric keys with the control keys, the alphanumeric keys being aligned in a first direction and the control keys being aligned in a second direction;

transmitting any of the alphanumeric codes using a first transmitting device when the remote control is oriented in the first direction; and

transmitting any of the control codes using a second transmitting device when the remote control is oriented in the second direction.