INFRARED REPEATER

• US 20150207566A1
• Filed: 12/29/2014
• Published: 07/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Kohanek, Jeffrey, Alvarado, Cesar, Xu, Rex, Hughes, Lou
• Granted Patent: US 9,692,506 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/40 Remote control systems using repeaters, converters, gateways
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1143 Bidirectional transmission

Abstract

An IR repeater includes a receiver portion for receiving an IR light signal representing a coded command modulated by a modulating signal and a transmitter portion, electrically coupled to the receiver portion to generate an IR light signal corresponding to the coded signal received by the receiver portion. A mounting structure mounts the receiver portion outside an opaque object and mounts the transmitter portion inside the opaque object.

Claims

1. A repeater comprising:

a receiver portion, for receiving an input signal representing a coded command modulated by a modulating signal;

a transmitter portion, for generating an output signal corresponding to the received input signal;

an electrical coupling between the receiver portion and the transmitter portion; and

a mounting structure to mount the receiver portion on a first side of an opaque object and mount the transmitter portion on a second side of the opaque object,

wherein the mounting structure is integrally formed with the electrical coupling.

2. A repeater as recited in claim 1, wherein the electrical coupling is a cable ribbon.

3. A repeater as recited in claim 1, wherein the input signal is an infrared signal.

5. A repeater as recited in claim 1, further comprising an extension transmitter portion distally located from the transmitter portion, the extension transmitter portion being located to produce an extended output signal on the second side of the opaque object.

6. A repeater as recited in claim 1, wherein the mounting structure is configured to hang on the opaque object.

7. A repeater as recited in claim 6, wherein the opaque object is a door.

8. A repeater as recited in claim 1, wherein the transmitter portion comprises a plurality of signal transmitters.

4. A repeater as recited in clam 1, wherein the output signal is an infrared signal.

9. An infrared repeater comprising:

a receiver portion comprising a housing and at least one infrared receiver disposed within the housing receiver housing;

a transmitter portion comprising a housing and at least one infrared transmitter disposed within the transmitter housing; and

a cable for electrically coupling and mechanically coupling the receiver portion and the transmitter portion, wherein the cable further provide physical support for both the receiver portion and the transmitter portion over at least a portion of an object,

wherein the receiver portion is configured to receive an input infrared light signal on one side of the object and the transmitter portion is configured to transmit an output infrared light signal on a second side of the object.

10. An infrared repeater as recited in claim 9, wherein the cable is a cable ribbon.

11. An infrared repeater as recited in claim 9, further comprising an extension transmitter portion distally located from the transmitter portion, the extension transmitter portion comprising a housing and at least one infrared transmitter disposed within the extension transmitter housing, wherein the extension transmitter portion produces an extended output signal on a side of the object.

12. An infrared repeater as recited in claim 9, wherein the cable is configured to hang the infrared repeater over the object.

13. An infrared repeater as recited in claim 9, wherein the object is non-transmissive of an infrared light signal.