Apparatus and method for transmitting and receiving, as an electric wave, a signal generated by electronic equipment, and a control signal to control operation of the electronic equipment

• US 6,798,459 B1
• Filed: 09/01/2000
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Izumi, Shinobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US09/653,631
• Time in Patent Office: 1,488 Days
• Field of Search: 348/211.8, 348/211.2, 348/211.14, 348/113, 348/154, 348/159, 348/552, 348/705, 348/706, 725/80, 725/81
• US Class Current: 348/552
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/38 Transmitter circuitry for the transmission of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/20 Adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite

Abstract

A display apparatus signal transmitting and receiving apparatus, radio-transmission apparatus and a signal transmitting and receiving method are disclosed herein. A display apparatus is adapted to output a signal generated by electronic equipment. The display apparatus includes a control-signal receiving unit for receiving a control signal to control operations of the electronic equipment. An antenna is included for receiving the signal transmitted by the electronic equipment as an electric wave, and for transmitting the control signal. A control unit of the display apparatus is adapted to convert the control signal received by the control-signal receiving unit into a control signal that is transmissible as an electric wave, to supply the transmissible control signal to the antenna, and to carry out signal processing for outputting the signal received from the electronic equipment.

Claims

1. A display apparatus for outputting a signal generated by electronic equipment, said display apparatus comprising:

a control-signal receiving unit for receiving a control signal transmitted by a remote control unit for controlling operation of a plurality of pieces of electronic equipment of different types, each piece of said plurality of pieces of electronic equipment being adapted to generate a signal including at least one of an audio signal for output by a speaker and a video signal for output on a display;

an antenna for wirelessly receiving said signal generated by a piece of said plurality of pieces of electronic equipment; and

a control unit having a function to convert said control signal received by said control-signal receiving unit into a wirelessly transmissible control signal, to supply said wirelessly transmissible control signal to said antenna for transmission by said antenna, and to carry out signal processing for outputting said signal generated by said piece of said plurality of pieces of electronic equipment for transduction as a sound by a speaker when said signal includes said audio signal and for display as an image when said signal includes said video signal.

2. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said control signal for controlling said operation of said plurality of pieces of electronic equipment includes a signal for selecting a piece of equipment to be controlled from said plurality of pieces of electronic equipment.

3. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control signal receiving unit has a function to receive said control signal wirelessly.

4. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control signal receiving unit has a function to receive said control signal as an optical infrared signal.

5. A radio transmission apparatus, comprising:

a signal transmitting and receiving apparatus for wirelessly transmitting, a signal generated by a piece of a plurality of pieces of electronic equipment of different types, each piece of said plurality of pieces of electronic equipment being adapted to generate said signal, said signal including at least one of an audio signal for output on a speaker and a video signal for output on a display; and

a display apparatus operable to receive said signal and to display said signal as an image when said signal includes said video signal and to output said signal for transduction as a sound on a speaker when said signal includes said audio signal, wherein;

said display apparatus has a function to receive a control signal for controlling operation of a piece selected from said plurality of pieces of electronic equipment and a function to convert said received control signal into a wirelessly transmissible control signal; and

said signal transmitting and receiving apparatus has a function to wirelessly receive said transmissible control signal and a function to control operation of said selected piece of said plurality of pieces of electronic equipment in accordance with said received transmissible control signal.

6. The radio transmission apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said display apparatus has a function to receive said control signal wirelessly.

7. The radio transmission apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said display apparatus has a function to receive said control signal as an optical infrared signal.

8. A signal transmitting and receiving method, comprising the steps of:

converting, into a wirelessly transmissible signal, a signal generated by a piece of a plurality of pieces of electronic equipment of different types, said signal including at least one of an audio signal for output by a speaker and a video signal for output on a display, each piece of said plurality of pieces of electronic equipment being adapted to generate said signal;

transmitting said transmissible signal wirelessly through an antenna,

receiving said transmissible signal at a display apparatus and outputting said signal as an image by said display apparatus when said signal includes said video signal and outputting said signal for transduction as a sound on the speaker when said signal includes said audio signal;

receiving a control signal by said display apparatus and converting said control signal into a wirelessly transmissible control signal, said control signal for controlling an operation of a piece selected from said plurality of pieces of electronic equipment;

receiving said transmissible control signal through said antenna; and

controlling operation of said selected piece of said plurality of pieces of electronic equipment in accordance with said transmissible control signal received through said antenna.

9. A signal transmitting and receiving method according to claim 8, wherein:

a specific signal is selected among signals generated by said plurality of pieces of electronic equipment.

10. A signal transmitting and receiving method according to claim 9, wherein said specific signal is selected from among said signals generated by said plurality of pieces of electronic equipment in accordance with said control signal for controlling operation of said selected piece of said plurality of pieces of electronic equipment.

11. The signal transmitting and receiving method according to claim 8, wherein said control signal is received wirelessly.

12. The signal transmitting and receiving method according to claim 8, wherein said control signal is received as an optical infrared signal.