Remote controller for a multi-device television receiving system providing channel number auto-completion, presettable audio hush level and base channel auto-reaffirm

• US 6,396,549 B1
• Filed: 11/19/1997
• Issued: 05/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Harold J. Weber
• Inventors: Weber, Harold J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NATNAEL, PAULOS M
• Application Number:
  US08/974,668
• Time in Patent Office: 1,651 Days
• Field of Search: 348/734,725,632 340/825.69,825.72 455/352,355,92 381/105,104,106,107,108,58,59
• US Class Current: 348/734
• 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 21/42215 by measuring the time interval during which a key is pressed, e.g. for inputting sequences of digits when selecting a television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/663 for controlling interchangeable camera parts based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming

Abstract

A handheld remote controller for a televisor that automatically prefixes a single-digit program channel selection, typically between 2 and 9, with a leading zero in response to a prolonged single digit keybutton actuation exceeding about 3 seconds or by an intended ersatz key entry, such as a star “*” key, either preceding or following the channel digit key entry. A HUSH control provides audio volume reduction intermediate between mute and normal volume levels, obtainable by pressing a HUSH keybutton, or automatically hushed concurrent with a program channel change. Maintaining a televisor'"'"'s necessitous channel 3 or 4 selection when used in conjunction with a cable box, VCR or other intermediate device is assured by concurrently sending a reiterative channel 3 (or channel 4) tuning command to the televisor whenever a program channel change command or other function signal is dispatched to the cable box, VCR or other television signal tuning apparatus.

Claims

1. A portable remote controller method particularly for dispatching channel selection data from a usually handheld remote controller to at least one remotely controlled television signal receiver and including at least one adjunctive function that is preselected from a group including a single digit channel number entry, a base channel selection affirmation and an audio hush control, wherein:

the adjunctive function for the single digit channel number entry enables an automatic insertion of a leading zero prefix when a numerical keybutton is determined to be singularly selected and a user subsequently bids the entry to represent a single digit channel selection;

the adjunctive function for interface channel fixation produces a reiterative dispatch of a base channel selection signal to a remotely controlled televisor;

the adjunctive function for said audio hush control enables the remote control to command a reduction in audio volume to a partially reduced level intermediate between a normal volume level and a muted volume level; and

,

processing the adjunctive function into a data command signal; and

,

sending a wireless command signal encoded by the data command signal to the remotely controlled television signal receiver.

2. The portable remote controller method of claim 1 comprising a further step of:

configuring the handheld remote controller to enable the data command signal to;

first find at least two immediately successive numerical keybutton entries as representative of a plural digit channel selection value and

to find and further modify a single numerical keybutton entry accompanied by the subsequent bid to become automatically conjoined with a prefixal leading zero; and

,

the sending of the wireless command signal is determined to occur in response to at least one further step of;

maintaining a manual actuation of a terminative one of the immediately successive numerical keybutton entries until the sending is intentionally obtained by a release of the manual actuation;

satisfying the subsequent bid by maintaining the actuation of the single numerical keybutton entry to exceed a predetermined interval of time whereafter the sending is immediately obtained by the release of the actuation; and

,

maintaining the actuation of the single numerical keybutton entry to exceed the predetermined interval of time and upon finding an actuation time overreach to satisfy the bid then automatically enable the sending.

3. The portable remote controller method of claim 1 wherein the selected adjunctive function for single digit channel number entry comprises further steps of:

sensing an actuation of a first numeric keybutton;

initiating elapse of a predetermined interval of time in response to onset of the sensing of the actuation;

maintaining the actuation for a measured time period extending in excess of the predetermined time interval;

finding underlap of the predetermined time interval by the measured time period to constitute the subsequent bid whereupon the data command signal is augmented to include the single digit channel number entry prefixed with a leading zero;

augmenting the data command signal to include the single digit channel number entry prefixed with the leading zero; and

,

enabling the sending of the wireless command signal including the augmented data command signal upon a manual release of the maintained actuation of the first numeric keybutton;

whereby, a single digit channel between channel 2 and channel 9 may be selected by the television signal receiver.

