Remote control for an audio signal playback system

• US 20070008280A1
• Filed: 08/24/2004
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Ullmann, Paul
• Application Number:
  US10/569,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20070008280A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances

Abstract

In an audio-signal playback system, a remote control device (3) for remotely controlling a playback device (2) for audio signals comprises a detector (7) for detecting mobile-phone radio signals (5) from a mobile phone (4), wherein, on detection of the mobile-phone radio signal (5), the remote a control device (3) is designed to emit to the playback device (2), in a wireless manner, a volume-influencing signal (6) to influence the volume of the playback of the audio signals by the playback device (2).

Claims

1. A remote control device (3) for remotely controlling a playback device (2), which playback device (2) is designed for the acoustic playback of audio signals, and which playback device (2) is designed to receive, in a wireless manner, volume-influencing signals (6) emitted by the remote control device (3), and to control the volume of the playback of the audio signals in accordance with the received volume-influencing signals (6), wherein the remote control device (3) comprises a detector (7) for detecting mobile-phone radio signals (5) that can be generated with a mobile phone (4), and wherein, on detecting the mobile-phone radio signals (5), the remote control device (3) is designed to emit to the playback device (2), in a wireless manner, a volume-influencing signal (6) with which the volume of the playback of the audio signals by the playback device (2) can be influenced.

2. A remote control device (3) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detector (7) is designed to detect the identifier that is transmitted to the base station by the mobile phone (4) in reaction to incoming calls and is contained in the mobile-phone radio signals (5).

3. A remote control device (3) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the detector (7) is designed to distinguish between an identifier relating to the reception of data messages and an identifier relating to the reception of spoken messages.

4. A remote control device (3) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detector (7) is designed to ignore short signal pulses from the mobile phone (4), with which it regularly reports to the base station.

5. A remote control device (3) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the volume-influencing signal (6) represents a muting signal, a volume-reducing signal, a fading signal or a pause or stop signal to interrupt the playback of a data carrier in the playback device (2).

6. A remote control device (3) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the remote control device (3) is designed as a mounting for one or more mobile phones.

7. A remote control device (3) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the remote control device (3) comprises a charging device (3g) for a mobile phone.

8. A remote control device (3) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the range of the detector (7) for reception of the mobile-phone radio signals (5) from a mobile phone (4) is restricted to less than 3 m, preferably less than 1.5 m.

9. A remote control device (3) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the remote control device (3) is designed as an infrared or ultrasonic remote control device.

10. An audio-signal playback system (1) with a remote control device (3) as claimed in claim 1, and with a playback device (2), which playback device (2) is designed for the acoustic playback of audio signals, and which playback device (2) is designed to receive, in a wireless manner, volume-influencing signals (6) emitted by the remote control device (3), and to control the volume of the playback of the audio signals in accordance with the received volume-influencing signals (6).

11. An audio-signal playback system (1) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the playback device (2) is designed as a television set or stereo system.

12. A method of influencing the volume of the playback of audio signals, which audio signals are emitted from a playback device (2), comprising the detection of mobile-phone radio signals (5) that can be generated with a mobile phone (4) in a remote control device (3), and comprising the wireless transmission of a volume-influencing signal (6) from the remote control device (3) to the playback device (2), with which volume-influencing signal the volume of the playback of the audio signals by the playback device (2) is influenced.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein an identifier contained in the mobile-phone radio signals (5) from the mobile phone (4), which is transmitted from the mobile phone to the base station in reaction to incoming calls, is detected.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein, during detection, a distinction is made between an identifier relating to the reception of data messages and an identifier relating to the reception of spoken messages.

15. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein, during detection of the radio signals (5) from the mobile phone (4), short signal pulses from the mobile phone (4), with which the mobile phone (4) regularly reports to the base station, are ignored.

16. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the volume-influencing signal (6) is made up of a muting signal, a volume-reducing signal, a fading signal or a pause or stop signal to interrupt the playback of a data carrier in the playback device (2).

17. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the volume-influencing signal (6) transmitted via the remote control device lies in the infrared or ultrasonic frequency range.