Remote receiver that coordinates command signals from differing sources including radio frequency and infrared sources

• US 5,675,395 A
• Filed: 01/04/1995
• Issued: 10/07/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ido, Toshikazu, Martin, Jeffrey Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Murrell, Jeffrey S.
• Application Number:
  US08/368,331
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 348/706, 348/734, 348/585, 348/598, 348/164, 348/725, 359/145, 359/146, 340/825.69, 340/825.73, 340/825.74, 340/825.76, 455/151.2
• US Class Current: 348/734
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• 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 receiver is disclosed that accepts command signals from infrared transmitters and radio frequency transmitters and that combined the command signals into a final non overlapping command signal according to a preselected priority among the command signals.

Claims

1. A remote receiver comprising:

a first circuit that accepts a command signal from an infrared transmitter and a command signal from a radio frequency transmitter; and

a second circuit that automatically combines the command signals into a final non overlapping command signal according to a preselected priority among the command signals.

2. A remote receiver comprising:

circuitry that accepts a command signal from an infrared transmitter and a command signal from a radio frequency transmitter and that combines the command signals into a final non overlapping command signal according to a preselected priority among the command signals; and

circuitry that accepts a control input signal via a signal line and that combines the control input signal with the command signals from the infrared and radio frequency transmitters according to the preselected priority.

3. The remote receiver of claim 2, wherein the preselected priority is determined by a control signal generated by a microprocessor under software control.

4. A remote receiver comprising:

circuitry that accepts a command signal from an infrared transmitter and a command signal from a radio frequency transmitter; and

circuitry that combines the command signals into a final non overlapping command signal according to a preselected priority among the command signals;

wherein the preselected priority is determined by a control signal generated by a microprocessor under software control, and wherein the control signal causes the command signal from the radio frequency transmitter to have highest priority while combining the command signals.

5. A remote receiver comprising:

circuitry that accepts a command signal from an infrared transmitter and a command signal from a radio frequency transmitter; and

circuitry that combines the command signals into a final non overlapping command signal according to a preselected priority among the command signals;

wherein the preselected priority is determined by a control signal generated by a microprocessor under software control, and wherein the control signal causes the command signal from the radio frequency transmitter to have no priority while combining the command signals.

6. A video system, comprising:

an infrared transmitter that generates an infrared command signal;

a radio frequency transmitter that generates a radio frequency command signal; and

a remote receiver that includes circuitry for receiving the infrared and the radio frequency command signals and for combining the infrared and the radio frequency command signals into a final non overlapping command signal according to a preselected priority among the command signals wherein the final command signal controls the video system, said remote receiver determining said priority.

7. The video system of claim 6, wherein the video system includes a microprocessor that controls the preselected priority by generating a control signal for the remote receiver under software control.

8. A video system, comprising:

an infrared transmitter that generates an infrared command signal;

a radio frequency transmitter that generates a radio frequency command signal; and

a remote receiver that includes circuitry for receiving the infrared and the radio frequency command signals and for combining the infrared and the radio frequency command signals into a final non overlapping command signal that controls the video system according to a preselected priority among the command signals, wherein the remote receiver includes circuitry that receives a control input signal via a signal line and that combines the control input signal with the infrared and the radio frequency command signals according to the preselected priority.

9. A video system, comprising:

an infrared transmitter that generates an infrared command signal;

a radio frequency transmitter that generates a radio frequency command signal;

a remote receiver that includes circuitry for receiving the infrared and the radio frequency command signals and for combining the infrared and the radio frequency command signals into a final non overlapping command signal that controls the video system according to a preselected priority among the command signals; and

a microprocessor that controls the preselected priority by generating a control signal for the remote receiver under software control, wherein the control signal causes the radio frequency command signal to have highest priority while combining the command signals.

10. A video system, comprising:

an infrared transmitter that generates an infrared command signal;

a radio frequency transmitter that generates a radio frequency command signal;

a remote receiver that includes circuitry for receiving the infrared and the radio frequency command signals and for combining the infrared and the radio frequency command signals into a final non overlapping command signal that controls the video system according to a preselected priority among the command signals; and

a microprocessor that controls the preselected priority by generating a control signal for the remote receiver under software control wherein the control signal causes the radio frequency command signal to have no priority while combining the command signals.

11. A remote control method, comprising the steps of:

concurrently generating an infrared command signal and a radio frequency command signal;

combining the infrared and the radio frequency command signals into a final non overlapping command signal according to a preselected priority among the command signals; and

controlling an electronic system with the final command signal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the preselected priority is determined under software control in the electronic system.

