System and method for controlling home entertainment units with radio frequency and infrared signals

• US 7,006,006 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2002
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Edward H. Witkow, Mark A. Hall
• Original Assignee: Edward H. Witkow, Mark A. Hall
• Inventors: Witkow, Edward H., Hall, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): YANG, CLARA I
• Application Number:
  US10/310,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20040108940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.25, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/3.1, 398/115
• US Class Current: 340/4.41
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/31 Voice input
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/40 Remote control systems using repeaters, converters, gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• 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 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver

Abstract

A system and method for controlling home entertainment units with radio frequency and infrared signals. The system includes a computer, a display, an RF transceiving device, an RF transceiver and IR transmitter combination device, and at least one home entertainment unit. The system may also include at least one microphone which may be interconnected with computer via any known connecting cable, or which may be contained within the RF transceiving device and/or the RF transceiver and IR transmitter combination device. The RF transceiver and IR transmitter combination device receives transmitted RF signal data from the RF transceiving device and/or the at least one microphone, converts the RF signal data into IR signal data associated with the particular home entertainment unit, transmits the IR signal data, and controls the particular home entertainment unit.

Claims

1. A system for controlling home entertainment units with radio frequency (RF) and infrared (IR) signals, said system comprising:

a computer with a processor, memory, a display, and a disk drive;

an RF transceiving device with a memory, said RF transceiving device being communicatively interconnected with the computer by a cable;

wherein said memory of said RF transceiving device contains stored therein computer readable software code means, said computer readable software code means comprising;

first instruction means for receiving first processed accessed command code data associated with a first input device from the computer;

second instruction means for receiving verbal input data regarding the particular home entertainment unit from a second input device via vocal recognition circuitry, and processing the received verbal input data into second processed access command code data for the particular home entertainment unit;

third instruction means for converting the first or second processed accessed command code data into RF signal data associated with the particular home entertainment unit; and

fourth instruction means for transmitting the RF signal data from the RF transceiving device;

an RF transceiver and IR transmitter combination device with a memory, said combination device being wirelessly communicatively linked with the RF transceiving device; and

at least one home entertainment unit,

wherein said RF transceiver and IR transmitter combination device receives transmitted RF signal data from said RF transceiving device for a particular home entertainment unit, converts the RF signal data into IR signal data associated with the particular home entertainment unit, transmits the IR signal data to the particular home entertainment unit, and controls the particular home entertainment unit.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one microphone interconnected with the computer.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said memory of said computer contains stored therein computer readable software code means, said computer readable software code means comprising:

fifth instruction means for providing a first input window image on the display for obtaining data regarding operation of the particular home entertainment unit;

sixth instruction means for receiving first input data from the first input window via a first input device regarding the particular home entertainment unit;

seventh instruction means for receiving second input data verbally from a second input device via vocal recognition circuitry, the second input data regarding the particular home entertainment unit;

eight instruction means for accessing command code data about the particular home entertainment unit associated with the received first or second input data;

ninth instruction means for processing the accessed command code data for the particular home entertainment unit associated with the received first or second input data into first processed access command code data; and

tenth instruction means for transferring the first processed accessed command code data to the RF transceiving device.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said memory of said RF transceiver and IR transmitter combination device contains stored therein computer readable software code means, said computer readable software code means compnsing:

fifth instruction means for receiving first RF signal data regarding the particular home entertainment unit from the RF transceiving device;

sixth instruction means for receiving verbal input data regarding the particular home entertainment unit from an input device via vocal recognition circuitry, and processing the received verbal input data into received second RF signal data regarding the particular home entertainment unit;

seventh instruction means for converting the received first or second RF signal data into IR signal data associated with the particular home entertainment unit; and

eight instruction means for transmitting the IR signal data associated with the particular home entertainment unit to control the particular home entertainment unit.

5. A computer useable medium with computer readable software code means stored therein, said computer readable software code means comprising:

first instruction means for providing a first input window image on a display of a computer for obtaining data regarding operation of a particular home entertainment unit, the computer having a processor, memory, and a disk drive;

second instruction means for receiving first input data from the first input window via a first input device, the received first input data regarding a particular home entertainment unit;

third instruction means for receiving second input data verbally from a second input device via vocal recognition circuitry, the received second input data regarding a particular home entertainment unit;

fourth instruction means for accessing command code data about the particular home entertainment unit associated with the received first or second input data;

fifth instruction means for processing accessed command code data the particular home entertainment unit associated with the received first or second input data into first processed access command code data;

sixth instruction means for transferring the first processed accessed command code data to a radio frequency (RF) transceiving device communicatively interconnected with the computer;

seventh instruction means for receiving the first processed accessed command code data from the computer communicatively interconnected with the RF transceiving device;

eighth instruction means for converting the first processed accessed command code data from a computer communicatively interconnected with the RF transceiving device into first RF signal data associated with the particular home entertainment unit;

ninth instruction means for receiving verbal input data regarding the particular home entertainment unit from a second input device via vocal recognition circuitry, and processing the received verbal input data into second RF signal data for the associated home entertainment unit; and

tenth instruction means for transmitting the first or second RF signal data.

6. The computer useable medium according to claim 5, wherein said computer readable software code means further comprises:

eleventh instruction means for receiving first or second RF signal data, the received first or second RF signal data being associated with the particular home entertainment unit;

twelfth instruction means for receiving verbal input data regarding the particular home entertainment unit from a second input device via vocal recognition circuitry, and processing the received verbal input data into received second RF signal data for the particular home entertainment unit;

thirteenth instruction means for converting the received first or second RF signal data associated with a particular home entertainment unit into infrared (IR) signal data associated with the particular home entertainment unit; and

fourteenth instruction means for transmitting IR signal data associated with the particular home entertainment unit to control the particular home entertainment unit.

7. A method for controlling home entertainment units with radio frequency (RF) and infrared (IR) signals, said method comprising:

providing a first input window image on a display of a computer for obtaining data regarding operation of a particular home entertainment unit, the computer having a processor, memory, and a disk drive;

receiving first input data from the first input window via a first input device, the received first input data regarding a particular home entertainment unit;

receiving second input data verbally from a second input device via vocal recognition circuitry, the received second input data regarding a particular home entertainment unit;

accessing command code data about the particular home entertainment unit associated with the received first or second input data;

processing the accessed command code data about the particular home entertainment unit particular with the received first or second input data into first processed access command code data;

transferring the first processed accessed command code data to an RF transceiving device communicatively interconnected with the computer;

receiving first RF signal data, the received first RF signal data being associated with the particular home entertainment unit;

processing the verbal input data received from the second input device into received second RF signal data associated with the particular home entertainment unit;

converting the received first or second RF signal data associated with the particular home entertainment unit into IR signal data associated with the particular home entertainment unit; and

transmitting IR signal data associated with the particular home entertainment unit to control the particular home entertainment unit.