Remote control receiver and method of operation

• US 6,097,520 A
• Filed: 06/30/1997
• Issued: 08/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kadnier, Griffith W.
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US08/884,964
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 359/142, 455/151.2, 348/734, 371/47.1, 340/825.62, 340/825.63, 340/825.64, 174/798
• US Class Current: 398/106
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 25/04 by recording transmitted signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/00 Arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received correcting synchronisation H04L7/00

Abstract

A system for the detection of user-selected remote control commands from virtually any appliance remote control includes a hardware processor with self-clocking circuit to detect and sample an incoming data stream. The data are error-corrected and compressed to eliminate errors caused by ambient noise. The error-corrected data can be used to remotely control an appliance or computer. In a learn mode, the user enters a user-selected remote control button sequence which is detected, error-corrected, compressed, and stored. The user then designates a computer command to be associated with the user-selected remote control button sequence. A command storage area, such as a conventional database, stores the user-designated command in association with the user-selected remote control button sequence. In an execute mode, the system detects the user-entered remote control button sequence and performs the user-designated action.

Claims

1. A system for the detection and processing of a command transmitted from an infrared remote control device to control a computer, the system comprising:

an infrared remote control receiver to receive the remote command from the infrared remote control device and to generate a pulse stream in response thereto, said pulse stream including a plurality of pulses each having a leading edge and having a maximum period between said pulses;

a detection circuit to detect a first leading edge of said pulse stream;

a clock generating circuit to generate a sampling clock in response to said first leading edge, said clock generating circuit terminating said sampling clock when said maximum period expires without an additional one of said plurality of pulses;

a sampling circuit operatively receiving said sampling clock and sampling said pulse stream to generate a plurality of bit stream samples;

an error correction processor to analyze said plurality of bit stream samples and to detect and correct errors therein, said error correction processor generating a plurality of corrected bit stream samples corresponding to the remote command transmitted from the infrared remote control device;

a data compression processor to receive and compress said plurality of corrected bit stream samples; and

a command processor to determine a user-selectable command corresponding to the remote command transmitted from the remote control device, said command processor passing said user-selectable command to the computer for execution.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said data compression processor uses run-length encoding to compress said plurality of corrected bit stream samples.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of pulses has a minimum pulse width and said clock generating circuit generates said sampling clock with a sampling period less than said minimum pulse width and said maximum period to permit said sampling circuit to generate a plurality of bit stream samples for each of said plurality of pulses.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said plurality of bit stream samples are byte-packed and said error correction processor detects errors in said byte-packed data.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said error correction processor analyzes said byte-packed data to detect a bit variation in a particular byte of said byte-packed data.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said error correction processor alters said bit variation in said particular byte to correspond to remaining bits in said particular byte.

7. The system of claim 1, further including a database storage area to store a plurality of user-selectable commands associated with a plurality of remote commands transmitted from the infrared remote control device, said command processor determining a particular one of said plurality of user-selectable commands corresponding to the remote command transmitted from the infrared remote control device.

8. A system for the detection and processing of a command transmitted from a remote control device to control a computer, the system comprising:

a remote control receiver to receive the command from the remote control device and to generate a pulse stream in response thereto;

a sampling circuit to sample said pulse stream to generate a plurality of bit stream samples;

an error correction processor to analyze said plurality of said bit stream samples and to detect and correct errors therein, said error correction processor generating a plurality of corrected bit stream samples corresponding to the remote command transmitted from the remote control device; and

a command processor to determine a user-selectable command corresponding to the remote command transmitted from the remote control device, said command processor passing said user-selectable command to the computer for execution.

