Remote control apparatus and portable communication terminal

• US 20070279248A1
• Filed: 10/13/2006
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Fumiaki, Koizumi, Michiaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,421,597 B2
• 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 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/91 Remote control based on location and proximity
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared

Abstract

A portable communication terminal having a remote control apparatus includes a CPU. The CPU detects electronic appliances around there by a wireless tag reader, displays a plurality of characters respectively corresponding to the detected plurality of appliances on a monitor, transmits test signals to these appliances, and changes a manner of the character of the appliance except for the appliance which responds, that is, the appliance which is in an off-state. Furthermore, the CPU detects identification information of a base station which is able to communicate with the terminal, registers the identification information detected under a desired location condition in the register, and determines whether or not a match condition is satisfied between detected identification information and the identification information which has been registered. Then, if the determination result is affirmative, the electronic appliance around there is detected by the wireless tag reader, and an operation screen for remotely controlling the detected appliance on a monitor is displayed.

Claims

1. A remote control apparatus, comprising:

a first detector for detecting an electronic appliance having a wireless tag by communication with said wireless tag;

a creator for creating a control signal adapting to the electronic appliance detected by said first detector;

a first transmitter for repeatedly transmitting a control signal created by said creator to a processor of said electronic appliance detected by said first detector;

a second detector for detecting an electronic appliance responding to the control signal transmitted by said first transmitter; and

a display for displaying an operation screen to remotely control the electronic appliance detected by said second detector.

2. A remote control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said operation screen includes a plurality of characters respectively corresponding to a plurality of electronic appliances detected by said first detector, and further comprising a first changer for changing a display manner of the character corresponding to the appliance except for the appliance detected by said second detector out of said plurality of characters included in said operation screen.

3. A remote control apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a second transmitter, when accepting an operation directed to a character included in the operation screen displayed by said display, for transmitting a control signal according to the operation to an appliance corresponding to the desired character;

a determiner for determining the presence or absence of a response to the control signal transmitted by said second transmitter; and

a second changer for changing a display manner of a character corresponding to said desired electronic appliance out of said plurality of characters included in said operation screen when it is determined to be no response.

4. A remote control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a location detector for detecting location information indicative of its own present location;

a register for registering the location information detected by said location detector under a desired location condition; and

a determiner for determining whether or not a match condition is satisfied between the location information detected by said location detector after completion of the registering process by said register and the location information registered in said register, wherein

said appliance detector executes detection processing when a determination result by said determiner is affirmative.

5. A remote control apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a communicator for executing communication processing with a base station, wherein said location detector detects identification information of a base station which is able to be communicated by said communicator as said location information.

6. A remote control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

said base station repeatedly sends a PN signal, and

said location detector notes the PN signal sent from said base station.

7. A remote control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

said base station repeatedly sends an identification signal including the identification information of said base station, and

said location detector notes the identification signal sent from said base station.

9. A recording medium recording an appliance control program, wherein said appliance control program causes a processor of a remote control apparatus to execute following steps of:

a first detecting step for detecting an electronic appliance having a wireless tag by communicating with said wireless tag;

a creating step for creating a control signal adapting to the electronic appliance detected by said first detecting step;

a first transmitting step for repeatedly transmitting a control signal created by said creating step to a processor of said electronic appliance detected by said first detecting step;

a second detecting step for detecting an electronic appliance responding to the control signal transmitted by said first transmitting step; and

a displaying step for displaying an operation screen to remotely control the electronic appliance detected by said second detecting step.

10. A controlling method of a remote control apparatus, comprising:

a first detecting step for detecting an electronic appliance having a wireless tag by communicating with said wireless tag;

a creating step for creating a control signal adapting to the electronic appliance detected by said first detecting step;

a first transmitting step for repeatedly transmitting a control signal created by said creating step to a processor of said electronic appliance detected by said first detecting step;

a second detecting step for detecting an electronic appliance responding to the control signal transmitted by said first transmitting step; and

a displaying step for displaying an operation screen to remotely control the electronic appliance detected by said second detecting step.

11. A portable communication terminal, comprising:

a communicator for executing communication processing with a base station;

an information detector for detecting identification information of a base station which is able to be communicated by said communicator;

a register for registering the identification information detected by said information detector under a desired location condition;

a determiner for determining whether or not a match condition is satisfied between the identification information detected by said information detector after completion of registering processing by said register and the identification information registered by said register;

an appliance detector for detecting an electronic appliance existing around there when a determination result by said determiner is affirmative; and

a display for displaying an operation screen to remotely control the electronic appliance detected by said appliance detector.

8. A remote control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

said base station is a wireless LAN access point, and

said identification signal includes an MAC address assigned to said wireless LAN access point.

12. A portable communication terminal according to claim 11, wherein

said base station repeatedly sends a PN signal, and

said information detector notes the PN signal sent from said base station.

13. A portable communication terminal according to claim 11, wherein

said base station repeatedly sends an identification signal including the identification information of said base station, and

said information detector notes the identification signal sent from said base station.

14. A portable communication terminal according to claim 13, wherein

said base station is a wireless LAN access point, and

said identification signal includes an MAC address assigned to said wireless LAN access point.

15. A portable communication terminal according to claim 11, wherein

said electronic appliance has a wireless tag storing appliance identification information, and

said appliance detector includes a reader for reading the appliance identification information stored in said wireless tag.

16. A portable communication terminal according to claim 11, further comprising:

a creator for creating a control signal adapting to the electronic appliance detected by said appliance detector;

a transmitter for transmitting the control signal created by said creator to a processor of the electronic appliance detected by said appliance detector; and

a responding appliance detector for detecting an electronic appliance responding to the control signal transmitted by said transmitter, wherein

said display changes a display manner of said operation screen according to a detection result of said responding appliance detector.

17. A portable communication terminal according to claim 16, wherein said transmitter repeatedly sends said control signal.

18. A portable communication terminal according to claim 16, further comprising an acquirer for acquiring appliance control information to remotely control an electronic appliance detected by said appliance detector by utilizing said communicator, wherein said creator creates said control signal on the basis of the appliance control information acquired by said acquirer.

19. A recording medium recording an appliance control program, wherein said appliance control program causes a processor of a portable communication terminal having a communicator for executing communication processing with a base station to execute following steps of:

an information detecting step for detecting identification information of a base station which is able to be communicated by said communicator;

a registering step for registering the identification information detected by said information detecting step under a desired location condition;

a determining step for determining whether or not a match condition is satisfied between the identification information detected by said information detecting step after completion of registering processing by said registering step and the identification information registered by said registering step;

an appliance detecting step for detecting an electronic appliance existing around there when a determination result by said determining step is affirmative; and

a displaying step for displaying an operation screen to remotely control the electronic appliance detected by said appliance detecting step.

20. An appliance controlling method for a portable communication terminal having a communicator to perform communication processing with a base station, comprising:

an information detecting step for detecting identification information of a base station which is able to be communicated by said communicator;

a registering step for registering the identification information detected by said information detecting step under a desired location condition;

a determining step for determining whether or not a match condition is satisfied between the identification information detected by said information detecting step after completion of registering processing by said registering step and the identification information registered by said registering step;

an appliance detecting step for detecting an electronic appliance existing around there when a determination result by said determining step is affirmative; and

a displaying step for displaying an operation screen to remotely control the electronic appliance detected by said appliance detecting step.