Remote control device for a television set

• US 5,031,046 A
• Filed: 06/01/1990
• Issued: 07/09/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Preh-Werke GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Preh-Werke GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Bruggemann, Ulrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Groody, James J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Burgess, Glenton B.
• Application Number:
  US07/533,009
• Time in Patent Office: 403 Days
• Field of Search: 358/194.1, 358/191.1, 358/192.1, 358/22, 358/87, 358/181, 455/617, 455/603, 455/606, 340/784
• US Class Current: 348/734
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0025 in a remote control unit remote control tuning in general H03J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/24 Remote control device with display showing program content
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 9/06 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. light
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

A remote control unit radiates signals of operated program selection keys (3) via an infrared transmitter circuit (10, 11, 12). In order to simplify the selection of one of several TV programs for the user, the remote control device has a receiver circuit (18 to 23). The latter detects picture signals of the TV programs to be selected via program selection keys (3). A storage unit stores these picture signals. To each of the program selection keys (3) on the remote control set a picture display (6) is assigned. A control circuit (24, 29, 30) distributes the picture signals from the storage (25) cyclically to the picture displays (6).

Claims

1. A remote control device for a TV set having an infrared transmitter, comprising:

infrared receiver means for receiving picture signals transmitted from the infrared transmitter;

storage means for storing the picture signals;

a plurality of program selection keys;

a plurality of picture displays, wherein one of said plurality of picture displays is assigned to each of the program selection keys and is disposed locally thereto; and

means for cyclically distributing the picture signals from the storage means to the plurality of picture displays;

wherein the picture signals appear as cyclically updated still pictures on the plurality of picture displays, and wherein the still pictures appear on the plurality of picture displays simultaneously.

2. The remote control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each picture display is an LC-display.

3. The remote control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a single LC-display forms all of said plurality of picture displays.

6. The remote control device as claimed in claim 3, wherein a single LC-display forms all of said plurality of picture displays.

4. A remote control device for a TV set, comprising:

receiver means for receiving TV picture signals from a TV antenna signal and comprising a tuner;

storage means for storing the picture signals;

a plurality of program selection keys;

a plurality of picture displays, wherein one of said plurality of picture displays is assigned to each of the program selection keys and is disposed locally thereto; and

means for cyclically distributing the picture signals from the storage means to the plurality of picture displays;

wherein the picture signals appear as cyclically updated still pictures on the plurality of picture displays, and wherein the still pictures appear on the plurality of picture displays simultaneously.

5. The remote control device as claimed in claim 4, wherein each picture display is an LC-display.