Remote control system and control method

• US 5,416,535 A
• Filed: 01/21/1994
• Issued: 05/16/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sato, Kazuhiro, Sakurai, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US08/183,835
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 348/705, 348/706, 348/734, 348/731, 348/565, 348/569, 348/564, 348/570, 340/825.24, 340/825.25
• US Class Current: 348/706
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/32 Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/023 remotely controlled
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/02 Control of operating function, e.g. switching from recording to reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control
• 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 system comprises an audio apparatus audio signal, a video apparatus, a remote input device, a selector, and an output device wherein the remote input device transmits a position specification signal to the selector. The selector is connected to the audio and video apparatus and receives the position specification signal from the remote input device. The memory portion stores picture data include mode setting data for setting operation modes of the audio and video apparatus, command codes associated with the operation modes, and selection picture data for selecting the audio apparatus or Video apparatus. When the control portion detects that the position specification signal input by the remote input device indicates a predetermined position, it reads picture data in accordance with the input position specification signal from the memory portion. The command generation portion then selectively supplies a command code to the audio apparatus or video apparatus in accordance with the input position specification signal. The output device has a display portion to which the picture data read by the control portion from the memory portion are supplied, and the output signal of either the audio apparatus or video apparatus selected by the selector is supplied to the output device. When the control portion of the selector detects that the position specification signal input by the remote input device is a signal indicating the position corresponding to any one of the four sides of the display portion with the picture data of either the audio apparatus or video apparatus displayed on the display device, either the picture data associated with the other apparatus or the selection picture data are read from the memory portion and are displayed on said display portion.

Claims

1. A remote control system comprising:

an operation input means for outputting position specification information through line or radio transmission in accordance with an operation;

a reception means for receiving the position specification information transmitted by said operation input means;

a memory means for storing various command codes which are divided into a plurality of groups;

a display control means for outputting for display on a display screen control pictures corresponding to the command codes stored in said memory means in groups in accordance with the position specification information received by said reception means and for outputting for display a position specification picture indicating one of the control pictures output for display;

a command generation means for reading the command code corresponding to the control picture specified by said position specification picture in accordance with the position specification information received by said reception means and for outputting the same; and

a transmission means for transmitting the command code output by said command generation means to an apparatus or portion to be controlled

wherein when one of said groups of control pictures is displayed, if said position specification picture is moved on the display screen to an area which is a part or the whole of an edge portion surrounding the control pictures in accordance with the position specification information received by said reception means, said display control means switches the display of control pictures to a predetermine group of control pictures which is different from the group of control pictures currently displayed.

2. The remote control system according to claim 1 wherein, on a screen position displaying a certain group of control pictures, a plurality of areas, each being a part of the edge portion surrounding the control pictures are provided, and each area is associated with a group of control pictures;

and, when said position specification picture is moved to a certain one of said areas in accordance with the position specification information received by said reception means, said display control means switches the display of control pictures to the group of control pictures associated with the area.

3. The remote control system according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said display control means displays the group or groups of control pictures associated with one or a plurality of edge portions set on the screen position on which a certain group of control pictures are displayed.

4. The remote control system according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein, on the screen position displaying a second group or control picture called upon in association with an edge portion of the screen displaying a first group of control pictures, an edge portion associated with the first group of control pictures is provided and wherein the edge portion of the screen showing the first group of control pictures adapted to call up the second group of control pictures and the edge portion of the screen showing the second group of control pictures adapted to call up the first group of control pictures are set to be positioned substantially opposite to each other on the periphery of the screen.

5. A remote control system comprising:

an operation input means for outputting position specification information through line or radio transmission in accordance with an operation;

a reception means for receiving the position specification information transmitted by said operation input means;

a memory means for storing various command codes which are divided into a plurality of groups;

a display control means for outputting for display on a display screen the control pictures corresponding to the command codes stored in said memory means in groups in accordance with the position specification information received by said reception means and for outputting for displays a position specification picture indicating one of the control pictures output for display;

a command generation means for reading the command code corresponding to the control picture specified by said position specification picture in accordance with the position specification information received by said reception means and for outputting the same; and

a transmission means for transmitting the command code output by said command generation means to an apparatus or portion to be controlled,

wherein a control area associated with the control picture(s) indicating one or a plurality of command codes stored in said memory means is set in the display screen and wherein said display control means causes the control pictures indicating said particular command code(s) to be displayed when said position specification picture is moved into said control area on the display screen in accordance with the position specification information received by said reception means.

6. A control method for a remote control system comprising a remote input means for transmitting a position specification signal, a memory means for storing a plurality of picture data constituted by a plurality of mode setting data for setting the operation modes of a plurality of apparatus to be controlled and a plurality of command codes corresponding to said picture data, and a control means which is supplied with the position specification signal from said remote control means, for reading the picture data corresponding to the position specification signal supplied from said memory means, displaying said picture data on a display means, reading the command code corresponding to the position specification signal supplied from said memory means, and supplying it to said apparatus to be controlled,

wherein, with the picture data read from said memory means displayed on said display means, said control means reads a command code from said memory means in accordance with the position specification signal corresponding to said mode setting data input by said remote input means and supplies it to said apparatus to be controlled;

and when said control means detects that the position specification signal input by said remote input means is a signal corresponding to a certain position, it reads the picture data corresponding to the position specification signal input by said remote input means from said memory means and displays the picture data newly read from said memory means instead of the picture data currently displayed on said display means.