9. The system of claim 8, further including a storage location to store said user-selectable command corresponding to the remote command transmitted from the remote control device, said command processor using said remote command as a pointer to said storage location to determine said user-selectable command.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said storage location contains a plurality of user-selectable commands corresponding to a plurality of respective remote commands transmitted from the remote control device, said command processor selecting one of said user-selectable commands corresponding to the respective remote command transmitted from the remote control device and passing said selected user-selectable command to the computer for execution.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein said command processor has first and second alternative operational modes, said command processor operational in said first mode to accept a user-selectable command and store said user-selectable command in said storage location in association with a user-entered remote command from the remote control device when in said first mode, said command processor operational in said second mode following operation in said first mode to identify said user-entered remote command transmitted from the remote control device as corresponding to said user-selectable command, said command processor passing said user-selectable command to the computer for execution.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said command processor operates in said first mode to accept a plurality of user-selectable commands and stores each of said plurality of user-selectable commands in said storage location in association with a respective user-entered remote command transmitted from the remote control device when in said first mode, said command processor operating in said second mode following operation in said first mode to select one of said user-selectable commands corresponding to the respective remote command transmitted from the remote control device, said command processor passing said selected user-selectable command to the computer for execution.

13. The system of claim 8, further including a data compressor to receive and compress said plurality of corrected bit stream samples.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said data compressor uses run length encoding to compress said plurality of corrected bit stream samples.

15. The system of claim 8 wherein said pulse stream comprises a plurality of pulses, each having a minimum pulse width, said sampling circuit samples said pulse stream with a period less than said minimum pulse width to generate a plurality of bit stream samples for each of said plurality of pulses.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said plurality of bit stream samples are byte-packed and said error correction processor detects errors in said byte-packed data.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said error correction processor analyzes said byte-packed data to detect at least a first bit variation in a particular byte of said byte-packed data.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said error correction processor alters said bit variation in said particular byte to correspond to remaining bit data values in said particular byte.

19. A system for the detection and processing of signals transmitted from a plurality of remote control devices to control a computer, the system comprising:

a remote control receiver to receive data from one of the plurality of remote control devices and to generate a pulse stream in response thereto;

a sampling circuit to sample said pulse stream to generate a plurality of bit stream samples; and

an error correction processor to analyze said plurality of said bit stream samples and detect errors therein, whereby said error correction processor generates a plurality of corrected bit stream samples corresponding to data from the remote control device.

20. The system of claim 19, further including a data compression processor to receive and compress said plurality of corrected bit stream samples.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein said error correction processor analyzes said plurality of bit stream samples to detect variations in a particular bit of said plurality of bit stream samples with respect to adjacent bits in said plurality of bit stream samples.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein said error correction processor alters said particular bit to correspond to said adjacent bits in said plurality of bit stream samples.

23. The system of claim 19 wherein said pulse stream comprises a plurality of pulses, each having a minimum pulse width, said sampling circuit samples said pulse stream with a period less than said minimum pulse width to generate a plurality of bit stream samples for each of said plurality of pulses.

24. The system of claim 19 wherein said plurality of bit stream samples are byte-packed and said error correction processor detects errors in said byte-packed data.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein said error correction processor analyzes said byte-packed data to detect a bit variation in a particular byte of said byte-packed data.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein said error correction processor alters said bit variation in said particular byte to correspond to remaining bits in said particular byte.

27. The system of claim 19, further including a command processor to determine a particular user-selectable command corresponding to the signals transmitted from said remote control device, said command processor passing said particular user-selectable command to the computer for execution.

28. A system for the detection and processing of commands transmitted from a plurality of remote control devices, the system comprising:

a remote control receiver to receive the commands from the remote control devices and to generate pulse streams in response thereto;

a sampling circuit to sample said pulse streams to generate a plurality of bit stream samples;

an error correction processor to analyze said plurality of bit stream samples and to detect and correct errors therein, said error correction processor generating a plurality of corrected bit stream samples corresponding to the remote commands transmitted from the remote control devices; and

a command processor to determine a user-selectable command corresponding to each of the remote commands transmitted from the remote control devices.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein said user-selectable command corresponding to each of the remote commands is an identical user-selectable command.

30. A system for the detection and processing of data received from a remote control device, the system comprising:

a sampling circuit to sample the received data to generate a plurality of data samples;

an error correction processor to analyze said plurality of data samples and to detect and correct errors therein, said error correction processor generating a plurality of corrected data samples corresponding to a remote command received from the remote control device; and

a command processor to determine a user-selectable command corresponding to the remote command transmitted from the remote control device.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein said command processor operates in a first mode to accept a user-selectable command and stores said user-selectable command in association with a respective user-entered remote command received from the remote control device when in said first mode, said command processor operating in a second mode following operation in said first mode to select said user-selectable command corresponding to the respective remote command received from the remote control device, said command processor passing said selected user-selectable command to the computer for execution.

