VERSATILE REMOTE CONTROL DEVICE AND SYSTEM

• US 20120288283A1
• Filed: 07/30/2012
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael Meyer, Zane Coleman
• Original Assignee: Michael Meyer, Zane Coleman
• Inventors: Meyer, Michael, Coleman, Zane
• Granted Patent: US 8,958,698 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/115
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42226 Reprogrammable remote control devices

Abstract

A radio-frequency (RF) remote control (10) has a user interface and transmits an RF signal (11) which designates a device (14) to be controlled and a command for that device. The RF signal is received by an intermediary device (12). The intermediary device, in turn, generates and broadcasts a plurality of high-power IR signals (13A-13F). These signals may be received directly by a controlled device (14A) or may be received indirectly by a controlled device (14B, 14C) after one or more reflections from objects (16A, 16B) and/or room surfaces (18). Thus, reliable control of the devices (14) is obtained even in situations where merely transmitting a typical IR signal may not provide reliable control of the device (14).

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an electronic device to process at least one of digital or analog signals, the electronic device being a predetermined one of;

a content serving, displaying, transmitting or repeating device, a media device, a cable television box, a fiber optic box, recording equipment, a digital video recorder, an Internet video box, a gaming device, a gaming console, a personal electronic device, a computing device, a network device, a router, a home automation device, a television set, a stereo system, an audio amplifier, a video cassette recorder, a compact disc player, a digital video disk player, an Internet video box, a satellite signal receiving system, a fire monitoring system, a security monitoring system, a home automation system, or an office automation system; and

a remote control receiving and transmitting device being at least partially enclosed within the electronic device and having a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to a base plane, the remote control receiving and transmitting device comprising;

a receiver disposed to receive at least one of a radio frequency control signal or a power line control signal, and to demodulate the received control signal to provide a demodulated control signal;

a processor functionally coupled to the receiver to receive the demodulated control signal and to generate a corresponding drive signal;

a plurality of infrared light sources functionally coupled to the processor and responsive to the drive signal to generate a plurality of modulated infrared light emissions to control the at least one infrared receiving device, each of the plurality of infrared light sources having an optical axis, a first group of the plurality of infrared light sources being disposed on the apparatus such that the optical axis of each of the plurality of infrared light sources in the first group is at a different angle with respect to the longitudinal axis, the modulated infrared light emissions controlling the at least one infrared receiving device; and

a power supply to provide operating power for at least one of electronic device, the receiver, the processor, or the plurality of infrared light sources.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the power supply provides operating power for at the electronic device and at least one of the receiver, the processor, or the plurality of infrared light sources.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the electronic device is a content serving, displaying, transmitting or repeating device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the electronic device is a media device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the electronic device is selected from the group consisting of a cable television box, a fiber optic box, a digital video recorder, an Internet video box, a gaming device, a gaming console, a personal electronic device, a computer, a network device, a home automation device, a television set, a stereo system, an audio amplifier, a video cassette recorder, a compact disc player, a digital video disk player, a satellite signal receiving system, a fire monitoring system, a security monitoring system, and an office automation system.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the total infrared power emitted by the plurality of infrared light sources whose optical axis is at an angle of greater than a predetermined angle with respect to the longitudinal axis is greater than the total infrared power emitted by the plurality of infrared light sources whose optical axis is at an angle of less than the predetermined angle with respect to the longitudinal axis, the total infrared power emitted by the plurality of infrared light sources whose optical axis is at an angle of less than the predetermined angle with respect to the longitudinal axis being greater than zero.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of infrared light sources emits light in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis and the percentage of the power emitted from the light emitting device at an angle greater than 70 degrees from the longitudinal axis is greater than 20%.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of infrared light sources emits light in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis and the percentage of the power emitted from the light emitting device at an angle greater than 70 degrees from the longitudinal axis is greater than 40%.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of infrared light sources comprises at least one infrared light source with an optical axis less than 45 degrees from the longitudinal axis, and the infrared light emitting device comprises more infrared light sources with an optical axis greater than 45 degrees than less than 45 degrees from the longitudinal axis.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of infrared light sources are oriented to emit more infrared light in a plurality of directions than in other directions.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the infrared light emitting device is oriented to emit more infrared light upward than downward when the longitudinal axis is generally horizontal.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the total infrared power emitted by the plurality of infrared light sources whose optical axis is at an angle of greater than about 45 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis is greater than the total infrared power emitted by the plurality of infrared light sources whose optical axis is at an angle of less than about 45 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis, the total infrared power emitted by the plurality of infrared light sources whose optical axis is at an angle of less than about 45 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis being greater than zero.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an infrared receiver to receive infrared light control codes, and a memory to store the infrared light control codes, whereby the processor, in response to receiving the demodulated radio frequency control signal, uses the memory to determine the corresponding drive signal.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

