Remote commander

• US 5,237,327 A
• Filed: 11/14/1991
• Issued: 08/17/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Saitoh, Mitsumasa, Kuwabara, Katsumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Jin F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US07/791,508
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 341/176, 341/22, 341/34, 340/691, 340/502, 340/331, 340/711-712, 200/314, 200/512, 200/5 A, 446/143
• US Class Current: 341/176
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2217/032 Feedback about selected symbol, e.g. display
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/012 programmable
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2231/032 Remote control
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/23 Remote control device with display showing data to be transmitted to the controlled apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control

Abstract

A remote commander wherein a user can confirm operation of an operation key after such operation has a touch panel operating section including a display device for displaying an image of a plurality of operation keys thereon and an operation detecting device for detecting, when one of the operation keys displayed on the display device is depressed, the thus depressed operation key. Upon such detection of the depressed operation key, the display device is controlled to display part or all of a display portion of the depressed operation key in a flickering condition for a predetermined period of time after completion of such depression of the operation key. An infrared ray command signal corresponding to such depressed operation key is sent out to a remote object appliance to operate the object appliance.

Claims

1. A wireless, hand-held remote commander for controlling remotely located electronic appliances, comprising:

a touch panel operating section including a plurality of operation keys that are actuated by touching and display means for displaying an image of said plurality of operation keys thereon and an operation detecting means for detecting, when one of said operation keys displayed on said display means is touched, the touched operation key causing signal sending means to send out a signal corresponding to the touched operation key detected by said operation detecting means to a remotely located appliance, and controlling means responsive to detection of the touched operation key by said operation detecting means for controlling said display means to display to a user of the remote commander an image of the touched operation key in a flashing light condition for a predetermined period of time after completion of touching the operation key.

2. A remote commander according to claim 1, wherein said signal sending means comprises an infrared ray transmitter controlled by a central processing unit arranged within said hand-held remote commander.