Long distance remote control

• US 6,188,325 B1
• Filed: 08/05/1993
• Issued: 02/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gaia Technology Pty., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Zaptv Pty., Ltd.
• Inventors: Vogel, Peter Samuel
• Primary Examiner(s): ZIMMERMAN, BRIAN A
• Application Number:
  US08/102,507
• Time in Patent Office: 2,749 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.24, 340/825.06, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 358/194.1
• US Class Current: 340/12.53
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/40 Remote control systems using repeaters, converters, gateways
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared

Abstract

An electronic appliance equipped with an infra-red or ultrasonic remote control device in which the device is controlled from a great distance by receiving control signals transmitted from a remote station (6), reformatting the control signals (3) in the device to controm with the protocol required by the appliance to be controlled, and transmitting the infra-red (5) or ultrasonic signal to the appliance.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a device, comprising:

transmitting an information signal from a first transmitter;

transmitting a control signal from a second transmitter, said control signal being indicative of a predetermined target condition, said second transmitter disposed apart from a receiving device;

receiving said information signal at a receiving station;

applying said received information signal to said receiving device at said receiving station;

receiving said control signal at an intermediate station;

sensing an operational condition of said receiving device, when said receiving device is in a power-on condition;

formatting said received control signal according to said sensed operational condition to form control codes suitable for reception by an input of said receiving device;

using a third transmitter to modulate a carrier on the basis of said control codes; and

applying the modulated carrier from said third transmitter to an input of said receiving device to cause said receiving device to enter said predetermined target operational condition, wherein the sensing of the operational condition of said receiving device further comprises;

receiving a sequence of signals from a controller; and

calculating a current operational condition of the receiving device according to said sequence of received signals.

2. The method of controlling a device as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the step of sensing the operational condition of said receiving device includes the sub-step of sensing which one of a plurality of information channels is being received by said receiving device; and

the step of formatting said received control signal according to said sensed operational condition includes the sub-step of;

generating a number of channel-up or channel-down steps required to cause said receiving device to select a channel specified by a received channel select control signal, according to a difference between said sensed television channel and the received channel select control signal.

3. The method of controlling a device as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the step of sensing the operational condition of said receiving device includes the sub-steps of:

sensing if said receiving device is paused; and

sensing if said receiving device is stopped; and

the step of formatting said received control signal according to said sensed operational condition includes the sub-steps of;

generating a record code when a resume-recording code is received if said operational condition sensing step indicates that said receiving device is stopped;

generating a pause code when a resume-recording code is received if said operational condition sensing step indicates that said receiving device is paused; and

generating a pause code when a pause-recording code is received if said operational condition sensing step indicates that said receiving device is not paused.

4. The method of controlling a device as claimed in one of claims 1, wherein said information signal is a television signal.

5. The method controlling a device as claimed in one of claims 1, wherein said receiving station is remote from said transmitters.

6. The method of controlling a device as claimed in one of claims 1, wherein said receiving device is a video recorder.

7. A method of controlling a device as claimed in one of claims 1, wherein said carrier is an infra-red light beam.

8. A method of controlling a device as claimed in one of claims 1, wherein said receiving device input is a remote control input.

9. A method of controlling a device, comprising:

transmitting an information signal from a first transmitter;

transmitting a control signal from a second transmitter, second transmitter disposed apart from a receiving device;

receiving said information signal at said receiving station;

applying said received information signal to a receiving device at said receiving station, said receiving device being one of a first receiving device type responsive to a first command for achieving a predetermined operational state and a second receiving device type responsive to a second command for achieving the same predetermined operational state;

receiving said control signal at an intermediate station;

sensing an operational condition of said receiving device, when said receiving device is in a power-on condition;

formatting said received control signal according to said sensed operational condition and said receiving device type to form control codes suitable for reception by an input of said receiving device;

using a third transmitter to modulate a carrier on the basis of said control codes; and

applying the modulated carrier from said third transmitter to an input of said receiving device to achieve said predetermined operational state, wherein the sensing of the operational condition of said receiving device further comprises;

receiving a sequence of signals from a controller; and

calculating a current operational condition of the receiving device according to said sequence of received signals.

10. The method of controlling a device as claimed in claim 9, wherein

the step of sensing the operational condition of said receiving device includes the sub-step of sensing which one of a plurality of information channels is being received by said receiving device; and

the step of formatting said received control signal received by said receiving device includes the sub-step of generating a number of channel-up or channel-down steps required to cause said receiving device to select a channel specified by a received channel select control signal, according to a difference between said sensed television channel and the received channel select control signal.

11. The method of controlling a device as claimed in claim 9, wherein

the step of sensing the operational condition of said receiving device includes the sub-steps of:

sensing if said receiving device is paused; and

sensing if said receiving device is stopped; and

the step of formatting said control signal received by said receiving device includes the sub-steps of;

generating a record code when a resume-recording code is received by said receiving device if said operational condition sensing step indicates that said receiving device is stopped;

generating a pause code when a resume-recording code is received by said receiving device if said operational condition sensing step indicates that said receiving device is paused; and

generating a pause code when a pause-recording code is received by said receiving device if said operational condition sensing step indicates that said receiving device is not paused.

