Transmitter driver for programmable remote control transmitter

• US 4,769,643 A
• Filed: 12/15/1986
• Issued: 09/06/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RCA Licensing Corporation
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Sogame, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): YUSKO, DONALD
• Application Number:
  US06/941,457
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 455/603, 455/618, 455/608, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/825.57, 358/194.1
• US Class Current: 340/12.28
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0025 in a remote control unit remote control tuning in general H03J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 9/06 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. light

Abstract

A transmitter driver of this invention is applied to a programmable remote control transmitter for receiving remote control codes for remote-controlling various electric devices in the learning mode and for remote-controlling the electric devices according to the received remote control codes in the remote control mode. The transmitter driver has an output transistor for driving a transmitter constituting a part of a load upon reception of electrical pulses representing the remote control codes, a resistor device arranged between the output side of the output transistor and a given reference potential, and a control transistor device, output electrodes of which are arranged between one end of the resistor device at the side of the output transistor and the reference potential. An input terminal of the control transistor device receives a control signal corresponding to an output signal format of remote control codes necessary for controlling an electric device selected by a user.

Claims

1. A transmitter driver for a programmable remote control transmitter capable of receiving different remote control codes for remote-controlling various electric devices, respectively, and storing information representative thereof in a memory in a learning mode and for remote-controlling the electric devices according to the received remote coontrol codes in a remote control mode, and including apparatus for ensuring consistent control of said various electrical devices despite the differences between said remote control codes comprising:

an output transistor for driving a transmitter constituting a part of a load upon reception of electrical pulses representing the remote control codes;

a resistor device arranged between an output side of said output transistor and a given reference potential; and

a control transistor device, output electrodes of which are arranged between one end of said resistor device at said output side of said output transistor and said reference potential;

an input electrode of said control transistor device receiving a control signal indicating an output signal format of a remote control code corresponding to one of said electric devices selected by a user.

2. A driver according to claim 1, wherein

said resistor device is constituted by a plurality of series-connected resistors;

said control transistor device comprises a plurality of control transistors, an output electrode of each of which is arranged between one end of each of said resistors at said output side of said output transistor and said reference potential; and

a different control signal is supplied to input electrodes of said control transistors of said control transistor device in correspondence with the output signal format of a remote control code necessary for controlling an electric device selected by a user.

3. A driver according to claim 1, wherein said transmitter is a light-emitting diode.

4. In a remote control transmitter capable of generating a remote control signal with one of a plurality of selectable different code formats corresponding to respective different controlled devices, apparatus for ensuring consistent control of said different controlled devices despite the differences between said remote control codes, comprising:

means for generating a control signal indicative of the selected one of said plurality of code formats;

a transistor driver for driving a transmitter element to produce said remote control signal upon reception of an electrical signal encoded with said selected code format; and

control means coupled to said output transistor amplifier for controlling the level of said remote control signal in response to said control signal indicative of said selected code format.