Signal distribution apparatus with learning function

• US 6,292,230 B1
• Filed: 08/04/1999
• Issued: 09/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Shui, Lisa Yi, Andrews, Nathan William
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NATNAEL, PAULOS M
• Application Number:
  US09/368,377
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 348/705, 348/734, 348/553, 348/555, 348/569, 348/706, 348/725, 725/131, 725/133, 725/139, 725/141, 725/151, 725/153, 725/85, 725/68
• US Class Current: 348/705
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control
• 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 21/42225 characterized by types of remote control, e.g. universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

A signal distribution apparatus having a learning feature for recognizing a remote control device code associated with a particular signal source and coupling the associated signal source to an output in response to receipt of the device code. The remote control device code may be transmitted using a universal remote control device or a dedicated remote control device associated with the particular signal source. The present invention allows a user to couple a plurality of signal sources and a display device, such as a television set, to the present signal distribution apparatus and thereafter couple a selected one of the signal sources to the display device using the universal remote control device or the dedicated remote control device. The learning feature obviates the need for a dedicated remote control for the signal distribution device.

Claims

1. A signal distribution apparatus, comprising:

a switching arrangement for selectively coupling one of a plurality of signal sources to an output;

a signal receiver for receiving a remote control code;

a memory for storing a plurality of POWER ON remote control codes associated with respective ones of the plurality of signal sources;

a controller for controlling the switching arrangement in response to a first POWER ON remote control code transmitted from one of a universal remote control device and a dedicated remote control device, the POWER ON remote control code being associated with a particular signal source, the controller comparing the first POWER ON remote control code with the plurality of POWER ON remote control codes stored in memory for associating the particular signal source with the received POWER ON remote control code and controlling the switching arrangement to couple the particular signal source to the output.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of signal sources provide S-VHS formatted signals.

3. A signal distribution apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of inputs, each input being associated with a respective POWER ON remote control code;

an output adapted to be coupled to an output device;

a switching arrangement, coupled to the plurality of inputs and the output, for selectively coupling one of the inputs to the output;

a signal receiver for receiving remote control codes;

means for learning POWER ON remote control codes associated with a respective ones of the inputs, the POWER ON remote control codes being transmitted from ones of universal remote control devices and dedicated remote control devices, the POWER ON remote control codes being associated with respective ones of a plurality of signal sources, the learning means associating each of the POWER ON remote control codes with respective ones of the inputs in response to a transmission of the POWER ON remote control codes during a learning mode, the learning means storing the POWER ON remote control codes in memory locations associated with the inputs; and

a controller for controlling the switching arrangement in response to a received POWER ON remote control code, the controller comparing the received POWER ON remote control code with the plurality of POWER ON remote control codes stored in memory to associate the received POWER ON remote control code with a particular input and controlling the switching arrangement to couple the particular input to the output.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of signal sources provide S-VHS formatted signals.

5. In a system comprising a signal distribution apparatus coupled to a plurality of signal sources and an output, a method for coupling a selected one of the signal sources with the output, comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of POWER ON remote control codes respectively associated with each signal source;

receiving a POWER ON remote control code transmitted from a universal remote control or a dedicated remote control, the POWER ON remote control signal being associated with a particular signal source;

comparing the received POWER ON remote control code with the plurality of stored POWER ON remote control codes to associate the particular signal source with the received POWER ON remote control code; and

coupling the particular signal source to the output.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of signal sources provide S-VHS formatted signals.