12. A device controller, comprising:

a first transmitter which transmits an information signal;

a second transmitter which transmits a control signal from a second transmitter, said control signal being indicative of a predetermined target condition;

a receiving station which receives said information signal;

a receiving device at said receiving station to which said received information signal is applied; and

an intermediate station which receives said control signal;

a third transmitter which modulates a carrier on the basis of control codes,

wherein an operational condition of said receiving device is sensed,

wherein said received control signal is formatted according to said sensed operational condition to form said control codes suitable for reception by an input of said receiving device, and

wherein the modulated carrier from said third transmitter is applied to an input of said receiving device to cause said receiving device to enter said predetermined target operational condition, wherein when the operational condition of said receiving device is sensed,

a sequence of signals is received from a controller; and

a current operational condition of the receiving device according to said sequence of received signals is calculated.

13. The device controller as claimed in claim 12,

wherein when the operational condition of said receiving device is sensed, whether said receiving device is in a power-on condition is also sensed; and

wherein when said received control signal is formatted according to said sensed operational condition, a start code is prefaced with a power-on code if a power-on condition is not sensed when said operational condition is sensed.

14. The device controller as claimed in claim 12, wherein when the operational condition of said receiving device is sensed, which one of a plurality of information channels is being received by said receiving device is also sensed;

and

wherein when said received control signal is formatted according to said sensed operational condition, a number of channel-up or channel-down steps required to cause said receiving device to select a channel specified by a received channel select control signal, according to a difference between said sensed television channel and the received channel select control signal, is generated.

15. The device controller as claimed in claim 12,

wherein when the operational condition of said receiving device is sensed,

whether said receiving device is paused is sensed;

and

whether said receiving device is stopped is sensed, and

wherein when said received control signal is formatted according to said sensed operational condition,

a record code is generated when a resume-recording code is received if said operational condition sensed indicates that said receiving device is stopped;

a pause code is generated when a resume-recording code is received if said operational condition sensed indicates that said receiving device is paused; and

a pause code is generated when a pause-recording code is received if said operational condition sensed indicates that said receiving device is not paused.

16. The device controller as claimed in one of claims 12, wherein said information signal is a television signal.

17. The device controller as claimed in one of claims 12, wherein said receiving station is remote from said transmitters.

18. The device controller as claimed in one of claims 12, wherein said receiving device is a video recorder.

19. The device controller as claimed in one of claims 12, wherein said carrier is an infra-red light beam.

20. The device controller as claimed in one of claims 12, wherein said receiving device input is a remote control input.

21. A device controller, comprising:

a first transmitter which transmits an information signal;

a second transmitter which transmits a control signal;

a receiving station which receives said information signal;

a receiving device at said receiving station to which said received information signal is applied, said receiving device being one of a first receiving device type responsive to a first command for achieving a predetermined operational state and a second receiving device type responsive to a second command for achieving the same predetermined operational state;

an intermediate station which receives said control signal; and

a third transmitter which modulates a carrier on the basis of control codes,

wherein an operational condition of said receiving device is sensed,

wherein said received control signal is formatted according to said sensed operational condition and said receiving device type of form said control codes suitable for reception by an input of said receiving device, and

wherein the modulated carrier from said third transmitter is applied to an input of said receiving device to achieve said predetermined operational state,

wherein when the operational condition of said receiving device is sensed,

a sequence of signals is received from a controller; and

a current operational condition of the receiving device according to said sequence of received signals is calculated.

22. The device controller as claimed in claim 21,

wherein when the operational condition of said receiving device is sensed,

whether said receiving device is in a power-on condition is also sensed; and

wherein when said control signal received by said receiving device is formatted, a start code is prefaced with a power-on code if a power-on condition is not sensed when said operational condition is sensed.

23. The device controller as claimed in claim 21,

wherein when the operational condition of said receiving device is sensed, which one of a plurality of information channels is being received by said receiving device is also sensed;

and

wherein when said received control signal received by said receiving device is formatted, a number of channel-up or channel-down steps required to cause said receiving device to select a channel specified by a received channel select control signal, according to a difference between said sensed television channel and the received channel select control signal, is generated.

24. The device controller as claimed in claim 22,

wherein when the operational condition of said receiving device is sensed,

whether said receiving device is paused is sensed;

and

whether said receiving device is stopped is sensed, and

wherein when said control signal received by said receiving device is formatted,

a record code is generated, when a resume-recording code is received by a receiving device if said sensed operational condition indicates that said receiving device is stopped;

a pause code is generated, when a resume-recording code is received by said receiving device if said sensed operational condition indicates that said receiving device is paused; and

a pause code is generated, when a pause-recording code is received by said receiving device if said sensed operational condition indicates that said receiving device is not paused.