Terminal device, center device, communication system, terminal device controlling method, center device controlling method, terminal device controlling program and recording medium storing same, and center device controlling program and recording medium storing same

• US 20070200727A1
• Filed: 04/15/2004
• Published: 08/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sakamoto, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 7,590,412 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825.250
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4108 characterised by an identification number or address, e.g. local network address protecting specific internal or external computer components using identification number G06F21/73; network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4117 for generating hard copies of the content, e.g. printer, electronic paper interfaces to printers G06F3/12; printing data G06K15/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42226 Reprogrammable remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/38 Transmitter circuitry for the transmission of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/46 for receiving on more than one standard at will deflecting circuits of multi-standard receivers H04N3/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A TV main body (3) is connected, in a communication-enabled manner, with a wireless center that is connected to one or more external devices, The TV main body (3) receiving image and/or sound data from the wireless center. The TV main body (3) includes: an SS transmitting/receiving unit (61) for performing communication with the wireless center; and a TV microcomputer (64) for controlling the operation of the TV main body (3). The TV microcomputer (64) includes: an ID acquiring section (150) for acquiring, from the wireless center via the SS transmitting/receiving unit (61), identification information for identifying the external device; and a remote-controller data producing section (151) for (A) generating remote-operation data when a remote operation is performed with respect to the external device, the remote-operation data containing (a) remote operation information indicating content of the remote operation, and (b) identification information of the external device to be subjected to the remote operation, and (B) for transmitting, via the SS transmitting/receiving unit (61), the remote-operation data which has been generated.

Claims

1. A terminal device connected, in a communication-enabled manner, with a center device, so that an image and/or a sound data is received from the center device, the center device being connected with at least one external device, the terminal device comprising:

communication means for communicating with the center device; and

control means for controlling an operation of the terminal device, the control means including;

identification information acquiring means for acquiring, from the center device via the communication means, identification information for identifying the external device;

remote-operation data producing means for generating remote-operation data when a remote operation is performed with respect to the external device, the remote-operation data containing (a) remote operation information indicating content of the remote operation, and (b) identification information of the external device to be subjected to the remote operation; and

remote-operation data transmitting means for transmitting, to the center device via the communication means, the remote-operation data having been generated by the remote-operation data producing means.

2. The terminal device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

remote-controller signal receiving means for receiving a remote-controller signal from a remote-controlling device for use in remotely operating the terminal device, wherein

the remote-operation data producing means of the control means generates the remote-operation data, based on the remote-controller signal received by the remote-controller signal receiving means.

3. The terminal device as set forth in claim 2, wherein:

the remote-operation data producing means generates remote-controller information, based on the remote-controller signal, and adds the identification information to the remote-controller information, so as to generate the remote-operation data.

7. A communication system wherein the terminal device set forth in claim 1 is connected, in a communication-enabled manner, with the center device.

8. The communication system as set forth in claim 7, wherein the terminal device and the center device perform a wireless communication.

11. A terminal device controlling program for operating the terminal device set forth in claim 1, the terminal device controlling program causing a computer to function as the control means.

13. A computer-readable recording medium storing the terminal device controlling program set forth in claim 11 and/or the center device controlling program.

14. A terminal device controlling program for operating the terminal device set forth in claim 2, the terminal device controlling program causing a computer to function as the control means.

15. A terminal device controlling program for operating the terminal device set forth in claim 3, the terminal device controlling program causing a computer to function as the control means.

4. A center device, to which at least one external device is connected, for transmitting image and/or sound data to a terminal device, the center device comprising:

communication means for communicating with the terminal device;

storage means for storing therein identification information for identifying the external device; and

control means for controlling an operation of the center device,

the control means including;

identification information transmitting means for transmitting, to the terminal device via the communication means, the identification information stored in the storage means;

remote-operation data acquiring means for acquiring, from the terminal device via the communication means, remote-operation data for remotely operating the external device, the remote-operation data containing (a) remote-controller information indicating content of the remote operation, and (b) identification information of the external device to be subjected to the remote operation; and

remote control means for remotely operating, in accordance with the remote-controller information in the remote-operation data, the external device corresponding to the identification information in the remote-operation data acquired by the remote-operation data acquiring means.

5. The center device as set forth in claim 4, wherein:

the storage means further stores therein device-use-information indicating a use-status of the external device; and

the remote control means judges, based on the device-use-information, whether or not the remote operation is performed.

6. The center device as set forth in claim 4, further comprising:

infrared transmitting means for transmitting a signal, in a form of infrared light, to the external device, the signal being used for the remote control means to remotely operate the external device.

12. A center device controlling program for operating the center device set forth in claim 4, the center device controlling program causing a computer to function as the control means.

16. A center device controlling program for operating the center device set forth in claim 5, the center device controlling program causing a computer to function as the control means.

9. A method for controlling a terminal device which is connected, in a communication-enabled manner, with a center device so that an image and/or a sound data is received from the center device the center device to which at least one external device is connected, wherein:

the terminal device includes communication means for communicating with the center device; and

the method includes the steps of;

acquiring, from the center device via the communication means, identification information for identifying the external device;

generating remote-operation data when a remote operation is performed with respect to the external device, the remote-operation data containing (a) remote operation information indicating content of the remote operation, and (b) identification information of the external device to be subjected to the remote operation; and

transmitting the remote-operation data, which has been generated, to the center device via the communication means.

10. A method for controlling a center device to which at least one external device is connected, the center device being for transmitting image and/or sound data to a terminal device, wherein:

the center device includes (a) communication means for communicating with the terminal device, and (b) storage means for storing therein identification information for identifying the external device; and

the method includes the steps of;

transmitting, to the terminal device via the communication means, the identification information stored in the storage means;

acquiring, from-the terminal device via the communication means, remote-operation data for remotely operating the external device, the remote-operation data containing (a) remote-controller information indicating content of the remote operation, and (b) identification information of the external device to be subjected to the remote operation; and

remotely operating, in accordance with the remote-controller information in the remote-operation data, the external device corresponding to the identification information in the remote-operation data that has been acquired.