ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20090059092A1
• Filed: 08/28/2008
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2007
• 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: NAKAMURA, Ryousuke
• Granted Patent: US 8,237,862 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/734
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/40 Remote control systems using repeaters, converters, gateways

Abstract

An electronic device is electrically connected to an external electronic device. The electronic device includes an assignment component, a memory component and a control component. The assignment component is configured to assign control codes that control operations of the external electronic device to a plurality of control keys of a remote control to generate assignment information indicating corresponding relationship between the control codes and the control keys of the remote control. The memory component is configured to store the assignment information generated by the assignment component. The control component is configured to control the external electronic device based on the assignment information stored in the memory component when the control component receives an operation signal indicating that one of the control keys of the remote control is operated.

Claims

1. An electronic device electrically connected to an external electronic device, comprising:

an assignment component configured to assign control codes that control operations of the external electronic device to a plurality of control keys of a remote control to generate assignment information indicating corresponding relationship between the control codes and the control keys of the remote control;

a memory component configured to store the assignment information generated by the assignment component; and

a control component configured to control the external electronic device based on the assignment information stored in the memory component when the control component receives an operation signal indicating that one of the control keys of the remote control is operated.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising

a display component configured to display an assignment setting screen that prompt to input an assignment of the control codes to the control keys,

the assignment component being further configured to assign the control codes to the control keys based on the assignment of the control codes to the control keys inputted via the assignment setting screen.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising

a display component operatively coupled to the control component, and configured to display the assignment information stored in the memory component when the control component receives an operation signal indicating that an assignment information display key of the remote control is operated.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

the remote control further has a function switching key being configured to switch a function of a plurality of number keys of the remote control for numerical input so that the number keys serve as the control keys to control the external electronic device.

5. The electronic device according to claim 4, further comprising

a display component operatively coupled to the control component, and configured to display the assignment information that is stored in the memory component and indicates the corresponding relationship between the control codes and the number keys when the control component receives an operation signal indicating that the function switching key of the remote control is operated.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

the control component is further configured to control the external electronic device by transmitting the control codes to the external electronic device based on HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) standards.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6, further comprising

an HDMI terminal electrically connected to an HDMI terminal of the external electronic device, and configured to transmit the control codes to the external electronic device.

8. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein

the control component is farther configured to transmit the control codes including a CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) message defined by the HDMI standards.

9. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising

a television receiving component configured to be controlled by the remote control to receive television broadcasts.

10. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein

the control component is further configured to control the external electronic device by transmitting the control codes to the external electronic device based on HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) standards.

11. The electronic device according to claim 2, further comprising

a television receiving component configured to be controlled by the remote control to receive television broadcasts.

12. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein

the control component is further configured to control the external electronic device by transmitting the control codes to the external electronic device based on HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) standards.

13. The electronic device according to claim 3, further comprising

a television receiving component configured to be controlled by the remote control to receive television broadcasts.

14. The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein

the control component is further configured to control the external electronic device by transmitting the control codes to the external electronic device based on HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) standards.

15. The electronic device according to claim 4, further comprising

a television receiving component configured to be controlled by the remote control to receive television broadcasts.