32. A system for the detection and processing of signals transmitted from a remote control device to control a computer, the system comprising:

a remote control receiver to receive data from the remote control device and to generate received data in response thereto;

a sampling circuit to sample said received data to generate a plurality of data samples;

an error correction processor to analyze said plurality of data samples and to detect and correct errors therein, said error correction processor generating a remote control command based on said plurality of corrected data samples; and

a command processor having first and second alternative operational modes, said command processor operational in said first mode to accept a user-selected computer command and store said user-selected command in a storage location in association with said remote control command when in said first mode, said command processor operational in said second mode, following operation in said first mode, to identify said remote control command as corresponding to said user-selected computer command, said command processor passing said user-selected computer command to the computer for execution.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein said command processor stores a plurality of remote control commands in said storage location in association with a corresponding plurality of user-selected computer commands when said command processor is operational in said first mode, said command processor operational in said second mode to identify one of said plurality of remote control commands as corresponding to a particular one of said plurality of user-selected computer commands, said command processor passing said particular user-selected computer command to the computer for execution.

34. The system of claim 32 for use with first and second remote control devices wherein said error correction processor generates a first remote command based on said plurality of corrected data samples resulting from data received from the first remote control device and generates a second remote command based on a plurality of corrected data samples resulting from data received from the second remote control device, said command processor operates in said first mode to accept a first user-selected computer command and to store said first user-selected command in said storage location in association with said first remote control command and to accept a second user-selected computer command and to store said second user-selected command in said storage location in association with said second remote control command, said command processor operates in said second mode, following operation in said first mode, to identify said first and second remote control commands as corresponding to said first and second user-selected computer commands, respectively, and to pass said first and second user-selected computer commands to the computer for execution in response to said first and second remote control commands, respectively.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein said first and second user-selected computer commands are identical.

36. A system for the detection and processing of signals transmitted from a remote control device, the system comprising:

a remote control receiver to detect transmissions from the remote control device and to generate received data in response thereto, said received data including a plurality of pulses each having a leading edge and having a maximum period between said pulses;

a detection circuit to detect a first leading edge of said received data;

a clock generating circuit to generate a sampling clock in response to said first leading edge, said clock generating circuit terminating said sampling clock when said maximum period expires without an additional one of said plurality of pulses; and

a sampling circuit operatively receiving said sampling clock and sampling said received data to generate a plurality of data samples, whereby the system automatically detects received data and generates an independent clock to sample said received data corresponding to the transmitted data.

37. The system of claim 36, further including an error correction processor to analyze said data samples and detect a bit variation in one data sample with respect to adjacent bits in said one data sample, said error correction processor generating a plurality of corrected data samples.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein said error correction processor alters said bit variation to correspond to said adjacent bits in said one data sample.

39. The system of claim 37, further including a data compressor to receive and compress said plurality of corrected data samples.

40. The system of claim 36 wherein each of said plurality of pulses has a minimum pulse width and said clock generating circuit generates said sampling clock with a period less than said minimum pulse width to permit said sampling circuit to generate a plurality of data samples for each of said plurality of pulses.

41. The system of claim 36, further including a command processor to determine a user-selectable command corresponding to the signals transmitted from the remote control device, said command processor passing said user-selectable command to the computer for execution.

42. A method for the detection and processing of a command transmitted from a remote control device to control a computer, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving the command from the remote control device and generating a pulse stream in response thereto;

sampling said pulse stream to generate a plurality of bit stream samples;

analyzing said plurality of said bit stream samples to detect and correct errors therein, thereby generating a plurality of corrected bit stream samples corresponding to the remote command transmitted from the remote control device;

determining a user-selectable command corresponding to the remote command transmitted from the remote control device; and

passing said user-selectable command to the computer for execution.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein a storage location contains a plurality of user-selectable commands corresponding to a plurality of respective remote commands transmitted from the remote control device and said step of determining selects one of said user-selectable commands corresponding to the respective remote command transmitted from the remote control device, said step of passing using said selected user-selectable command to pass to the computer for execution.

