REMOTE CONTROLLER AND REMOTE CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20100231432A1
• Filed: 03/04/2010
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: SHIGEI, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,390,503 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/176
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/33 Remote control using macros, scripts
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/50 Receiving or transmitting feedback, e.g. replies, status updates, acknowledgements, from the controlled devices

Abstract

A remote control method includes: grouping a plurality of apparatuses to respond to a command from a single remote controller at the same time; broadcasting, by the remote controller, a command corresponding to an operation; receiving, by each of the plurality of apparatuses, the command and judging whether the received command is addressed to a group to which the apparatus itself belongs; and executing, when it is judged by each of the plurality of apparatuses that the received command is addressed to the apparatus itself, processing corresponding to the command.

Claims

1. A remote control method, comprising:

grouping a plurality of apparatuses to respond to a command from a single remote controller at the same time;

broadcasting, by the remote controller, a command corresponding to an operation;

receiving, by each of the plurality of apparatuses, the command and judging whether the received command is addressed to a group to which the apparatus itself belongs; and

executing, when it is judged by each of the plurality of apparatuses that the received command is addressed to the apparatus itself, processing corresponding to the command.

2. The remote control method according to claim 1,

wherein the command transmitted from the remote controller is a command that controls ON/OFF of a power source.

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

judging, when it is judged by each of the plurality of apparatuses that the command is addressed to the apparatus itself, whether the command is waiting to be acknowledged; and

acknowledging the command when it is judged that the command is waiting to be acknowledged.

4. A remote control system, comprising:

a single remote controller including an operation portion and a communication portion that broadcasts a command corresponding to an operation made to the operation portion; and

a plurality of apparatuses grouped to respond to the command from the remote controller at the same time, each of the plurality of apparatuses including a reception judgment portion that receives the command and judges whether the received command is addressed to a group to which the apparatus itself belongs and a controller that executes, when it is judged that the received command is addressed to the apparatus itself, processing corresponding to the command.

5. The remote control system according to claim 4,

wherein the command transmitted from the remote controller is a command that controls ON/OFF of a power source.

6. The remote control system according to claim 4,

wherein each of the plurality of apparatuses judges, when it is judged that the command is addressed to the apparatus itself, whether the command is waiting to be acknowledged and acknowledges the command when it is judged that the command is waiting to be acknowledged.