Reception method, reception device, transmission method, transmission device, transmission/reception method, transmission/reception device

• US 6,374,406 B2
• Filed: 03/16/1998
• Issued: 04/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hirata, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, RUEBEN M
• Application Number:
  US09/039,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20010013122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,492 Days
• Field of Search: 348/6, 348/10, 348/12, 348/13, 348/552, 709/207, 709/218, 709/223, 709/224, 360/825-6-8, 360/340, 360/310.01, 725/131-132, 725/110-113, 725/151-153
• US Class Current: 725/132
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• 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 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42676 for modulating an analogue carrier signal to encode digital information or demodulating it to decode digital information, e.g. ADSL or cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42692 for reading from or writing on a volatile storage medium, e.g. Random Access Memory [RAM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4583 Automatically resolving scheduling conflicts, e.g. when a recording by reservation has been programmed for two programs in the same time slot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 : on tape

Abstract

An electronic mail on which a control command is interpolated is transmitted through a public line, received by a modem section of a gateway, converted to digital data, and supplied to a control section. A CPU of the control section stores the received electronic mail in a RAM, and extracts the control command contained in the electronic mail. The CPU supplies a control signal corresponding to the control command to an interface section. The interface section controls an IR transmission section to transmit a signal corresponding to the control signal supplied from the CPU or outputs a signal through a connection line, and controls a video deck.

Claims

1. A reception device for controlling an electric appliance, comprising:

reception means for receiving an electronic mail transmitted through a network;

extraction means for extracting a control command added to said electronic mail received by said reception means, wherein said control command is added to said electronic mail to control said electric appliance; and

control means for controlling said electric appliance based on said control command extracted by said extraction means, wherein said electric appliance is physically remote from said control means, wherein said control means has a timer reservation function, and said control means reserves an operation time of said electric appliance.

2. The reception device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

electronic mail preparation means for preparing a reply electronic mail based on a control result of said control means; and

transmission means for transmitting through said network said reply electronic mail to a source of said electronic mail.

3. The reception device as claimed in claim 1 wherein a reservation information of the operation time of said electric appliance is displayed.

4. The reception device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said reception device further comprises:

infrared signal transmission means, wherein said reservation information is inputted to the infrared signal transmission means, and is transmitted to said electric appliance through said infrared signal transmission means.

5. The reception device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said reception device is connected through a wire to said electric appliance, and in the case that both said wire and infrared signal transmission means connect said reception device and said electric appliance, the connection through said wire is preferentially used.

6. A reception method for controlling an electric appliance, comprising the steps of:

receiving an electronic mail transmitted through a network;

extracting a control command added to said electronic mail, wherein said control command is added to said electronic mail to control said electric appliance; and

controlling said electric appliance based on said control command, wherein said electric appliance is controlled remotely from a physical location of the step of extracting, and

said step of controlling has a timer reservation function, and said step of controlling reserves an operation time of said electric appliance.

7. The reception method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

preparing a reply electronic mail based on a control result of the step of controlling; and

transmitting said reply electronic mail through said network to a source of said electronic mail.

8. The reception method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising the step of:

displaying reservation information of the operation time of said electric appliance.

9. The reception method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the step of:

transmitting to said electric appliance said reservation information as an infrared signal.

10. The reception method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said electric appliance is controlled through a wire, and in the case that said electric appliance is controlled through both said wire and by an infrared signal said infrared signal is preferentially used.

11. A transmission/reception system for controlling an electric appliance, comprising:

input means for generating at least a portion of an electronic mail;

addition means for adding to said electronic mail a control command for controlling the electric appliance;

transmission means for transmitting through a network said electronic mail to which said control command is added;

reception means for receiving said transmitted electronic mail;

extraction means for extracting said control command from said electronic mail received by said reception means; and

control means for controlling said electric appliance based on said control command extracted by said extraction means, wherein said electric appliance is physically remote from said control means, wherein,

said control means has a timer reservation function, and said control means reserves an operation time of said electric appliance.

12. A transmission/reception method for controlling an electric appliance comprising the steps of:

inputting information to generate at least a portion of an electronic mail;

adding to said electronic mail a control command for the electric appliance;

transmitting through a network said electronic mail to which said control command is added;

receiving said transmitted electronic mail;

extracting said control command from said received transmitted electronic mail;

controlling said electric appliance based on said extracted control command, wherein said electric appliance is controlled remotely from a physical location of the step of extracting, and

said step of controlling has a timer reservation function, and said step of controlling reserves an operation time of said electric appliance.