Multiple user computer system and method for remote control thereof

• US 6,802,010 B1
• Filed: 03/24/2000
• Issued: 10/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Du-Il, Kim, Hong-Sam, Hwang, Hae-Jin
• Primary Examiner(s): Morse, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lipman, Jacob
• Application Number:
  US09/534,440
• Time in Patent Office: 1,656 Days
• Field of Search: 713/200
• US Class Current: 726/20
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/441 Acquiring end-user identification , e.g. using personal code sent by the remote control or by inserting a card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4436 Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children

Abstract

A multiple-user computer system provides a respective remote control device to each one of a plurality of multiple users. Each remote control device has a plurality of button switches and a memory for storing a password datum, and transmits a remote-control wireless signal including a password datum to a wireless receiving panel of a computer in response to an input of a button switch. The wireless receiving panel has a memory for storing passwords provided to each of the multiple users. The panel receives a wireless signal from a remote controller, and compares a password of the remote controller included in the wireless signal with passwords of the multiple users stored in the memory. If passwords match, the system is controlled in response to the remote control signal. Using the remote control, a user can utilize a computer system, convert it to a sleep mode, wake it up from a sleep mode, and execute designated application programs.

Claims

1. A multiple-user computer system, comprising:

a computer;

at least one remote-control device adapted to emit a remote-control wireless signal, said remote-control wireless signal containing a control-code signal for remotely controlling the computer to execute a computer program operation, and a password datum signal representative of a password datum uniquely associated with an authorized user of the computer system; and

a wireless receiving panel operatively coupled to the computer for receiving said remote-control wireless signal from said remote-control device, said panel comprising a detector for detecting whether the remote-control wireless signal contains said password datum signal, and for responding to detection of said password datum signal for enabling input to the computer of a signal representative of said control-code signal, thereby causing the computer to execute said computer program operation;

wherein said at least one remote-control device comprises a switch for actuating remote control of the computer program operation in said computer upon closure of said switch and a control unit connected to said switch for generating said password datum signal when said switch is closed.

2. A system according to claim 1, said system having a password-inspection function wherein the password datum included in the received electrical signal is compared to the password datum stored in said memory unit of said wireless receiving panel, said system further comprising a sensor for sensing power-on of said system by said remote-control device, wherein when said sensor senses power-on of said system by said remote-control device, said password-inspection function is skipped.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

when said system is sensed to be in a normal operation state, said control unit inputs to the computer a signal corresponding to the control-code signal contained in said received remote-control wireless signal, thereby causing the computer to execute the computer program operation.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said control unit receives system status information with respect to system operation status from said computer;

when said system is in a power-off state, said control unit powers on said system when the password datum signal contained in the remote-control wireless signal matches a password datum stored in a memory unit of said wireless receiving panel.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein:

when said system is sensed to be in a normal operation state, said control unit inputs to the computer a signal corresponding to the control-code signal contained in said received remote-control wireless signal, thereby causing the computer to execute the computer program operation.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one remote-control device comprises:

a memory unit for storing the password datum uniquely associated with the authorized user of the computer system; and

a wireless transmitter operatively coupled to said control unit for emitting the remote-control wireless signal including said password datum signal in response to closure of said switch.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said switch comprises:

a first switch for converting a system status into a power-on/sleep mode; and

at least one further switch for commanding execution of a program stored in said system.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said wireless receiving panel comprises:

a wireless receiver for receiving the remote-control wireless signal from said remote-control device and for converting the remote-control wireless signal into an electrical signal representative of the wireless remote-control signal;

a memory unit for storing at least one password datum of the authorized user; and

a control unit connected to said wireless receiver and to said memory unit for receiving said electrical signal from said wireless receiver and, when said electrical signal contains a signal representative of a password datum stored in said memory unit, transmitting to the computer a signal representative of the control-code signal contained in the remote-control wireless signal, thereby causing the computer to execute the computer program operation.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

said control unit receives system status information with respect to system operation status from said computer;

when said system is in a power-off state, the control unit powers on said system when a password datum included in the received electrical signal matches the password datum stored in said memory unit of said wireless receiving panel; and

when said system is sensed to be in a normal operation state, said control unit inputs to the computer a signal corresponding to the control-code signal contained in said received remote-control wireless signal, thereby causing the computer to execute the computer program operation.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein, when said multiple-user system is being operated by a user, said control unit transmits said signal corresponding to the control-code signal to said computer when and only when said password datum matches a password datum of an authorized user presently operating the computer.

