APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING A CONSUMER PRODUCT

• US 20080301753A1
• Filed: 10/01/2007
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Himax Technologies Ltd. (Himax Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Himax Technologies Ltd. (Himax Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lin, Chi Chia, Liu, Shu Ming
• Granted Patent: US 8,209,737 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/152
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link

Abstract

The apparatus and method of controlling a consumer product includes the step of connecting an input device to the consumer product. Also, an input event of the input device is translated into at least one key code, where the key code is recognized by a middleware of the consumer product. Furthermore, the at least one key code is transmitted to the consumer product. In addition, the at least one key code is executed by an application program of the middleware so as to control the consumer product.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a consumer product, comprising the steps of:

connecting an input device to the consumer product;

translating an input event of the input device into at least one key code, wherein the key code is recognized by a middleware of the consumer product and the application program is programmed based on the middleware;

transmitting the at least one key code to the consumer product; and

executing the at least one key code by the application program so as to control the consumer product.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the middleware is one of DVB-MHP (Digital Video Broadcast-Multimedia Home Platform), DCAP (Distributed Control Application Platform) and ARIB (Association of Radio Industries and Business).

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of setting the model of the input device in an application program of the consumer product, wherein the consumer product has limited applicable input devices, and the input device is not any one of the limited applicable input devices.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of translating an input event of the input device into at least one key code comprises the step of:

translating the input event into the key code on a one-to-one mapping basis if control means of the input device has buttons only.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of translating an input event of the input device into at least one key code comprises the steps of:

dividing a limited motion range of the X-axis by the number of the key codes if control means of the input device has a limited one-dimensional motion range; and

translating the input event into the corresponding key code according to the position of the input event relating to the divided regions.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of translating an input event of the input device into at least one key code comprises the steps of:

dividing the X-axis into n vectors if control means of the input device has an unlimited one-dimensional motion range, wherein n represents the number of the key codes; and

translating the input event into the corresponding key code according to the position of the input event relating to the divided vectors.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of translating an input event of the input device into at least one key code comprises the steps of:

dividing a limited motion range of the X-axis and Y-axis by the number of the key codes, respectively, if control means of the input device has a limited two-dimensional motion range; and

translating the input event into the corresponding key code according to the position of the input event relating to the divided regions.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of translating an input event of the input device into at least one key code comprises the steps of:

dividing the X-axis and Y-axis into n vectors, respectively, if control means of the input device has an unlimited two-dimensional motion range, wherein n represents the number of the key codes; and

translating the input event into the corresponding key code according to the position of the input event relating to the divided vectors.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of translating an input event of the input device into at least one key code comprises the steps of:

dividing a limited motion range of the X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis by the number of the key codes, respectively, if control means of the input device has a limited three-dimensional motion range; and

translating the input event into the corresponding key code according to the position of the input event relating to the divided regions.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of translating an input event of the input device into at least one key code comprises the steps of:

dividing the X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis into n vectors, respectively, if control means of the input device has an unlimited three-dimensional motion range, wherein n represents the number of the key codes; and

translating the input event into the corresponding key code according to the position of the input event relating to the divided vectors.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the translation is performed according to a look-up table.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the consumer product is a set-top-box.

13. An apparatus of controlling a consumer product, comprising:

an input event receiver receiving an input event;

an input event translator associating the input event of the input event receiver with a plurality of key codes defined by a middleware of the consumer product; and

a signal transmitter configured to send each of the key codes to the consumer product.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the middleware is DVB-MHP, DCAP, or ARIB.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the consumer product has limited applicable input devices, and the input device is not any one of the limited applicable input devices.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the consumer product is a set-top-box.

17. An apparatus of controlling a consumer product, comprising:

an input device, comprising;

an input event receiver receiving an input event; and

an input event translator associating the input event of the input event receiver with a plurality of key codes defined by a middleware of the consumer product;

a remote controller configured to send each of the key codes to the consumer product; and

a connector configured to connect the input event translator to the remote controller.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the middleware is DVB-MHP, DCAP, or ARIB.

19. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the consumer product has limited applicable input devices, and the input device is not any one of the limited applicable input devices.

20. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the consumer product is a set-top-box.