an article of manufacture, the article of manufacture being a predetermined one of;

a light fixture, a lamp, an appliance, an item of furniture, or a wall clock; and

a remote control receiving and transmitting device being at least partially enclosed within the article of manufacture and having a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to a base plane, the remote control receiving and transmitting device comprising;

a receiver disposed to receive at least one of a radio frequency control signal or a power line control signal, and to demodulate the received control signal to provide a demodulated control signal;

a processor functionally coupled to the receiver to receive the demodulated control signal and to generate a corresponding drive signal;

a plurality of infrared light sources functionally coupled to the processor and responsive to the drive signal to generate a plurality of modulated infrared light emissions to control the at least one infrared receiving device, each of the plurality of infrared light sources having an optical axis, a first group of the plurality of infrared light sources being disposed on the apparatus such that the optical axis of each of the plurality of infrared light sources in the first group is at a different angle with respect to the longitudinal axis, the modulated infrared light emissions controlling the at least one infrared receiving device; and

a power supply to provide operating power to at least one of the receiver, the processor, or the plurality of infrared light sources.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the article of manufacture is selected from the group consisting of an appliance, an item of furniture, a wall clock, a light fixture, and a lamp.

16. The infrared light emitting device of claim 14, wherein the total infrared power emitted by the plurality of infrared light sources whose optical axis is at an angle of greater than a predetermined angle with respect to the longitudinal axis is greater than the total infrared power emitted by the plurality of infrared light sources whose optical axis is at an angle of less than the predetermined angle with respect to the longitudinal axis, the total infrared power emitted by the plurality of infrared light sources whose optical axis is at an angle of less than the predetermined angle with respect to the longitudinal axis being greater than zero.

17. The infrared light emitting device of claim 14, wherein at least one of the plurality of infrared light sources emits light in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis and the percentage of the power emitted from the light emitting device at an angle greater than 70 degrees from the longitudinal axis is greater than 20%.

18. The infrared light emitting device of claim 14, wherein at least one of the plurality of infrared light sources emits light in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis and the percentage of the power emitted from the light emitting device at an angle greater than 70 degrees from the longitudinal axis is greater than 40%.

19. The infrared light emitting device of claim 14, wherein the plurality of infrared light sources comprises at least one infrared light source with an optical axis less than 45 degrees from the longitudinal axis, and the infrared light emitting device comprises more infrared light sources with an optical axis greater than 45 degrees than less than 45 degrees from the longitudinal axis.

20. The infrared light emitting device of claim 14, wherein the plurality of infrared light sources are oriented to emit more infrared light in a plurality of directions than in other directions.

21. The infrared light emitting device of claim 14, wherein the infrared light emitting device is oriented to emit more infrared light upward than downward when the longitudinal axis is generally horizontal.

22. The infrared light emitting device of claim 14, wherein the total infrared power emitted by the plurality of infrared light sources whose optical axis is at an angle of greater than about 45 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis is greater than the total infrared power emitted by the plurality of infrared light sources whose optical axis is at an angle of less than about 45 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis, the total infrared power emitted by the plurality of infrared light sources whose optical axis is at an angle of less than about 45 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis being greater than zero.

23. The infrared light emitting device of claim 14, further comprising an infrared receiver to receive infrared light control codes, and a memory to store the infrared light control codes, whereby the processor, in response to receiving the demodulated radio frequency control signal, uses the memory to determine the corresponding drive signal.