Remote operation system

• US 20080088495A1
• Filed: 10/09/2007
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd. (Funai Electric Holdings Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd. (Funai Electric Holdings Company Limited)
• Inventors: Kawakita, Mitsuri
• Granted Patent: US 7,973,648 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/176
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• 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 21/42204 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 21/43635 HDMI

Abstract

When a television receiver is connected to a DVD player via an HDMI cable, HDMI authentication is carried out. EDID data is then acquired from the television receiver and a manufacturer name is determined. When the manufacturer name is determined to be, for example, “company A”, a table indicating a correspondence relationship of manufacturer names and remote control codes is referred to and remote control codes corresponding to the determined company A are selected. The selected remote control codes are then transmitted after selection of remote control codes of the company A is carried out. Remote control codes corresponding to the manufacturer name of the company A received from the DVD player are then stored in a memory in a manner corresponding to operation key numbers allocated in advance to a plurality of operation keys at a remote control unit.

Claims

1. A remote operation system where a main apparatus and an auxiliary apparatus connected to the main apparatus via a predetermined interface cable are capable of being remotely operated by a single remote control unit,

wherein the main apparatus comprises:

a connection determination section for determining whether or not a connection between the main apparatus and the auxiliary apparatus via the predetermined interface cable is established;

an authentication processing section for carrying out authentication of the predetermined interface when it is determined that the connection is established;

an identification data acquiring section for acquiring identification data of a predetermined format including specific information from the auxiliary apparatus when a remote control code setting mode is set and after the authentication is completed;

a specific information determination section for determining specific information specific to the auxiliary apparatus from the identification data that is acquired;

a remote control code selecting section for selecting a set of remote control codes corresponding to the specific information determined to be specific to the auxiliary apparatus by referring to a table showing a correspondence relationship between the specific information specific to the auxiliary apparatus and the set of remote control codes; and

an apparatus-side remote control code transmission control section for transmitting the set of remote control codes that is selected to the remote control unit, and

wherein the remote control unit comprises;

a remote control unit-side remote control code receiving control section for allowing the remote control unit to receive the set of remote control codes from the main apparatus when the remote control setting mode is set; and

a remote control code storage section for storing in a memory the set of remote control codes corresponding to the specific information specific to the auxiliary apparatus received, the set of remote control codes being stored in the memory in a manner corresponding to operation key numbers allocated in advance to a plurality of operation keys.

2. The remote operation system according to claim 1,

wherein the remote control unit further comprises:

a remote control unit-side remote control code transmission control section for sending the set of remote control codes received by the remote control unit to the main apparatus for verification to see whether or not the set of remote control code received by the remote control unit is correct, and

wherein the main apparatus further comprises;

an apparatus-side remote control code receiving control section for receiving the set of remote control codes from the remote control unit when the remote control setting mode is set;

a remote control code determination section for determining whether or not the set of remote control codes received for verification from the remote control unit and the set of remote control codes transmitted from the main apparatus match; and

a message display section for displaying a message indicating that remote control setting has completed on a display when it is determined that two of the sets of remote control codes match, and displaying a message indicating that remote control setting has failed on the display when it is determined that the two of the sets of remote control codes do not match.

3. The remote operation system according to claim 1,

wherein the specific information is a manufacturer name for the auxiliary apparatus.

4. The remote operation system according to claim 1,

wherein the specific information is a manufacturer name and a product code for the auxiliary apparatus.

5. The remote operation system according to claim 1,

wherein the specific information is a manufacturer name, a product code, and a serial number for the auxiliary apparatus.

6. The remote operation system according to claim 1,

wherein the identification data of the predetermined format is stored in a memory of the auxiliary apparatus in line with Extended Display Identification Data format.

7. The remote operation system according to claim 1,

wherein the predetermined interface is a High Definition Multimedia Interface.

8. The remote operation system according to claim 1,

wherein the table is stored in advance in a non-volatile memory of the main apparatus.

9. The remote operation system according to claim 2,

wherein the specific information is a manufacturer name for the auxiliary apparatus.

10. The remote operation system according to claim 2,

wherein the specific information is a manufacturer name and a product code for the auxiliary apparatus.

11. The remote operation system according to claim 2,

wherein the specific information is a manufacturer name, a product code, and a serial number for the auxiliary apparatus.

12. The remote operation system according to claim 2,

wherein the identification data of the predetermined format is stored in a memory of the auxiliary apparatus in line with Extended Display Identification Data format.

13. The remote operation system according to claim 2,

wherein the predetermined interface is a High Definition Multimedia Interface.

14. The remote operation system according to claim 1,

wherein the table is stored in advance in a non-volatile memory of the main apparatus.