Remote control system, remote commander and remote control method, apparatus to be remotely controlled, and computer system

• US 20060251059A1
• Filed: 05/04/2006
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Junichi, Sato, Hideki, Otsu, Shuichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,924,168 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances

Abstract

When apparatuses controllable via a network exist inside and outside a user'"'"'s visual range, a user remotely controls at least one of the apparatuses via the network using a predetermined control point in a remote control system. The remote control system includes the following: a mechanism that causes the control point to transmit a command for specifying an apparatus to be controlled via the network to an apparatus to be specified in accordance with a user'"'"'s apparatus specifying operation; and a mechanism that causes the apparatus that has received the command for specifying an apparatus to be controlled to transmit a response via the network to the control point as well as to perform an operation using a device attached to the body of the apparatus in response to the command.

Claims

1. A remote control system in which, when apparatuses controllable via a network exist inside and outside a user'"'"'s visual range, a user remotely controls at least one of the apparatuses via the network using a predetermined control point, the remote control system comprising:

means for causing the control point to transmit a command for specifying an apparatus to be controlled via the network to an apparatus to be specified in accordance with a user'"'"'s apparatus specifying operation; and

means for causing the apparatus that has received the command for specifying an apparatus to be controlled to transmit a response via the network to the control point as well as to perform an operation using a device attached to the body of the apparatus in response to the command.

2. The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the control point informs a user that the apparatus specifying operation has been completed upon receiving the response to the command for specifying an apparatus to be controlled.

3. The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus that has received the command for specifying an apparatus to be controlled performs an operation such as causing an image to be output from a display device attached to the body of the apparatus, flashing an LED, or outputting sound from a speaker in response to the command.

4. The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus that has received the command for specifying an apparatus to be controlled determines whether it can accept the command and then informs a user of the determined result by displaying the determined result on the body of the apparatus.

5. The remote control system according to claim 1,

wherein the control point displays a list of name information of all apparatuses controllable via the network, and then transmits the command for specifying an apparatus to be controlled to an apparatus to be specified via the network in accordance with the apparatus specifying operation performed by a user using the displayed list, the command including a request for displaying name information of the apparatus to be specified, and

wherein the apparatus that has received the command for specifying an apparatus to be controlled performs a displaying operation of the name information thereof as the operation in response to the command.

6. The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the control point functions as a remote commander.

7. A remote commander that operates as a control point for controlling via a network at least one of one or more apparatuses that are controllable via the network and are connected to each other via the network, the at least one of one or more apparatuses having been specified as an apparatus to be controlled by a user, the remote commander comprising:

means for informing a user of the one or more apparatuses controllable via the network;

means for specifying an apparatus by transmitting a command for specifying an apparatus via the network to an apparatus that a user has specified from among the one or more apparatuses that the user has been informed of; and

means for informing a user that an apparatus specifying operation has been completed upon receiving a receipt confirmation response via the network from an apparatus that has received the command for specifying an apparatus, the receipt confirmation response showing that the apparatus has accepted the command.

8. The remote commander according to claim 7,

wherein the means for informing a user of the one or more apparatuses displays a list of name information of all apparatuses controllable via the network, and

wherein the means for specifying an apparatus transmits the command for specifying an apparatus to be controlled via the network to an apparatus that a user has specified using the displayed list, the command including a request for displaying the name information of the apparatus to be specified.

9. A remote control operation method of remotely controlling via a network at least one of one or more apparatuses that are controllable via the network and are connected to each other via the network, the at least one of one or more apparatuses having been specified as an apparatus to be controlled by a user, the remote control operation method comprising the steps of:

informing a user of the one or more apparatuses controllable via the network;

specifying an apparatus by transmitting a command for specifying an apparatus via the network to an apparatus that a user has specified from among the one or more apparatuses that the user has been informed of; and

informing a user that an apparatus specifying operation has been completed upon receiving a receipt confirmation response via the network from an apparatus that has received the command for specifying an apparatus, the receipt confirmation response showing that the apparatus has accepted the command.

