COMMUNICATION TERMINAL

• US 20090233643A1
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishimura, Masanori
• Application Number:
  US11/993,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20090233643A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/559
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• 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 21/4222 Remote control device emulator integrated into a non-television apparatus, e.g. a PDA, media center or smart toy remote control device for a television receiver integrated into a mobile phone H04M1/72415
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052

Abstract

A communication terminal wherein when a video is outputted from the communication terminal, a device, to which the video is outputted, can be operated in a simple manner from the communication terminal side. A communication terminal (100) comprises a cable connection/disconnection detecting part (101) that detects a connection or disconnection of a video output cable (150); a video signal output part (102) that converts moving images and still images in the communication terminal to video signals and outputs the video signals to the exterior; an infrared ray emitting part (103) that outputs a remote control signal; a liquid crystal display part (104) that displays GUIs; a control part (105) that controls the whole apparatus and the components of the apparatus; and a key entering part (106) for performing the operation of the communication terminal and that of the remote control function. When a video is outputted from the communication terminal (100) to a television receiver (200), the infrared ray emitting part (103) in the communication terminal is automatically activated upon a connection of the video output cable (150) to the communication terminal, whereby the power supply control, video input switching and sound level adjustment of the television receiver (200) can be performed by operating the communication terminal (100).

Claims

1. A communication terminal comprising:

a remote control section that transmits a control signal for controlling a control target device;

a video outputting section that outputs a video signal;

a detecting section that detects whether a video output cable for connecting the video outputting section and the control target device is connected or disconnected; and

a control section that starts the remote control section when the detecting section detects connection of the video output cable.

2. The communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein the control section stops the remote control section when the detecting section detects disconnection of the video output cable.

3. The communication terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a video output detecting section that detects a video signal output from the video outputting section,

wherein, when the video output cable is inserted and the video signal output is started, the control section starts the remote control section.

4. The communication terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a video output detecting section that detects a video signal output from the video outputting section,

wherein, when the video output cable is connected and the video signal output is stopped, the control section stops the remote control section.

5. The communication terminal according to claim 1, further comprising:

a graphical user interface generating section that generates a graphical user interface for operation information of the control target device or related information of the video signal output,

wherein, according to whether the remote control section starts or stops, the control section generates both the graphical user interface for the operation information of the control target device and the graphical user interface for the related information of the video signal output, or generates the graphical user interface for the related information of the video signal output alone.

6. The communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein the control section controls power on and off of the control target device, video-input switching or volume adjustment, according to whether the remote control section starts or stops.

7. A program for executing on a computer the steps of:

detecting whether a video output cable for connecting a video outputting section that outputs a video signal and a control target device is connected or disconnected; and

starting a remote control section that, when connection of the video output cable is detected, transmits a control signal for controlling the control target device.