4. The portable remote controller method of claim 1 wherein the selected adjunctive function for single digit channel number entry includes a differentiation between an entry of an intended single digit channel selection and an intended plural digit channel selection, comprising further steps of:

establishing at least one of a first mode comprising;

delivering a successive plurality of individually submitted manual entries including at least a first single digit selection immediately succeeded by a second single digit selection as manual keybutton actuations;

first determining the first single digit selection to have a decimal value inclusively between 1 and 9;

temporarily storing the first determined decimal value awaiting the second single digit selection said manual keybutton actuation;

second determining the second single digit selection to have a value between 1 and 9 and including 

;

conjoining the stored decimal value 1 and the second digit selection value to produce a plural digit channel selection value; and

,

otherwise a second mode comprising;

third determining the first single digit selection to have a decimal value inclusively between 2 and 9;

fourth determining the first single digit selection as an intentional single digit channel selection by finding the subsequent bid to include a lacking of a second single digit selection to successively occur within a predetermined interval of time subsequent to the manual entry of the first single digit selection;

prefixing the first single digit selection with a cipher value 

to produce a progeny plural digit channel selection value in response to the fourth determination; and

,

said process the plural digit channel selection value into a data command signal.

5. The portable remote controller method of claim 1 wherein the selected adjunctive function for single digit channel number entry further comprises:

delivering and maintaining a manual entry actuation of a numerical keybutton representing an intended single digit channel number selection;

enabling a timer incipient with the manual entry actuation;

aiming the handheld remote controller into coupling alignment with the remotely controlled television receiver;

finding duration of the maintained manual entry actuation to exceed a predetermined time period measured by the timer and determine the user'"'"'s subsequent bid that the entry represents a single digit channel selection;

expanding the data command signal to include an automatically inserted leading zero; and

,

enabling the sending of the wireless command signal immediately upon a manual release of the actuated numerical keybutton;

whereby, a single digit channel selection within a range of channels usually extending between channel 2 and channel 9 may be selected by the television signal receiver.

6. The portable remote controller method of claim 1 comprising further steps of:

manually actuating a first keybutton and a second keybutton admitting a succession of the data command signal integrant channel selection values;

temporarily storing the integrant channel selection values;

aiming the handheld remote controller into coupling alignment with the remotely controlled television receiver;

initiating the sending of the wireless control signal, including a readout of the temporarily integrant channel selection values, in immediate response to a further action by the user, including one of;

maintaining the second keybutton actuation at least until the aiming is accomplished whereupon the manual actuation of the second keybutton is relaxed and the wireless command signal is immediately sent; and

,

accomplishing the aiming whereupon an ersatz keybutton is manually actuated and the wireless command signal is immediately sent.

7. The portable remote controller method of claim 1 wherein the selected adjunctive function for the reiterative dispatch of the base channel selection signal to a televisor further comprises:

entering a keybutton activity usually addressed to an accessory device other than the televisor; and

,

automatically sending the base channel selection signal to the televisor to establish a necessitous tuning of the televisor to the base channel.

8. The portable remote controller method of claim 1 wherein the selected adjunctive function for the audio hush control comprises a further step of automatically sending at least one of a MUTE and a HUSH control command conjunctively with the dispatch of the channel selection data.

9. The portable remote controller method of claim 1 wherein the selected adjunctive function for the audio hush control comprises further steps of:

manually actuating a HUSH keybutton; and

,

sending an encoded HUSH control command to the televisor in response to the HUSH keybutton actuation.

10. The portable remote controller method of claim 9 wherein the selected adjunctive function for the audio hush control includes a presetting of HUSH level to achieve the reduction in audio volume to the partially reduced level and therefor comprising further steps of:

manually exercising and maintaining a HUSH keybutton entry;

concurrently entering a number of VOLUME-DOWN or VOLUME-UP keybutton actions to set a desired HUSH volume level; and

,

releasing the HUSH keybutton entry when the desired HUSH volume level is attained.

11. The portable remote controller method of claim 1 including an additional adjunctive function for alternate apparatus power control that retains a remotely actuated on and off switching capability of a first remotely controlled apparatus, such as the televisor, when a second remotely controlled apparatus is otherwise selected for functional control by the handheld remote controller.