11. A method for remotely controlling a computer system from a plurality of remote-control devices, each device being assigned to a respective one of a plurality of multiple users, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a remote-control signal from one of the remote-control devices;

(b) detecting whether the received remote-control signal contains a password signal representative of a password datum associated with a respective one of authorized multiple users; and

(c) when a said password signal is detected, executing computer system operations corresponding to a control code contained in said received remote-control signal;

said method further comprising the steps of;

detecting whether said computer system is in a power-on state or a power-off state;

when said remote control signal is received from an authorized user when said system is in a power-off state, powering on said system; and

after said computer system is powered on, executing system operations corresponding to said control code contained in said received remote-control signal.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of detecting whether said remote-control device has powered on said computer system and, if so, skipping step (b).

13. A remote control device for use with a multiple-user computer system, said device comprising:

a memory unit for storing a password datum uniquely associated with an authorized user of the system;

a switch for actuating remote control of a computer program operation in said computer upon closure of the switch;

a control unit connected to said switch and connected to said memory unit, said control unit generating a control signal containing a signal representative of said password datum when said switch is closed; and

a wireless transmitter operatively coupled to said control unit for emitting a remote-control wireless signal representative of said control signal in response to closure of said switch.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein:

when said system is sensed to be in a normal operation state, said control unit inputs to the computer a signal corresponding to the control-code signal contained in said received remote-control wireless signal, thereby causing the computer to execute the computer program operation.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein:

said control unit receives system status information with respect to system operation status from said computer;

when said system is in a power-off state, said control unit powers on said system when the password datum signal contained in the remote-control wireless signal matches a password datum stored in a memory unit of said wireless receiving panel.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein:

when said system is sensed to be in a normal operation state, said control unit inputs to the computer a signal corresponding to the control-code signal contained in said received remote-control wireless signal, thereby causing the computer to execute the computer program operation.

17. A receiving panel for use in a multiple-user computer system, said panel comprising:

a wireless receiver for receiving a wireless signal from a remote control device and for converting the wireless signal into an electrical signal representative of the wireless signal;

a memory unit for storing at least one password datum of an authorized user; and

a control unit connected to said wireless receiver and to said memory unit for receiving said electrical signal from said wireless receiver and, when said electrical signal contains a signal representative of a password datum stored in said memory unit, transmitting to the computer a signal representative of a control-code signal contained in the wireless signal, thereby causing the computer to execute a predetermined computer program operation;

wherein said remote control device comprises a switch for actuating remote control of the computer program operation in said computer upon closure of said switch, and a control unit connected to said switch for generating said password datum signal when said switch is closed.

18. The receiving panel of claim 17, wherein:

when said system is sensed to be in a normal operation state, said control unit inputs to the computer a signal corresponding to the control-code signal contained in said received remote-control wireless signal, thereby causing the computer to execute the computer program operation.

19. The receiving panel of claim 17, wherein:

said control unit receives system status information with respect to system operation status from said computer;

when said system is in a power-off state, said control unit powers on said system when the password datum signal contained in the remote-control wireless signal matches a password datum stored in a memory unit of said wireless receiving panel.

20. The receiving panel of claim 19, wherein:

when said system is sensed to be in a normal operation state, said control unit inputs to the computer a signal corresponding to the control-code signal contained in said received remote-control wireless signal, thereby causing the computer to execute the computer program operation.