CONTROL APPARATUS, CONTROL SYSTEM OF ELECTRONIC DEVICE, AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20100107105A1
• Filed: 10/26/2009
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kubo, Masaaki
• Application Number:
  US12/605,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20100107105A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/773
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• 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 21/42228 the reprogrammable keys being displayed on a display screen in order to reduce the number of keys on the remote control device itself
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration

Abstract

An AV amplifier includes a selector which outputs a video signal input from an output device to a display device, a display controller which makes a display device display a virtual controller including a plurality of operation buttons and a cursor for selecting any operation button on the virtual controller together with a output video corresponding to an AV signal input form the output device, an operation signal receiver which receives an operation signal for moving the cursor on the virtual controller so as to select an operation button corresponding to a position of the cursor together with identification information for identifying a device to be controlled from an amplifier controller, and a control signal transmitter which transmits predetermined control signals set to the operation buttons for the AV devices to the device to be controlled according to the device to be controlled and the selected operation button.

Claims

1. A control apparatus comprising:

a connecting interface which connects a plurality of electronic devices including one or more output devices and one or more display devices;

a selector section which outputs a video signal input from a target output device selected from the one or more output devices to a target display device selected from the one or more display devices;

a display control section which makes the target display device display a virtual controller including a plurality of operation buttons and a cursor for selecting any operation button on the virtual controller as well as an output video to be displayed by the target display device correspondingly to the video signal input from the target output device;

an operation signal receiving section which receives an operation signal for moving the cursor on the virtual controller so as to select an operation button corresponding to a position of the cursor as well as identification information for identifying a device to be controlled selected from the plurality of electronic devices from a controller for the control apparatus; and

a control signal transmitting section which transmits predetermined control signals set to the operation buttons for the respective electronic devices to the device to be controlled according to the device to be controlled and the selected operation button.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a control information setting section which sets the predetermined control signals,

wherein the control information setting section sets a control signal of the electronic device included in the plurality of electronic devices using control information which is preset to the respective electronic devices so that the predetermined control signals are allocated to the plurality of operation buttons on the virtual controller.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a control information setting section which sets the predetermined control signals; and

a control signal receiving section which receives a control signal to be transmitted to the device to be controlled by the control signal transmitting section from the controller of the device to be controlled according to the device to be controlled and a predetermined operation button selected on the virtual controller,

wherein the control information setting section sets the control signal received by the control signal receiving section as the predetermined control signal set to the predetermined operation button for the device to be controlled.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a control information setting section which sets the predetermined control signals, wherein

the control information setting section sets sequence control information including the predetermined control signals including identification information about the electronic devices corresponding to respective operations so that at least the one or more electronic devices are made to perform at least one or more operations sequentially,

the control signal transmitting section transmits the predetermined control signals corresponding to the operations sequentially to the electronic devices corresponding to the operations according to the sequence control information.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

first and second controllers for the control apparatus, wherein

the selector section outputs video signals input from first and second target output devices selected from the one or more output devices to first and second target display devices selected from the one or more display devices correspondingly to the first and second controllers for the control apparatus,

the display control section makes the first target display device display a first virtual controller and a first cursor as well as an output video to be displayed by the first target display device correspondingly to the video signal input from the first target output device, and makes the second target display device display a second virtual controller and a second cursor as well as an output video to be displayed by the second target display device correspondingly to the video signal input from the second target output device,

the operation signal receiving section receives from the first controller for the control apparatus a first operation signal for selecting a first operation button on the first virtual controller as well as first identification information for identifying a first device to be controlled selected from the plurality of electronic devices correspondingly to the first controller for the control apparatus, and receives from the second controller for the control apparatus a second operation signal for selecting a second operation button on the second virtual controller as well as second identification information for identifying a second device to be controlled selected from the plurality of electronic devices correspondingly to the second controller for the control apparatus,

the control signal transmitting section transmits predetermined control signals set to the respective operation buttons for the respective electronic devices to the first device to be controlled according to the first device to be controlled and the first selected operation button, and transmits the predetermine control signals to the second device to be controlled according to the second device to be controlled and the selected second operation button.

6. A control system of an electronic device comprising:

one or more output devices;

one or more display devices;

a control apparatus which controls a plurality of electronic devices including the one or more output devices and the one or more display devices; and

a controller for the control apparatus which transmits a predetermined operation signal to the control apparatus, wherein

the control apparatus includes

a connecting interface which connects the plurality of electronic devices including the one or more output devices and the one or more display devices,

a selector section which outputs a video signal input from a target output device selected from the one or more output devices to a target display device selected from the one or more display devices,

a display control section which makes the target display device display a virtual controller including a plurality of operation buttons and a cursor for selecting any operation button on the virtual controller as well as an output video to be displayed by the target display device correspondingly to the video signal input from the target output device,

an operation signal receiving section which receives from the controller for the control apparatus an operation signal for moving the cursor on the virtual controller so as to select an operation button corresponding to a position of the cursor as well as identification information for identifying a device to be controlled selected from the plurality of electronic devices, and

a control signal transmitting section which transmits predetermined control signals set to respective operation buttons for the respective electronic devices to the device to be controlled according to the device to be controlled and the selected operation button.

7. An electronic device control method comprising the acts of:

outputting a video signal input from a target output device selected from one or more output devices to a target display device selected from one or more display devices via a connecting interface for connecting a plurality of electronic devices including the one or more output devices and the one or more display devices;

displaying on the target display device a virtual controller including a plurality of operation buttons and a cursor for selecting any operation button on the virtual controller as well as an output video to be displayed by the target display device correspondingly to the video signal input from the target output device;

receiving from a controller for a control apparatus an operation signal for moving the cursor on the virtual controller so as to select an operation button corresponding to a position of the cursor as well as identification information for identifying a device to be controlled selected from the plurality of electronic devices; and

transmitting predetermined control signals set to respective operation buttons for the respective electronic devices to the target control device according to the device to be controlled and the selected operation button.