REMOTE CONTROL APPARATUS AND COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20090184161A1
• Filed: 01/16/2009
• Published: 07/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tsurumoto, Takashi, Kikuchi, Akihiro, Kabasawa, Kenichi, Ueno, Masatoshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,622,283 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• 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 21/4436 Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A remote control apparatus for communicating with an electric apparatus by radio communication is provided. The remote control apparatus includes a reader/writer for carrying out reading out and writing of information from and into an information recording medium; a transmission/reception section configured to transfer a signal to and from the electric apparatus by the radio communication; and a control section having a power control function for controlling the power of the reader/writer; the control section controlling the reader/writer to the low power consumption state when the power supply to the remote control apparatus is made available.

Claims

1. A remote control apparatus for communicating with an electric apparatus by radio communication, comprising:

a reader/writer for carrying out reading out and/or writing of information from and into an information recording medium;

transmission/reception means for transferring a signal to and from the electric apparatus by the radio communication; and

control means having a power control function for controlling the power of said reader/writer;

said control means controlling said reader/writer to the low power consumption state when the power supply to said remote control apparatus is made available.

2. The remote control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transmission/reception means uses the same radio communication method for transmission of an operation instruction to the electric apparatus, transmission of information read out from the information recording medium and reception of information to be written into the recording medium from the electric apparatus.

3. The remote control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when a command for confirming the presence of said reader/writer is received, said control means ends the low power consumption state of said reader/writer.

4. The remote control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when a command for confirming the presence of said reader/writer is received from the electric apparatus, if processing of said reader/writer after starting till ending of signal outputting from said reader/writer is not carried out regularly, then said control means controls said reader/writer to the low power consumption state.

5. The remote control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, if a command is received from the electric apparatus or said reader/writer, then said control means starts counting of a timer, and then if a command is not received from the electric apparatus or said reader/writer within a fixed period of time after the counting of said timer is started, then said control means stops the counting of said timer and controls said reader/writer to the low power consumption state.

6. A communication system, comprising:

an electric apparatus; and

a remote control apparatus for communicating with said electric apparatus by radio communication;

said remote control apparatus including

a reader/writer for carrying out reading out and/or writing of information from and into an information recording medium,

transmission/reception means for transferring a signal to and from said electric apparatus by the radio communication, and

control means having a power control function for controlling the power of said reader/writer,

said control means controlling said reader/writer to the low power consumption state when the power supply to said remote control apparatus is made available.