Remote controller for controlling a plurality of electric appliances

• US 5,854,594 A
• Filed: 10/29/1996
• Issued: 12/29/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Winbond Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Winbond Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: Hwang, Denny, Kuang, Wu Jui, Lin, James J. Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILSON JR, WILLIAM HALL
• Application Number:
  US08/739,521
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.37, 340/325.56, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/825.22, 341/176, 359/146, 359/157, 359/142, 359/147, 359/145, 359/148, 455/151.1, 455/151.2, 455/151.4, 455/352, 348/734, 367/197, 367/199
• US Class Current: 340/4.42
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code

Abstract

A remote controller for independently controlling a plurality of electric appliances includes a selector device for outputting a selected signal for controlling an electric appliance and a memory electrically connected to the selector device for storing a plurality of codes, such codes consisting of device codes, address codes, and function codes, wherein the device codes designate electric appliances of a particular type (such as TV'"'"'s, VCR'"'"'s audio sets, etc.), the address codes designate a specific appliance of the particular type (such as TV no.1, TV no. 2, ect.), and the function codes designate control of a function of the appliance (such as volume, picture contrast, color, etc.).

Claims

1. A remote controller for independently controlling at least two appliances comprising:

a selector configured to transmit a signal which controls a selected appliance, said selector device including;

(a) a memory configured to store;

(i) at least two device codes, each said device code corresponding to a particular type of appliance, thereby enabling a user of the remote controller to independently control said particular types of appliances;

(ii) at least one device code having at least two address codes, each said address code representing a specific appliance of the particular type, thereby enabling the user to independently control said specific individual appliances of each of said particular types; and

(iii) each address code having a function code representing a function the selected appliance is to execute, thereby enabling the user to independently control a plurality of functions of each of said selected appliances; and

(b) a signal transmitter electrically connected to said memory and configured to transmit an electromagnetic signal which corresponds to the functions of the selected appliance based on the type of appliance selected, and an address of a selected appliance of said selected type.

2. A remote controller according to claim 1, wherein said selected signal comprises a device code selected signal, an address code selected signal, and a function code selected signal.

3. A remote controller according to claim 2, wherein said selector device comprises:

a keyboard array which includes a plurality of row signal lines and a plurality of column signal lines wherein an intersection of one of said row signal lines and one of said column signal lines represents a key;

a function code encoder electrically connected to said keyboard array and producing said function code selected signal responsive to a specific pressed key; and

a device code/address code encoder which includes a device code pin and an address code pin and produces said device code selected signal and said address code selected signal according to at least one specific said row signal line to which said device code pin and said address code pin are connected.

4. A remote controller according to claim 3, wherein said device code pin and said address code pin of said device code/address code encoder are respectively connected to said at least one specific row signal line by two sliding switches.

5. A remote controller according to claim 3, wherein said device code pin and said address code pin of said device code/address code encoder determines said device code selected signal and said address code selected signal by said key.

6. A remote controller according to claim 3, wherein said device code pin and said address code pin of said device code/address code encoder determines said device code selected signal and said address code selected signal by a sliding switch and said key.

7. A remote controller according to claim 3, wherein said device code pin and said address code pin of said device code/address code encoder determines said device code selected signal and said address code selected signal by an electrical circuit.

8. A remote controller according to claim 7, wherein said electrical circuit is a Micro Controller.

9. A remote controller according to claim 1, wherein said memory is a Read Only Memory (ROM).

10. A remote controller according to claim 1, wherein said electromagnetic signal is an infrared ray signal.

11. A remote controller according to claim 1, wherein said signal transmitter comprises:

an infrared ray Light Emitting Diode (LED) emitting therefrom said infrared ray signal; and

an output controller receiving said one group of codes and actuating said infrared ray LED to emit therefrom said infrared ray signal corresponding to said one group of codes.

12. A remote controller according to claim 1, wherein said electric appliance is one selected from a television set, an audio set, and a videocassette recorder.