10. The remote control operation method according to claim 9,

wherein, in the step of informing a user of the one or more apparatuses, a list of name information of all apparatuses controllable via the network is displayed, and

wherein, in the step of specifying an apparatus, a command for specifying an apparatus to be controlled is transmitted via the network to an apparatus that a user has specified using the displayed list, the command including a request for displaying the name information of the apparatus to be specified.

11. An apparatus to be remotely controlled that a user can remotely operate using a control point via a network, the apparatus to be remotely controlled comprising:

means for performing a communicating operation via the network;

means for transmitting a reception confirmation response via the network when the apparatus to be remotely controlled accepts a command for specifying an apparatus to be controlled having been received from the control point via the network; and

means for performing an operation when the apparatus to be remotely controlled accepts a command for specifying an apparatus to be controlled having been received from the control point via the network, the operation showing that the apparatus to be remotely controlled has accepted the command, the means being attached to the body of the apparatus.

12. The apparatus to be remotely controlled according to claim 11, wherein the means for performing an operation performs an operation such as causing an image to be output from a display device attached to the body of the apparatus, flashing an LED, or outputting sound from a speaker in response to the command for specifying an apparatus to be controlled.

13. The apparatus to be remotely controlled according to claim 11, further comprising:

means for determining whether the apparatus to be remotely controlled can accept a command for specifying an apparatus to be controlled, the command having been received from the control point via the network, and for informing a user of the determined result on the body of the apparatus.

14. The apparatus to be remotely controlled according to claim 11, wherein, when the command for specifying an apparatus to be controlled is received by an apparatus, the command including a request for displaying name information, the means for performing an operation displays the name information of the apparatus as the operation.

15. A computer program written in a computer-readable form so that processing for remotely operating via a network at least one of one or more apparatuses that are controllable via the network and are connected to each other via the network can be performed on a computer system, the at least one of one or more apparatuses having been specified as an apparatus to be controlled by a user, the computer program causing the computer system to execute:

a procedure for informing a user of the one or more apparatuses controllable via the network;

a procedure for specifying an apparatus by transmitting a command for specifying an apparatus via the network to an apparatus that a user has specified from among the one or more apparatuses that the user has been informed of; and

a procedure for informing a user that an apparatus specifying operation has been completed upon receiving a reception confirmation response via the network from an apparatus to which the command for specifying an apparatus has been transmitted, the reception confirmation response showing that the apparatus has accepted the command.

16. A remote control system in which, when apparatuses controllable via a network exist inside and outside a user'"'"'s visual range, a user remotely controls at least one of the apparatuses via the network using a predetermined control point, the remote control system comprising:

a mechanism that causes the control point to transmit a command for specifying an apparatus to be controlled via the network to an apparatus to be specified in accordance with a user'"'"'s apparatus specifying operation; and

a mechanism that causes the apparatus that has received the command for specifying an apparatus to be controlled to transmit a response via the network to the control point as well as to perform an operation using a device attached to the body of the apparatus in response to the command.

17. A remote commander that operates as a control point for controlling via a network at least one of one or more apparatuses that are controllable via the network and are connected to each other via the network, the at least one of one or more apparatuses having been specified as an apparatus to be controlled by a user, the remote commander comprising:

a section operable to inform a user of the one or more apparatuses controllable via the network;

a section operable to specify an apparatus by transmitting a command for specifying an apparatus via the network to an apparatus that a user has specified from among the one or more apparatuses that the user has been informed of; and

a section operable to inform a user that an apparatus specifying operation has been completed upon receiving a receipt confirmation response via the network from an apparatus that has received the command for specifying an apparatus, the receipt confirmation response showing that the apparatus has accepted the command.

18. An apparatus to be remotely controlled that a user can remotely operate using a control point via a network, the apparatus to be remotely controlled comprising:

a section operable to perform a communicating operation via the network;

a section operable to transmit a reception confirmation response via the network when the apparatus to be remotely controlled accepts a command for specifying an apparatus to be controlled having been received from the control point via the network; and

a section operable to perform an operation when the apparatus to be remotely controlled accepts a command for specifying an apparatus to be controlled having been received from the control point via the network, the operation showing that the apparatus to be remotely controlled has accepted the command, the section being attached to the apparatus body.