12. A portable remote controller method enabling a user to determine a preferred channel selection on a remotely controlled first television signal receiver comprising steps of:

first manually entering a first data value representing at least a portion of the preferred channel selection as an intentional manual actuation of a numerical keybutton situated on the portable remote controller;

initiating elapse of a first time interval concurrent with the intentional manual actuation;

fully maintaining the intentional manual actuation to exceed the first time interval when the manual entry is meant as a single-digit channel selection and otherwise releasing the intentional actuation prior to expiration of the first time interval;

automatically prefixing the first data value with a leading zero to produce a progeny signal comprising a plural digit channel selection data value when a measured duration of the intentional manual actuation transcends the first time interval;

encoding a wireless command signal with the plural digit channel selection data value;

dispatching the wireless command signal to at least the first television signal receiver;

receiving the wireless command signal at the first television signal receiver; and

,

changing tuning of the first television signal receiver to a single digit channel selection corresponding with the plural digit channel selection data value.

13. The portable remote controller of claim 12 comprising the further steps of:

determinatively relaxing the intentional manual actuation prior to elapse of the first time interval;

second manually actuate a second numerical keybutton to submit a second data value representing a remaining portion of the channel selection preference prior to the elapse of the first time period; and

,

prefixing the first data value with the second data value to produce the plural digit channel selection data value.

14. The portable remote controller of claim 13 comprising the further steps of:

storing the plural digit channel selection data value for as long as the current manual entry is maintained in excess of the first time period;

manually positioning a wireless emitter portion of the portable remote controller in cooperative orientation with a wireless receptor portion of the television signal receiver; and

,

initiating the dispatch of the wireless command signal upon a telic release of the current manual entry.

15. The portable remote controller of claim 12 comprising further steps of:

sending a wireless hush signal concomitant with the dispatch of the wireless command signal; and

,

translating the hush signal to an audio portion of a televisor to reduce sound volume to a lower audible level;

whereby, the audio volume is automatically reduced upon initiation of a channel selection change which may introduce a change of program content.

16. The portable remote controller of claim 12 comprising a further step of:

manually entering a HUSH keybutton actuation;

dispatching a wireless hush signal initiated by the HUSH keybutton actuation to an audio portion of a televisor to reduce sound volume to a lower audible level;

whereby, the audio volume is reduced upon actuation of the HUSH keybutton to a substantially diminished but not silent level.

17. The portable remote controller of claim 12 comprising a further step of:

coupling the first television signal receiver with a televisor utilizing a base channel interface;

determining a base channel selection signal as efficacious for remotely tuning an input port of the televisor to usually one of channel 3 and channel 4;

dispatching the base channel selection signal from the portable remote controller to the televisor concomitant with the dispatch of the wireless command signal to the first television signal receiver; and

,

reiterating the remote tuning of the input port of the televisor to the base channel selection.

18. The portable remote controller of claim 12 comprising a further step of:

including a MAIN power on and off power control keybutton integral with the portable remote controller;

selecting the first television signal receiver mode for primary control by at least a set of channel selection keypad controls comprising the portable remote controller; and

,

maintaining primary power on and off control of the televisor utilizing the MAIN power keybutton;

wherein, primary power on and off control of the televisor remains concurrent with an alternate mode of operation for the portable remote controller during which the television signal receiver is in other respects commanded.

19. A portable remote controller for determining a specific selection of a television channel on a remotely controlled first television signal tuning means and comprising:

a handheld user-entry device;

a keypad means portion of the handheld user-entry device including a plurality of keybutton means enabling a user to manually enter numerical digit values representing a specific channel selection;

a timing means concurrently enabled by and running substantially concurrent with the maintained duration of the manual entry;

a determinator means producing a first flag signal when the maintained duration of a first manual entry exceeds a finite time period determined by the timing means;

a progeny signal gather means for adjoining the first manual entry with a second manual entry in absence of the first flag signal and usually prefixing a leading zero to the first manual entry in presence of the first flag signal; and

,

a first wireless sender means for first dispatching a gathered progeny signal as a wireless command signal to a remotely controlled first television signal tuning means.

20. The portable remote controller apparatus of claim 19 further comprising:

a second wireless sender means for second dispatching a reiterative base channel selection signal usually determined as one of channel 3 and channel 4 to a second television signal tuning means concomitant with the first dispatch of the gathered progeny signal.