COMBINED TELEPHONE/TV REMOTE CONTROL

• US 20090284664A1
• Filed: 05/15/2008
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Jastorff, Daniel, Zorrilla, Rolando, Hernandez, Jorge, Calderon, Rafael, Barry, Keith
• Granted Patent: US 8,436,947 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/734
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/14 Relay systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• 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 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114

Abstract

When a person arrives home with his mobile phone, the phone sends a presence signal via Bluetooth to the TV system in the home, which enables a telephone feature in which phone calls to the phone are relayed to the TV system. The remote control associated with the TV has a microphone and speaker so that a person can use the RC not only to control the TV but also to respond to phone calls, with the TV system relaying voice signals from the RC back to the phone.

Claims

1. A TV system, comprising:

at least one TV; and

at least one remote control (RC) configured to send wireless command signals at least some of which command signals are to change a tuned-to channel displayed on the TV, the RC also including at least one microphone into which a person can speak;

the TV system being configured to wirelessly receive signals representing telephony signals from at least one wireless telephone, the microphone of the RC configured to receive acoustic signals from a person, the TV system configured to wirelessly send signals representing the acoustic signals to the wireless telephone.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the telephony signals represents a caller'"'"'s voice.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the TV system is configured to receive a presence signal from the wireless telephone indicating the wireless telephone is nearby the TV system and in response enabling use of the RC as a telephone.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the presence signal is sent using Bluetooth.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the RC further comprises at least one speaker on which telephony signals are displayed.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the TV relays signals between the RC and the wireless telephone.

8. A TV remote control (RC) comprising:

a hand-held housing;

a keypad on the housing;

a microphone in the housing;

a processor in the housing and configured to receive signals from the microphone and keypad;

a TV remote control signal generator in the housing and being controllable by the processor to send at least channel control commands to the TV, the RC also configured to wirelessly transmit signals representing voice signals received at the microphone.

9. The RC of claim 8, wherein the remote control signal generator is an infrared signal generator.

10. The RC of claim 8, wherein the remote control signal generator is configured to wirelessly transmit the signals representing voice signals.

11. The RC of claim 9, further comprising a Bluetooth transceiver in the housing, the Bluetooth transceiver configured to wirelessly transmit the signals representing voice signals.

12. The RC of claim 8, further comprising at least one speaker on which telephony signals are displayed, the speaker receiving signals from the processor.

13. A method, comprising:

sending a presence signal via Bluetooth from a mobile phone to a TV system;

in response to the presence signal, enabling a telephone feature in which phone calls to the phone are relayed to the TV system;

inputting voice signals to a remote control (RC) associated with the TV; and

relaying voice signals from the RC back to the phone.

6. The system of claim 15 wherein the signals representing telephony signals are received on Bluetooth and wherein the signals representing the acoustic signals are sent on Bluetooth.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the TV system is configured to receive a presence signal from the wireless telephone indicating the wireless telephone is nearby the TV system and in response enabling use of the RC as a telephone.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the RC further comprises at least one speaker on which telephony signals are displayed.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the voice signals input to the RC are relayed back to the phone on Bluetooth.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein a TV in the TV system relays signals between the RC and the wireless telephone.