44. The method of claim 42, further including first and second alternative operational modes, said first mode including the steps of accepting a user-selectable command and storing said user-selectable command in a storage location in association with a user-entered remote command from the remote control device when in said first mode, said second mode, following operation in said first mode, including said steps of determining and passing wherein said step of determining selects said user-selectable command associated with the remote command transmitted from the remote control device, said step of passing using said selected user-selectable command to pass to the computer for execution.

45. The method of claim 44 wherein said steps of accepting and storing said user-selectable command accept a plurality of user-selectable commands and store each of said plurality of user-selectable commands in said storage location in association with a respective plurality of user-entered remote commands transmitted from the remote control device when in said first mode, and said step of determining selects one of said plurality of user-selectable commands associated with the respective user-entered remote command transmitted from the remote control device in said second mode, said step of passing using said selected user-selectable command to pass to the computer for execution.

46. The method of claim 42, further including the step of compressing said plurality of corrected bit stream samples.

47. The method of claim 42 wherein said pulse stream comprises a plurality of pulses, each having a minimum pulse width and said step of sampling samples said pulse stream with a period less than said minimum pulse width to generate a plurality of bit stream samples for each of said plurality of pulses.

48. A method for the detection and processing of signals transmitted from a plurality of remote control devices to control a computer, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving data from one of the plurality of remote control devices and generating a data stream in response thereto;

sampling said data stream to generate a plurality of data samples; and

analyzing said plurality of said data samples and detecting errors therein, whereby a plurality of corrected compressed data samples are generated corresponding to corrected data from the remote control device.

49. The method of claim 48, further including the step of compressing said plurality of data samples.

50. The method of claim 48 wherein said step of analyzing analyzes said plurality of data samples to detect variations in a particular bit of said plurality of data samples with respect to adjacent bits in said plurality of data samples.

51. The method of claim 50 wherein said step of analyzing alters said particular bit to correspond to said adjacent bits in said plurality of data samples.

52. The method of claim 48 wherein said data stream comprises a plurality of pulses, each having a minimum pulse width, and said step of sampling samples said data stream with a period less than said minimum pulse width to generate a plurality of data samples for each of said plurality of pulses.

53. The method of claim 48, further including the step of byte-packing said plurality of data samples, said step of analyzing data samples analyzing said byte-packed data samples.

54. The method of claim 53 wherein said step of analyzing analyzes said byte-packed data to detect a bit variation in a particular byte of said byte-packed data.

55. The method of claim 48, further including the steps of determining a particular user-selectable command corresponding to the signals transmitted from said one remote control device and passing said particular user-selectable command to the computer for execution.

56. A method for the detection and processing of signals transmitted from a remote control device to control a computer, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving data from the remote control device and generating a data stream in response thereto;

sampling said data stream to generate a plurality of data samples;

analyzing said plurality of data samples to detect and correct errors;

generating a remote control command based on said plurality of corrected data samples;

accepting a user-selected computer command while operating in a first operational mode;

storing said user-selected command in a storage location in association with said remote control command while in said first mode;

identifying said remote control command as corresponding to said user-selected computer command while operating in a second operational mode, following operation in said first mode; and

passing said user-selected computer command to the computer for execution while in said second mode.

57. The method of claim 56 wherein said steps of accepting and storing accept and store a plurality of remote control commands in said storage location in association with a corresponding plurality of user-selected computer commands when in said first mode, said steps of identifying and passing identifying one of said plurality of remote control commands as corresponding to a particular one of said plurality of user-selected computer commands and passing said particular user-selected computer command to the computer for execution.

