Remote control system

• US 6,590,503 B1
• Filed: 02/29/2000
• Issued: 07/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nintendo of America, Inc. (Nintendo Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Nintendo of America, Inc. (Nintendo Company Limited)
• Inventors: Elliott, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, NAM V
• Application Number:
  US09/515,865
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/10.52, 340/825.22, 340/825.29, 340/5.64
• US Class Current: 340/12.27
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code

Abstract

A remote control system includes a memory storing a code library. A control circuit retrieves codes from the code library and supplied the codes to logic circuitry. The logic circuitry generates signals usable to control a transmitter.

Claims

1. A remote control system comprising:

a memory for storing a code library;

a control circuit configured to retrieve codes from said code library;

logic circuitry responsive to said control circuit to generate signals based on the retrieved codes; and

a transmitter for transmitting signals to a remote device bused on the signals generated by said logic circuitry,

wherein said logic circuitry is supplied with modulation period data and event data for one or more events, the event data comprising an event value and an event length for each event, and

wherein said logic circuitry comprises;

a first logic circuit for logically combining a clock signal obtained from the modulation period data and an event value signal obtained from the event value; and

a second logic circuit for logically combining an output signal of the first logic circuit and an event length signal obtained from the event length.

2. The remote control system according to claim 1, further comprising an input device, said control circuit being responsive to inputs via said input device to retrieve codes from said code library.

3. The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein said transmitter comprises an infrared transmitter.

4. The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the codes of the code library are pre-programmed into said memory.

5. The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the codes of the code library are downloaded into said memory.

6. The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitted signals comprise control signals for controlling said remote device.

7. The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitted signals comprise one or more of text, audio and image data signals.

8. The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein said transmitter is a wireless transmitter.

9. The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the logic circuitry further comprises:

a third logic circuit for passing the clock signal to the first logic circuit only if the modulation period data corresponds to a non-zero modulation period.

10. The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the logic circuitry further comprises:

a circuit for supplying an interrupt to the control circuit at the end of an event as determined by the event length.

11. The remote control system according to claim 10, wherein said control circuit supplies an event value and an event length for another event to said logic circuitry in response to the interrupt.

12. The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the event value is a logic level value.

13. The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the event value signal is the output of a register loaded with the event value.

14. The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the event length signal is derived from the output of a counter loaded in accordance with the event length.

15. The remote control system according to claim 14, wherein the counter counts in accordance with the clock signal.

16. The remote control system according to claim 14, wherein the logic circuitry further comprises:

a circuit for supplying an interrupt to the control circuit when the count of the counter reaches a predetermined value indicative of the end of an event.

17. The remote control system according to claim 16, wherein said control circuit supplies an event value and an event length for another event to said logic circuitry in response to the interrupt.