IR Remote control system

• US 4,425,647 A
• Filed: 05/17/1982
• Issued: 01/10/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zenith Electronics Corporation (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Zenith Radio Corporation (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Hendrickson, Melvin C., Collins, Johnny
• Primary Examiner(s): Atkinson, Charles E.
• Application Number:
  US06/379,374
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 371/70, 371/55, 371/57, 455/603
• US Class Current: 714/823
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 9/06 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. light
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/114 Indoor or close-range type systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/4902 Pulse width modulation; Pulse position modulation

Abstract

A remote control system for a television receiver includes a transmitter and a receiver, the transmitter being adapted for transmitting a single word multibit code identifying a selected function of the television receiver. Each bit of the transmitted multibit code comprises a first occurring data signal representing a selected logic state followed immediately in time succession by a second occurring data signal representing the complementary logic state, the first and second data signals comprising a single pulse representing a first logic state or a grouping of at least two relatively closely spaced pulses representing a second logic state, whereby each transmitted bit comprises the same number of pulses. The remote control receiver includes apparatus for testing the parity relationship of the first and second occurring data signals of each bit of the received multibit code and for controlling the selected function in response to each tested bit being characterized by a condition of parity.

Claims

1. A system for remotely controlling the operation of one or more consumer electronic apparatus comprising:

a transmitter comprising;

means for selecting a function of one of said apparatus to be controlled;

encoding means developing a single word multibit code defining said selected function, each of the data bits of said single word multibit code being represented by a first information signal representing the logic state of the data bit and an associated second information signal representing the complementary logic state of the data bit, said first and second information signals comprising a single pulse representing a first logic state or a grouping of at least two relatively closely spaced pulses representing a second logic state; and

means for successively transmitting each of said first information signals followed immediately by the transmission of its associated second information signal such that each transmitted data bit comprises the same number of pulses, said transmission being effected over a single relatively noisy data transmission path; and

a remotely located receiver comprising;

means for receiving said information signals transmitted over said single relatively noisy data transmission path;

means for testing the parity of the logic states represented by the first and second received information signals representing each of said data bits; and

means responsive to said parity testing means for controlling the selected function defined by said received information signals.

2. A method of remotely controlling the operation of one or more consumer electronics apparatus comprising:

selecting a function of one of said apparatus to be controlled;

forming a single word multibit code defining said selected function, each bit of said single word multibit code comprising a first occurring data signal representing a selected logic state followed immediately in time succession by a second occurring data signal representing the complementary logic state, said first and second occurring data signals comprising a single signal pulse representing a first logic state or a grouping of at least two relatively closely spaced signal pulses representing a second logic state;

transmitting in time succession each bit of said single word multibit code over a single relatively noisy data transmission path whereby each transmitted bit comprises the same number of pulses;

receiving each bit of said single word multibit code transmitted over said single relatively noisy data transmission path;

testing the parity relationship of the first and second occurring data signals of each of said received data bits; and

controlling said selected function in response to each transmitted bit being characterized by a condition of parity.