Remote video recorder programming apparatus operating over telephone lines

• US 4,625,080 A
• Filed: 05/03/1983
• Issued: 11/25/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Scott, Michael M.
• Original Assignee: Scott, Michael M.
• Inventors: Scott, Michael M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cardillo, Raymond F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Weinhardt, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US06/491,086
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: 179/2 A, 179/6.07, 179/6.11, 179/6.12, 179/2 R, 179/2 C, 358/335, 360/33.1
• US Class Current: 379/102.03
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/023 remotely controlled
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 31/00 Arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus with cameras or projectors G03B31/00 ; recording/reproducing of music for electrophonic musical instruments G10H1/0033; automatic arrangements for answering calls or for recording messages for absent subscribers H04M1/64; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with dictation recording and playback systems H04M11/10; connection of TV recorder with other related apparatus, e.g. TV camera or receiver, in which the TV signal is significantly involved H04N, e.g. H04N23/00, H04N5/765; combination of radio or TV with other apparatus, e.g. with vehicles H05K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/652 Means for playing back the recorded messages by remote control over a telephone line H04M1/658 takes precedence

Abstract

Apparatus for remote programming of an electronic device such as a video cassette recorder. A hand held portable programming unit stores intructions for the device as those instructions are entered through a key pad. These instructions are encoded into a form suitable for telecommunications to the device. A receiver unit which interfaces with the electric device receives the instructions and converts them into a form suitable for programming the device. When used in programming a video cassette recorder the instructions include the channel to be taped and the time and date the taping is to take place.

Claims

1. Apparatus for programming a video recorder comprising:

a programming unit locatable at a position remote from the video recorder, said programming unit including a keyboard for entering programming instructions, said instructions including a start time, a stop time and station whose program content is to be recorded by the video recorder, a visual display for prompting a user to enter said keyboard instructions and for displaying said instructions as they are entered, a memory device for storing digital signals corresponding to said instructions as they are input through said keyboard, a communications device for converting said digital signals corresponding to said instructions into serial signals suitable for telephone transmission, a transmit control for causing instructions stored in the memory means to be converted into said serial signals, and speaker means for converting said serial signals into audible tones suitable for transmission by a telephone system; and

a receiver unit, said receiver unit having means couplable to the telephone system for receiving said, audible tones, means for converting said audible tones into formated signals suitable for storage, means for storing said formated signals, processor means coupled to said means for storing and having means for interpreting said formated signals and converting them into video recording control signals, and interface means responsive to the processor means and couplable to a video recorder for controlling said recorder in accordance with said instructions by turning on said video recorder at the start time, turning off said video recorder at the stop time and tuning the recorder to an appropriate station.

2. The programming apparatus of claim 1 which additionally comprises a keyboard unit couplable to said means for storing to directly enter programming instructions without a telephone transmission from a transmitter unit.

3. A hand held, portable unit for programming a remotely located video recorder via a telephone communications path between said unit and said video recorder comprising:

a key pad input having a number of individually actuable alphanumeric keys through which a user enters programming instructions including on and off times for the video recorder and stations to be recorded when the video recorder is turned on;

means integral with said hand held unit for prompting the user to enter said instructions into said key pad and for displaying those instructions as they are entered;

memory means integral with said hand held unit for digitally storing said instructions as a user enters said instructions through the key pad;

encoder means for converting said digitally stored instructions into serial signals suitable for transmission to a remotely located video recorder;

transmit means for activating said encoder means and thereby initiate an instruction transfer; and

means for communicating said serial signal to a telephone communication path to transmit said signals to said remotely located video recorder.

4. The programming unit of claim 3 wherein said means for communicating comprises a modem, speaker driver, and speaker which can be placed next to a mouthpiece of a telephone handset.