7. The control method for a remote control system according to claim 6 wherein the position of the position specification signal input by said remote input means on said display means is detected by said control means and, in accordance with the result of the detection performed by said control means, the picture at a corresponding to the position specification signal input by said remote input means are read from among the plurality of picture data stored in said memory means and are displayed instead of the picture data which have been displayed on said display means.

8. The control method for a remote control system according to claim 7 wherein additional picture data indicating a plurality of apparatus to be controlled are displayed by said control means in advance at the periphery of said display means.

9. The control method for a remote control system according to claim 6 wherein when said selection picture data for selecting a plurality of apparatus to be controlled are stored in said memory means, said control means reads the picture data corresponding to the position specification signal input by said remote input means from said memory means with said selection data displayed on said display means and displays the picture data read from said memory means instead of said selection picture data.

10. The control method for a remote control system according to claim 6 wherein when said control means detects that the value of the position specification signal input by said remote input means has become a predetermined value with said picture data displayed on said display means, additional picture data for adjusting the output level of said apparatus stored in said memory means are displayed on said display means with said picture data remaining on said display means.

11. The control method for a remote control system according to claim 6 wherein a pointer indicating the position on said display screen of the position specification signal input by said remote input means is displayed by said control means on said display means, and said pointer is moved on said display means in response to changes in the position specification signal input by said remote input means.

12. A remote control system comprising:

a remote input means for transmitting a position specification information signal when it is operated;

a reception means for receiving the position specification information signal input by said remote input means;

a memory means for storing first picture data constituted by a plurality of mode setting data corresponding to a plurality of operation modes of at least one apparatus to be controlled, second picture data for controlling the output state of said apparatus and a plurality of command codes corresponding to said operation modes and said second picture data;

a display control means for reading said first or second picture data in accordance with the position specification information signal output by said reception means and for displaying the data on a display means;

a command generation means for reading from said memory means the command code corresponding to said mode setting data or said second picture data specified by the position specification information signal input by said remote input means with said first or second picture data displayed on said display means and for outputting the data; and

a transmission means for transmitting the command code output by said command code generation means to said at least one apparatus to be controlled,

wherein said display control means displays said second picture data on said display means when the position specification information signal input by said remote input means indicates a predetermined position on said display means with said first picture data displayed on said display means.

13. A remote control system comprising:

a remote input means for transmitting a position specification information signal when it is operated;

a reception means for receiving the position specification information signal input by said remote input means;

a memory means for storing first picture data constituted by a plurality of mode setting data corresponding to a plurality of operation modes of a plurality of apparatus to be controlled, second picture data for controlling the output state of said apparatus and a plurality of command codes corresponding to said operation modes and said second picture data;

a display control means for reading said first or second picture data in accordance with the position specification information signal output by said reception means and for displaying the data on a display means;

a command generation means for reading from said memory means the command code corresponding to said mode setting data or said second picture data specified by the position specification information signal input by said remote input means with said first or second picture data displayed on said display means and for outputting the data; and

a transmission means for transmitting the command code output by said command code generation means to said at least one apparatus to be controlled,

wherein, with said first picture data displayed on said display means, said display control means reads another item of said first picture data from said memory means and displays the data on said display means when it detects that the position specification information signal input by said remote input means has reached a position corresponding to a peripheral portion of said display means, and reads said second picture data from said memory means and displays the data on said display means when it detects that the position specification information signal input by said remote input means has reached a predetermined position on said display means.

14. A remote control system comprising:

an audio apparatus for reproducing at least one audio signal;

a video apparatus for reproducing at least one video signal and one audio signal;

a remote input means for transmitting a position specification signal;

a selector having a receiving portion connected to said audio apparatus and said video apparatus for receiving the position specification signal from said remote input device, a memory portion for storing picture data including mode setting data for setting a plurality of operation modes of said audio apparatus and said video apparatus, command codes corresponding to said operation modes, and selection picture data for selecting said audio apparatus or said video apparatus, a control portion for reading picture data from said memory portion in accordance with the position specification signal input by said remote input means when it detects that the input position specification signal is a signal indicating a predetermined position, and a command generating portion for selectively supplying the command codes to said audio apparatus or said video apparatus in accordance with the input position specification signal; and

an output device having a display portion to which the picture data read by said control portion from said memory portion are supplied and being supplied with the output signal of either said audio apparatus or said video apparatus as selected by said selector,

wherein, with the picture data for either said audio apparatus or said video apparatus displayed on said display portion, the control portion of said selector reads a command code from said memory device in accordance with the position specification signal input by said remote input device and supplies it to at least either one of said audio apparatus or said video apparatus from said command generation portion and wherein, when said control portion detects that the position specification signal input by said remote input device is a signal indicating the position corresponding to any one of the four sides of said display portion with the picture data of either said audio apparatus or said video apparatus displayed on said display device, either the picture data associated with the other apparatus or said selection picture data are read from said memory portion and are displayed on said display portion.

15. The remote control system according to claim 14 wherein the display of the picture data associated with either said audio apparatus or said video apparatus displayed on said display portion are erased after a predetermined elapse time.