Apparatus with a portable UHF radio transmitter remote for controlling one or more of infrared controlled appliances

• US 5,227,780 A
• Filed: 10/16/1991
• Issued: 07/13/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Echostar Technologies Corporation (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Houston Satellite Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Tigwell, David C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yusko, Donald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GIUST, JOHN
• Application Number:
  US07/793,481
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 341/176, 341/174, 381/105, 455/230, 455/352, 455/92, 455/142, 455/151.2, 358/194.1, 358/189, 359/142, 359/145
• US Class Current: 340/13.22
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/40 Remote control systems using repeaters, converters, gateways

Abstract

A plurality of infrared controlled appliances are controlled from a single UHF radio transmitter remote controller. The controller provides a plurality of separate distinct output control signals to an UHF to infrared transponder. The transponder has a UHF receiver, an infrared receiver, and an infrared transmitter. In one mode of operation, the transponder stores a received infrared signal and correlates it with a received UHF signal. In the operational mode, the transponder transmits a stored infrared signal through the infrared transmitter upon receiving a correlated UHF signal.

Claims

1. A remote control system comprising:

an appliance user control interface connected to and integrated with a narrow-band UHF transmitter in a hand-held portable housing;

a UHF receiver tuned to transmission characteristics of said UHF transmitter;

an instruction set translation unit correlating a UHF instruction set to an IR instruction set connected to said UHF receiver;

an IR transmitter connected to said instruction set translation unit.

2. A remote control system according to claim 1 wherein said instruction set translation unit is a programmable instruction set translation unit.

3. A remote control system according to claim 1 further comprising:

an IR receiver connected to said instruction set translation unit.

4. A remote control system comprising:

user interface means for generating a first appliance instruction set;

means for transmitting a UHF data frame signal corresponding to an appliance instruction within said first appliance instruction set connected to and integrated with said means for generating in a hand-held portable housing;

means for receiving said UHF data frame signal;

non-linear means, connected to said means for receiving, for transforming said data frame signal corresponding to an appliance instruction within said first appliance instruction set to a second appliance instruction within a second appliance instruction set;

means for transmitting an IR signal corresponding to an appliance instruction within said second appliance instruction set responsive to said means for transforming.

5. A remote control system according to claim 4 wherein said means for transforming includes,

means for storing different infrared signals, and

means for retrieving a stored infrared signal in response to a predetermined received UHF signal.

6. A remote control system according to claim 5 wherein said means for transforming includes,

means for receiving an infrared input for correlating with a UHF control signal.

7. A remote control system according to claim 4 wherein said means for transforming comprises a table having addresses corresponding to said first instruction set and table entries corresponding to said second instruction set.

8. A remote control system according to claim 7 further comprising means for receiving an IR signal connected to said means for transforming.

9. A remote control system according to claim 8 further comprising means for programming said means for transforming with second instruction set entries from said means for receiving an IR signal correlated with first instruction set entries from said means for receiving a UHF signal.