Remote command apparatus

• US 5,235,328 A
• Filed: 02/28/1991
• Issued: 08/10/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kurita, Tohru
• Primary Examiner(s): Yusko, Donald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Magistre, Dervis
• Application Number:
  US07/663,209
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 358/194.1, 359/142, 359/143, 359/148, 359/146, 341/176, 341/22, 341/23
• US Class Current: 340/12.28
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/0235 specially adapted for remote control, e.g. of audio or video apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0025 in a remote control unit remote control tuning in general H03J9/00

Abstract

The present invention relates to a commander apparatus in which control data is stored in recording media in correspondence to various switches on the commander, and the recording media are detachably enclosed in the main body of the commander. The remote commander main body comprises a receiver for receiving command signals that are supplied from the outside; a control unit for storing the control data which is obtained by demodulating the command signals supplied from the outside in correspondence to the key switches of the recording media, and interfaces for coupling the recording media with the remote commander main body. The user stores the control data in the recording media on the basis of a desired key arrangement, so that an original key arrangement according to the user can be realized. The operating efficiency can be improved without increasing the number of keys on the commander.

Claims

1. A reconfigurable commander apparatus for remote control of one or more electronic devices, said commander apparatus comprising;

a main body;

a ROM card detachably mounted in the main body and including actuatable key switches and in which a plurality of units of control data are stored in such a manner that a particular key switch corresponds to a particular unit of control data;

a RAM card detachably mounted in the main body and including actuatable key switches and in which control data can be stored corresponding to key switches to be determined by a user;

microprocessor means including temporary storage means permanently mounted in the main body; and

interface means by which said ROM card and said RAM card can be selectively coupled electrically to said microprocessor means and said temporary storage means;

whereby said ROM card can be coupled electrically to said microprocessor means and said temporary storage means for transferring said plurality of units of control data to said temporary storage means; and

said RAM card can then be coupled electrically to said microprocessor means and said temporary storage means for transferring said plurality of units of control data from said temporary storage means to said RAM card in such a manner that the user can cause any of said key switches in said RAM card to correspond to any of said units of control data.

2. A reconfigurable commander apparatus enabling a user to effect remote control of one or more electronic devices, said commander apparatus comprising:

control means;

random access memory means coupled to said control means and formed with a plurality of user actuatable key switches and a corresponding plurality of storage locations, each of said key switches corresponding to a separate one of said storage locations;

user actuatable mode switch means coupled to said control means for selectively setting said commander apparatus in a learning mode or a control mode;

receiving means coupled to said control means for receiving command signals supplied externally; and

transmitting means connected to said control means for transmitting command signals from said random access memory means to one or more electronic devices;

said commander apparatus

(i) in said learning mode conveying received command signals from said receiving means to said random access memory means and said random access memory means respectively storing a plurality of said received command signals in a plurality of storage locations, said storage locations respectively corresponding to different ones of said switches in accordance with selective actuation of said switches by the user of said commander apparatus; and

(ii) in said control mode conveying said signals stored in said storage locations to said transmitting means in accordance with selectively actuated ones of said switches for control of one or more of said electronic devices;

whereby any selected command signal can be associated with any of aid key switches in the discretion of the user of said commander apparatus.

3. A reconfigurable apparatus as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a main body, said control means, mode switch means, receiving means and transmitting means being connected to said main body and said random access memory means being detachably connected to said main body.

4. A reconfigurable apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said main body is formed with a plurality of stages of grooves facilitating slidable insertion of said random access memory means within and removal of said random access memory means from said main body.