Interactive control of entertainment electronics apparatus

• US 4,965,557 A
• Filed: 04/17/1989
• Issued: 10/23/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technology GmbH (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Unterhaltungselektronik GmbH (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Schroder, Wolfgang, Schepers, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Oberley, Alvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): FATAHI YAR, MAHMOUD
• Application Number:
  US07/339,942
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: 340/711, 340/712, 340/706, 340/707, 340/721, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 358/22, 358/183, 358/194.1, 358/188, 455/603, 341/23
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/047 using electronic means, e.g. LED's display of electronic variables in general G01R13/00, for discontinuous display G01R13/404
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control

Abstract

The application describes how the control of entertainment electronics apparatus or combinations thereof can be simplified to the point that even an unpracticed user can make all necessary or desired adjustments as easily as possible. Even in a large combination, all functions can be controlled from a single control unit. The control unit has only a limited number of clearly arranged, distinct control elements.

Claims

1. An improved entertainment electronics apparatus having a plurality of control functions, related ones of said control functions being grouped together in control groups, said apparatus comprising:

control means having a plurality of settable function keys and a control group selection key for selecting one of a plurality of different control groups, said settable function keys each being set in response to the selection of a control group for control of the control functions of the selected control group, a control group being selected by operation of at least one of a group of keys, including a settable function key, of the selected control group, that is set for allowing selection of another control group and the control group selection key;

display means;

character generator means, connected to said display means and in communication with said control means, for generating signals for said display means to display information relating to the selected one of said different control groups;

test memory means, connected to said character generating means and in communication with said control means, for storing a plurality of predetermined texts which correspond to and convey information relating to each respective one of said plurality of different control groups; and

call-up means for calling up a text corresponding to the selected control group from said memory means for presentation by said display means, said call-up means including means for selecting another text in response to the selection of another control group, whereby interactive control of the entertainment electronics apparatus is provided by displaying a text explaining the control functions of the settable function keys for each selected control group and by providing for the selection of another control group using the settable function keys.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the control means is a remote-control device physically separated from the apparatus but in communication therewith.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the apparatus is operable in different modes, and an operating mode is selected by operation of one of said group of keys.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, additionally comprising a plurality of fixed function keys for controlling selected functions.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the settable function keys are each assigned a basic control function of a basic control group and include indicia identifying the basic control function, said basic control functions not having a corresponding text stored in the memory means.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 5, additionally comprising a plurality of fixed function keys for controlling selected functions.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein the apparatus is operable in different modes, and an operating mode is selected by operation of one of said group of keys, one of said operating modes being a basic default operating mode requiring the basic control functions of the basic control group.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the apparatus includes means for automatically selecting the basic default operating mode when another operating mode or a control group is not selected, by operation of keys of said control means.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one peripheral electronics apparatus is coupled to said apparatus, said control means includes means for controlling said peripheral apparatus, said text memory means includes a plurality of corresponding texts which each correspond to control groups for said peripheral apparatus, said call-up means causing said display means to display a corresponding one of said plurality of said corresponding texts on said display when said control groups for said peripheral apparatus are selected by operation of at least one of said group of keys.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said apparatus includes timing means for automatically switching from one control group to a second control group after passage of a predetermined period of time.

11. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said apparatus includes means for switching from one control group to a second control group by the actuation of said control group selection key and at least one of said settable function keys.

12. The apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein a plurality of said control groups are combined in a packet, and said apparatus additionally comprises means for switching to each of said control groups in each said packet one after another automatically or in response to actuating one of said groups of keys.

13. The apparatus as defined in claim 12, additionally including means for switching back to said basic control groups after switching to each of said control groups in a packet.

14. Apparatus as defined in claim 13, additionally comprising at least one termination key including means actuable by said termination key to switch back to said basic control group.

15. The apparatus as defined in claim 14, including at least a second packet of control groups wherein actuation of said termination key switches to a first one of said second packet control groups.

16. The apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein actuation of said termination key is combined with actuation of one or more of said settable function keys to switch to said basic control group or to a selected one of said packets of control groups.

17. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, including means for indicating analog control functions as graphic bar representations on said display.

18. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein at least the control functions in effect for said settable function keys is arranged in a table on said display corresponding to the physical arrangement of said settable function keys on said control means.

19. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said control means includes means for blocking the selection of a text until entry of a predetermined and not displayed blocking code.

20. The apparatus as defined in claim 19, including means for programming said blocking code into said callup means for calling up said texts.

21. The apparatus as defined in claim 20 including electrically programmable and erasable nonvolatile memory means for storing said blocking code.

22. The apparatus as defined in claim 19 wherein entry of said blocking code is not presented on said display.

23. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, further including a plurality of module means, including character reproduction control means for reproducing characters on a portion of the display while suppressing the normal information, control character recognition means for recognizing the actuation of one of said group of keys and controlling said character reproduction control means in response thereto, character generating means for generating character elements and coupling them to said character reproduction control means, page memory means for storing a plurality of control groups, page selection means for selecting one of said control groups, clock control means for controlling the timing of said text memory means and decoding means for generating control characters in response to actuation of one of said group of keys.