TWO-SIDED ELECTRONIC GAME AND REMOTE CONTROLLER

• US 20090253508A1
• Filed: 04/04/2008
• Published: 10/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audiovox Corporation (VOXX International Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Audiovox Corporation (VOXX International Corporation)
• Inventors: Koontz, Theodore W. II
• Granted Patent: US 8,187,098 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1018 Calibration; Key and button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• 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 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42212 Specific keyboard arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 Games

Abstract

A remote control device, including: a housing having first and second elongated sides opposite each other, the first side including a plurality of user-operable switches for controlling a display device, and the second side including a plurality of user-operable switches for enabling a user to play a video game on the display device.

Claims

1. A remote control device, comprising:

a housing having first and second elongated sides opposite each other, the first side including a plurality of user-operable switches for controlling a display device, and the second side including a plurality of user-operable switches for enabling a user to play a video game on the display device.

2. The remote control device of claim 1, the housing further comprising:

a switch for putting the remote control device in a remote mode or a game mode.

3. The remote control device of claim 2, wherein when the remote control device is in the remote mode, the user-operable switches on the first side operate and the user-operable switches on the second side do not operate;

and when the remote control device is in the game mode, the user-operable switches on the second side operate and the user-operable switches on the first side do not operate.

4. The remote control device of claim 2, the housing further comprising:

a dedicated remote mode transmitter.

5. The remote control device of claim 4, wherein the dedicated remote mode transmitter is an infrared (IR) diode.

6. The remote control device of claim 2, the housing further comprising:

a dedicated game mode transmitter.

7. The remote control device of claim 6, wherein the dedicated game mode transmitter is an IR diode.

8. A remote control device, comprising:

a housing having top and bottom sides, a pair of end sides and a pair of lengthwise sides, the top side having a plurality of user-operable switches for controlling a display device, the bottom side having a plurality of user-operable switches for enabling a user to play a video game on the display device, one of the end sides having a switch for setting an operating mode of the remote control device, the other end side having a transparent portion to permit a first transmitter to emit a beam of light therethrough, and one of the lengthwise sides having a transparent portion to permit a second transmitter to emit a beam of light therethrough.

9. The remote control device of claim 8, wherein the transparent portion of the end side is configured so that it is facing the display device when a user is operating the switches on the top side.

10. The remote control device of claim 8, wherein the transparent portion of the lengthwise side is configured so that it is facing the display device when a user is operating the switches on the bottom side.

11. A remote control device for use with an in-vehicle entertainment system, comprising:

a housing having first and second elongated sides opposite each other, the first side including a plurality of user-operable switches for controlling a television (TV) or a digital video disc (DVD) player of an in-vehicle entertainment system, and the second side including a plurality of user-operable switches for enabling a user to play a video game on the in-vehicle entertainment system.

12. The remote control device of claim 11, wherein the in-vehicle entertainment system is a headrest entertainment system.

13. The remote control device of claim 11, wherein the in-vehicle entertainment system is an overhead entertainment system.

14. The remote control device of claim 11, wherein the in-vehicle entertainment system is a console entertainment system.

15. The remote control device of claim 11, wherein the user-operable switches on the first side further control compact disc (CD), Moving Pictures Expert Group-1, Audio Layer 3 (MP3), Windows Media Audio (WMA), Universal Serial Bus (USB), or surround sound of the in-vehicle entertainment system.

16. The remote control device of claim 11, the housing further comprising:

a switch for changing an operating mode of the remote control device.

17. The remote control device of claim 16, the housing further comprising:

a first transmitter for transmitting signals input via the user-operable switches on the first side to the in-vehicle entertainment system when the remote control device is in a first operating mode.

18. The remote control device of claim 17, the housing further comprising:

a second transmitter for transmitting signals input via the user-operable switches on the second side to the in-vehicle entertainment system when the remote control device is in a second operating mode.

19. The remote control device of claim 18, wherein the housing is flipped from the first side to the second side when the operating mode is changed from the first to the second.

20. The remote control device of claim 18, wherein the housing is flipped from the second side to the first side when the operating mode is changed from the second to the first.