Remote control system and remote control transmitter for use in the same

• US 6,602,001 B1
• Filed: 05/24/1999
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsui, Noriaki, Hatano, Yoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Pascal, Leslie
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phan, Hanh
• Application Number:
  US09/317,558
• Time in Patent Office: 1,534 Days
• Field of Search: 398/106, 398/107, 398/115, 340/825.22, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 348/734
• US Class Current: 398/106
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1141 One-way transmission

Abstract

A remote control system invention converts an infrared ray signal transmitted from an exclusive remote control transmitter of an electronic apparatus into a transmissive data by a signal analyzing/writing device, and writes the transmissive data in a nonvolatile memory, which is subsequently mounted on other remote control transmitter. A microcomputer in the remote control transmitter reads the transmissive data in the nonvolatile memory, and remote controls the electronic apparatus. Adoption of the present system enables a single unit of the remote control transmitter to remote control a plurality of electronic apparatuses by storing in the remote control transmitter transmissive data of different formats for the plurality of electronic apparatuses.

Claims

1. A remote control system comprising:

a remote control signal analyzing/writing device including;

(a) a signal receiving unit;

(b) analyzing means for analyzing an electric signal output from said signal receiving unit, and for converting said electric signal into transmissive remote control data;

(c) a first memory socket for removably receiving a first nonvolatile memory, and

(d) a processing means for writing output data corresponding to said transmissive remote control data to said first nonvolatile memory;

a remote control transmitter including;

(a) second memory socket for removably receiving said first nonvolatile memory; and

(b) means for outputting a further signal corresponding to output data received through said second memory socket,

wherein said output data corresponding to said transmissive remote control data written in said first nonvolatile memory is sent from said remote control transmitter when said first nonvolatile memory is connected to said second memory socket and said remote control transmitter is operated.

2. The remote control system of claim 1, wherein said signal receiving unit is a light receiving unit for receiving light.

3. The remote control system of claim 2, further comprising a first microcomputer for providing said output data responsive to said transmissive remote control data.

4. The remote control system according to claim 3, wherein a second microcomputer in said remote control transmitter is provided therein with a nonvolatile memory for storing the transmissive remote control data contained in said first nonvolatile memory.

5. The remote control system according to claim 3, wherein said analyzing means for converting the electric signal output from said light receiving unit into said transmissive remote control data is contained within said first microcomputer.

6. The remote control system according to claim 4, further comprising a second microcomputer which is coupled to a second nonvolatile memory in which transmissive remote control data is stored.

7. The remote control system according to claim 5, wherein said second nonvolatile memory is prestored in advance with transmissive remote control data suitable for remote-controlling a plurality of electronic apparatuses.

8. The remote control system according to claim 6, wherein said first microcomputer performs a comparison of a part of transmissive remote control data received and converted by said light receiving unit with transmissive remote control data stored in said second nonvolatile memory, reads transmissive remote control data from said second nonvolatile memory responsive to said comparison providing a positive result, and stores in said first nonvolatile memory said transmissive remote control data read from said second nonvolatile memory.

9. The remote control system according to claim 4, wherein a second microcomputer in said remote control transmitter is provided therein with a nonvolatile memory for storing the transmissive remote control data contained in said first nonvolatile memory.