13. A remote control method, comprising the steps of:

generating an infrared command signal and a radio frequency command signal; and

combining the infrared and the radio frequency command signals into a final non overlapping command signal that controls an electronic system according to a preselected priority among the command signals, wherein the step of combining the infrared and the radio frequency command signals further comprises the steps of receiving a control input signal via a signal line and combining the control input signal with the infrared and the radio frequency command signals according to the preselected priority.

14. A remote control method, comprising the steps of:

generating an infrared command signal and a radio frequency command signal;

combining the infrared and the radio frequency command signals into a final non overlapping command signal according to a preselected priority among the command signals; and

controlling an electronic system with the final command signal, wherein the preselected priority is determined under software control in the electronic system;

wherein the preselected priority causes the radio frequency command signal to have highest priority while combining the command signals.

15. A remote control method, comprising the steps of:

generating an infrared command signal and a radio frequency command signal;

combining the infrared and the radio frequency command signals into a final non overlapping command signal according to a preselected priority among the command signals; and

controlling an electronic system with the final command signal, wherein the preselected priority is determined under software control in the electronic system, and wherein the preselected priority causes the radio frequency command signal to have no priority while combining the command signals.

16. A remote receiver comprising;

circuitry configured to accept a command signal from an infrared transmitter and a command signal from a radio frequency transmitter; and

circuitry configured to automatically combine the command signals into a final non overlapping command signal according to a preselected priority among the command signals.

17. A remote receiver comprising:

circuitry configured to accept a command signal from an infrared transmitter and a command signal from a radio frequency transmitter; and

circuitry configured to automatically combine the command signals into a final non overlapping command signal according to a preselected priority among the command signals;

the receiver configured to accept a control input signal via a signal line and to combine the control input signal with the command signals from the infrared and radio frequency transmitters according to the preselected priority.

18. The remote receiver of claim 17, wherein the preselected priority is determined by a control signal generated by a microprocessor under software control.

19. A remote receiver comprising:

circuitry configured to accept a command signal from an infrared transmitter and a command signal from a radio frequency transmitter; and

circuitry configured to automatically combine the command signals into a final non overlapping command signal according to a preselected priority among the command signals;

wherein the preselected priority is determined by a control signal generated by a microprocessor under software control and wherein the control signal causes the command signal from the radio frequency transmitter to have highest priority while combining the command signals.

20. A remote receiver comprising:

circuitry configured to accept a command signal from an infrared transmitter and a command signal from a radio frequency transmitter; and

circuitry configured to automatically combine the command signals into a final non overlapping command signal according to a preselected priority among the command signals;

wherein the preselected priority is determined by a control signal generated by a microprocessor under software control and wherein the control signal causes the command signal from the radio frequency transmitter to have no priority while combining the command signals.

21. A video system, comprising:

an infrared transmitter configured to generate an infrared command signal;

a radio frequency transmitter configured to generate a radio frequency command signal;

a remote receiver that includes circuitry configured to receive the infrared and the radio frequency command signals and to automatically combine the infrared and the radio frequency command signals into a final non overlapping command signal that controls the video system according to a preselected priority among the command signals.

22. The video system of claim 21, wherein the video system includes a microprocessor configured to automatically control the preselected priority by generating a control signal for the remote receiver under software control.

23. A video system, comprising:

an infrared transmitter configured to generate an infrared command signal;

a radio frequency transmitter configured to generate a radio frequency command signal; and

a remote receiver having circuitry configured to receive the infrared and the radio frequency command signals and to combine the infrared and the radio frequency command signals into a final non overlapping command signal according to a preselected priority among the command signals wherein the final command signal controls the video system, wherein the remote receiver includes circuitry configured to receive a control input signal via a signal line and to combine the control input signal with the infrared and the radio frequency command signals according the preselected priority.

24. A video system, comprising:

an infrared transmitter configured to generate an infrared command signal;

a radio frequency transmitter configured to generate a radio frequency command signal; and

a remote receiver that includes circuitry configured to receive the infrared and the radio frequency command signals and to combine the infrared and the radio frequency command signals into a final non overlapping command signal according to a preselected priority among the command signals wherein the final command signal controls the video system; and

a microprocessor configured to control the preselected priority by generating a control signal for the remote receiver under software control, wherein the control signal causes the radio frequency command signal to have highest priority while combining the command signals.

25. A video system, comprising:

an infrared transmitter configured to generate an infrared command signal;

a radio frequency transmitter configured to generate a radio frequency command signal; and

a remote receiver that includes circuitry configured to receive the infrared and the radio frequency command signals and to combine the infrared and the radio frequency command signals into a final non overlapping command signal according to a preselected priority among the command signals wherein the final command signal controls the video system; and

a microprocessor configured to control the preselected priority by generating a control signal for the remote receiver under software control, wherein the control signal causes the radio frequency command signal to have no priority while combining the command signals.