SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMPROVED INFRARED COMMUNICATION BETWEEN CONSUMER APPLIANCES

• US 20090245804A1
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Garner, Scott, Brown, William L., Williams, Graham
• Granted Patent: US 8,503,883 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/106
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 1/02 Remote control of amplification, tone or bandwidth combined with remote tuning or selection of resonant circuits H03J
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3084 in receivers or transmitters for electromagnetic waves other than radiowaves, e.g. lightwaves H03G3/32, H03G3/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/32 the control being dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level
• 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 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42225 characterized by types of remote control, e.g. universal remote control

Abstract

Optical or electrical attenuation is provided at the infrared (IR) receiver of a first device, such as a remote control, together with a commensurate increase in output of the IR transmitter of an appliance, such as a set top box, to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of IR communications with respect to any background infrared radiation, such as radiation from a plasma display screen.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating infrared (IR) communications from a first device to a second device in the presence of an IR noise source, comprising:

initiating an IR transmission from the first device to the second device; and

causing the IR transmission to be attenuated at the second device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising electrically attenuating the IR transmission at the second device.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising optically attenuating the IR transmission at the second device.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second device comprises a remote control adapted to control functions of at least the first device and an IR receiver for receiving the IR transmission from the first device.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the remote control comprises a lens cover for the IR receiver and the lens cover optically attenuates the IR transmission.

6. The method as recited in claim 4, comprising electrically attenuating the IR transmission once received by the IR receiver.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, comprising adjusting the electrical attenuation as a function of a detected level of IR noise being generated by the IR noise source.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising boosting a level of the IR transmission at the first device.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, comprising dynamically boosting a level of the IR transmission at the first device as a function of a detected level of IR noise being generated by the IR noise source.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, comprising detecting a level of IR noise being generated by the IR noise source at the second device and causing the second device to instruct the first device to boost the level of the IR transmission as a function of the detected level of IR noise being generated by the IR noise source.

11. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the level of the IR transmission at the first device is boosted in response to a signal being transmitted to the first device by the second device.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the level of the IR transmission at the first device is boosted in response to an absence of a signal being transmitted to the first device by the second device.

24. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first device comprises the IR noise generating device.

13. A method for facilitating infrared (IR) communications from a first device to a second device in the presence of an IR noise source, comprising:

initiating an IR transmission from the first device to the second device; and

dynamically boosting a level of the IR transmission at the first device as a function of a detected level of IR noise being generated by the IR noise source.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, comprising detecting a level of IR noise being generated by the IR noise source at the second device and causing the second device to instruct the first device to boost the level of the IR transmission as a function of the detected level of IR noise being generated by the IR noise source.

15. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the level of the IR transmission at the first device is boosted in response to a signal being transmitted to the first device by the second device.

16. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the IR noise source comprises a display device.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the display device comprises a plasma television.

18. The method as recited in claim 13, comprising detecting a level of IR noise being generated by the IR noise source at the first device and causing the first device to boost the level of the IR transmission as a function of the detected level of IR noise being generated by the IR noise source.

19. A method for facilitating infrared (IR) communications from a first device to a second device in the presence of an IR noise source, comprising:

initiating an IR transmission from the first device to the second device; and

dynamically boosting a level of the IR transmission at the first device in response to an absence of a signal being transmitted to the first device by the second device.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the IR noise source comprises a display device.

21. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the display device comprises a plasma television.

22. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the first device comprises a set top box providing content to the display device and the second device comprises a remote control adapted to control functions of at least the set top box.

23. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the IR transmission comprises remote control configuration data.