Method and apparatus for automatically recognizing/establishing remote-controller communication mode for use in digital electronic devices

• US 20060181430A1
• Filed: 01/18/2006
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Choi, Jang-Sun, Hong, Seong-Tae
• Application Number:
  US11/333,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20060181430A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825.720
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared

Abstract

A method and system for automatically recognizing/establishing a remote-controller communication mode for a digital electronic device is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: selecting a communication mode setup menu so as to allow a user to establish a remote-controller communication mode; allowing a remote-controller to generate a key input signal, and transmitting the key input signal to the digital electronic device; determining whether a Radio Frequency (RF) remote-controller signal is received; if the RF signal is received, controlling the digital electronic device to determine the remote-controller communication mode to be an RF mode, and outputting normal setup confirmation information; and e) allowing the user to check whether the remote-controller communication mode of the digital electronic device is switched to a user-desired mode. Therefore, the method automatically detects a remote-controller input signal of the digital electronic device, and easily establishes a user-desired communication mode, such that the possibility of a malfunction in the digital electronic device is reduced, and users of the digital electronic device can easily and conveniently select a remote-controller input mode or signal.

Claims

1. A method for automatically recognizing/establishing a remote-controller communication mode for use in a digital electronic device, the method comprising the steps of:

a) selecting a communication mode setup menu so as to allow a user to establish a remote-controller communication mode;

b) allowing a remote-controller to generate a key input signal, and transmitting the key input signal to the digital electronic device;

c) determining whether a Radio Frequency (RF) remote-controller signal is received;

d) if the RF signal is received, controlling the digital electronic device to determine the remote-controller communication mode to be an RF mode, and outputting normal setup confirmation information; and

e) allowing the user to check whether the remote-controller communication mode of the digital electronic device is switched to a user-desired mode.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step (a) for allowing the user to select the remote-controller communication mode setup menu is selected from an IR/RF (Infrared/Radio Frequency) automatic setup menu located under a remote-controller menu.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the remote-controller generates a key input signal when the user presses a specific key for a predetermined period of time.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined period of time is less than 1 second.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step (c) for determining whether the RF signal is received includes the step of:

c1) determining whether a pre-assigned specific port of the digital electronic device receives the RF signal.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the step (c1) for determining whether the RF signal is received in the pre-assigned specific port includes the step of:

if the RF signal is successively received in the pre-assigned specific port for a predetermined period of time less than 300 ms, determining whether the RF signal is received.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

f) establishing a security code of an RF remote-controller after the remote-controller communication mode is set to a Radio Frequency (RF) mode.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

g) if the RF signal is not detected, determining whether an IR (Infrared) signal is received.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the step (g) for determining whether the IR signal is received includes the step of:

determining whether a pre-assigned specific port of the digital electronic device receives the IR signal.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of:

if the IR signal is received, allowing the digital electronic device to determine a remote-controller communication mode to be an IR mode, and outputting normal setup confirmation information.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of:

establishing a security code of an IR remote-controller after the remote-controller communication mode is set to an IR mode.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

if the remote-controller is not switched to a user-desired mode, allowing the user to repeat steps from the step (a).

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

if the remote-controller is not switched to a user-desired mode, maintaining current status.

14. A digital electronic device comprising:

a component for automatically recognizing/establishing a remote-controller communication mode according to the method of claim 1.