Magnetic modem in a remote control

• US 5,537,463 A
• Filed: 05/31/1994
• Issued: 07/16/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Darbee, Paul V., Escobosa, Marcus
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F.
• Application Number:
  US08/251,336
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 379/102, 379/104-105, 379/90, 379/110, 379/443, 379/444, 379/93, 379/97-99, 348/734, 455/151.1-151.4, 455/352, 375/327, 375/331, 375/202, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/825.57
• US Class Current: 379/102.01
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/21 Programming remote control devices via third means
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/33 Remote control using macros, scripts
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2009/189 with a tactile symbol or indication, e.g. for blind people
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/056 Modular conception
• 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 2200/24 Remote control device with display showing program content
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/114 Indoor or close-range type systems

Abstract

The remote control comprises a microprocessor including a CPU and memory, a keypad including keys for operating the remote control coupled to the microprocessor, signal outputting circuitry, driver circuitry coupled to the microprocessor for driving the signal outputting circuitry, hardware and software, including the microprocessor, for generating output signal data which is supplied to the driver circuitry, a signal coupling transducer, such as a pick-up coil, in the remote control for picking up electro-magnetic signals from an electro-magnetic signal emitting or transmitting device, such as a telephone handset, coupling circuitry for coupling the signal coupling transducer to the microprocessor and decoding software in the microprocessor for decoding the electro-magnetic signals picked up into bits and/or bytes of output signal data and storing same in the memory.

Claims

1. A remote control comprising:

a microprocessor including a CPU and memory means;

a keypad including keys for operating said remote control coupled to said microprocessor;

signal outputting circuitry;

driver circuitry coupled to said microprocessor for driving said signal outputting circuitry;

hardware and software, including said microprocessor, for generating output signal data which is supplied to said driver circuitry;

a coupling transducer in said remote control for picking up magnetic signals from a device capable of emitting or transmitting magnetic signals;

coupling circuitry for coupling said coupling transducer to said microprocessor; and

,

decoding means including one or both of decoding hardware or decoding software coupled to or received in said microprocessor for decoding the magnetic signals picked up into bits and/or bytes of output signal data; and

,

means for storing said bits and/or bytes in said memory means.

2. The remote control of claim 1 wherein said decoding hardware or software includes a band pass filter section.

3. The remote control of claim 1 wherein said decoding hardware or software includes a signal boosting amplifier section.

4. The remote control of claim 1 wherein said decoding software includes a Costas Loop section.

5. The remote control of claim 4 wherein said decoding software includes a bit sync tracking/data extractor section which is coupled to or supplied to said Costas Loop section.

6. The remote control of claim 5 wherein said decoding software includes a bit shift register section which is coupled to or supplied to

said bit sync tracking/data extractor section.

7. The remote control of claim 1 including a visual display.

8. The remote control of claim 1 wherein said memory means of said remote control includes an EEPROM for storing data that is picked up by said coupling transducer.

9. The remote control of claim 1 wherein said remote control further includes a buzzer or code generating circuit which includes a buzzer, which is coupled to said CPU and which is operable to generate tone signals for communicating through a telephone handset and over a telephone line with a host computer.

10. The remote control of claim 1 wherein said coupling transducer is coupled into a band pass filter circuit forming at least part of said hardware the output of which is coupled to a signal boosting amplifier circuit also forming part of said hardware and having an output coupled to said CPU.

11. The remote control of claim 1 wherein said coupling transducer is a pick-up coil.

12. The remote control of claim 1 wherein said electro-magnetic signal emitting or transmitting device is a telephone handset.

13. The remote control of claim 1 further including indicating means for indicating when a data transmission has been completed.

14. The remote control of claim 13 wherein said indicating means include light emitting means.

15. A method for communicating instructions and/or function code data for operating a controlled consumer electrical appliance, such as a television set, from a host call-in station including a computer to a signal coupling system comprising an electro-magnetic signal coupling transducer in a remote control, said method comprising the steps of:

encoding function code data into bits forming bytes where each bit is defined by a predetermined number of cycles of a carrier frequency and the logic, 1 or 0, of the data bit is defined by an in-phase timing of the cycles, and the logic 0 or 1, is defined by a 180 degree out-of-phase timing of the cycles;

transmitting the carrier frequency to an electro-magnetic signal emitting device;

picking up with the signal coupling transducer the carrier frequency emitted from the electro-magnetic signal emitting device;

decoding the data bit logic contained in the carrier frequency with one of or both of decoding hardware in the remote control or decoding software stored in the memory of the remote control; and

,

storing the decoded function code data in memory of the remote control.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the carrier is 2400 Hz.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the predetermined number of cycles is 8.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein said decoding hardware or decoding software includes a band pass filter section.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein said decoding hardware or decoding software includes a signal boosting amplifier section.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein said decoding software includes a Costas Loop section.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said decoding software includes a bit sync tracking/data extractor section which is coupled to or supplied to said Costas Loop section.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said decoding software includes a bit shift register section which is coupled to or supplied to said bit sync tracking/data extractor section.

23. The method of claim 15 including the step of displaying on a visual display of the remote control messages relating to the transfer of data to the remote control memory.

24. The method of claim 15 wherein said memory means of said remote control includes an EEPROM for storing data that is picked up by said coupling transducer.

25. The method of claim 15 including the steps of:

generating, with a buzzer or code generating circuit which includes a buzzer, a tone signal and communicating the tone signal through a telephone handset and over a telephone line to a host computer.

26. The method of claim 15 including the step of:

indicating to a user of the remote control when a data transmission to or from the remote control has been completed.

27. The method of claim 15 wherein said coupling transducer is a pick-up coil.