58. The method of claim 56 for use with first and second remote control devices wherein said step of generating generates a first remote command based on said plurality of corrected data samples resulting from data received from the first remote control device and generates a second remote command based on said plurality of corrected data samples resulting from data received from the second remote control device, said steps of accepting and storing operate in said first mode to accept a first user-selected computer command and to store said first user-selected command in said storage location in association with said first remote control command and to accept a second user-selected computer command and to store said second user-selected command in said storage location in association with said second remote control command, said steps of identifying and passing operate in said second mode, following operation in said first mode, to identify said first and second remote control commands as corresponding to said first and second user-selected computer commands, respectively, and to pass said first and second user-selected computer commands to the computer for execution in response to said first and second remote control commands respectively.

59. The method of claim 58 wherein said first and second user-selected computer commands are identical.

60. A method for the detection and processing of signals transmitted from a remote control device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving data from the remote control device and generating a data stream in response thereto, said data stream including a plurality of pulses each having a leading edge and having a maximum period between said pulses;

detecting a first leading edge of said data stream;

generating a sampling clock in response to said first leading edge;

terminating said sampling clock when said maximum period expires without an additional one of said plurality of pulses; and

operatively receiving said sampling clock and sampling said data stream to generate a plurality of data samples, whereby the received data is automatically detected and an independent clock signal generated to sample the data stream corresponding to said received data.

61. The method of claim 60, further including the steps of analyzing said data samples and detecting a bit variation in said plurality of data samples with respect to adjacent bits in said plurality of data samples.

62. The method of claim 60, further including the steps of determining a user-selectable command corresponding to the signals transmitted from the remote control device and passing said user-selectable command to the computer for execution.

63. A computer readable medium containing instructions for a computer to detect and process a remote command transmitted from a remote control device for controlling a target computer, the instructions causing the computer to perform the steps comprised of:

receiving the remote command and generating a pulse stream in response thereto;

sampling said pulse stream to generate a plurality of bit stream samples;

analyzing said plurality of said bit stream samples to detect and correct errors therein, thereby generating a plurality of corrected bit stream samples corresponding to the remote command;

determining a user-selectable command corresponding to the remote command; and

passing said user-selectable command to the target computer for execution.

64. The computer readable medium of claim 63 wherein a storage location in the computer contains a plurality of user-selectable commands corresponding to a plurality of respective remote commands transmitted from the remote control device and said step of determining selects one of said user-selectable commands corresponding to the respective remote command transmitted from the remote control device, and said step of passing said selected user-selectable command passes the one of said user-selectable commands corresponding to the remote command to the target computer for execution.

65. The computer readable medium of claim 63, further containing computer instructions to cause the computer to operate in first and second alternative operational modes, said first mode including the steps of accepting a user-selectable command and storing said user-selectable command in a storage location in association with a user-entered remote command from the remote control device when in said first mode, said second mode, following operation in said first mode, including said steps of determining and passing wherein said step of determining selects said user-selectable command associated with the remote command transmitted from the remote control device, said step of passing using said selected user-selectable command to pass to the target computer for execution.

66. A computer readable medium containing instructions for a computer to detect and process signals transmitted from a plurality of remote control devices, the instructions causing the computer to perform the steps comprised of:

receiving data from one of the plurality of remote control devices and generating a data stream in response thereto;

sampling said data stream to generate a plurality of data samples; and

analyzing said plurality of said data samples and detecting errors therein, whereby a plurality of corrected compressed data samples are generated corresponding to corrected data from the remote control device.

67. The computer readable medium of claim 66, further including instructions causing the computer to perform the step of compressing said plurality of data samples.

68. A computer readable medium containing instructions for a computer to detect and process signals transmitted from a remote control device for controlling a target computer, the instructions causing the computer to perform the steps comprised of:

receiving data from the remote control device and generating a data stream in response thereto;

sampling said data stream to generate a plurality of data samples;

analyzing said plurality of data samples to detect and correct errors;

generating a remote control command based on said plurality of corrected data samples;

accepting a user-selected computer command while operating in a first operational mode;

storing said user-selected command in association with said remote control command while in said first mode;

identifying said remote control command as corresponding to said user-selected computer command while operating in a second operational mode, following operation in said first mode; and

passing said identified user-selected computer command to the target computer for execution while in said second mode.