Arrangement including a remote control device and a first electronic device

• US 7,095,335 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2001
• Issued: 08/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Home Control Signapore Pte., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Lambrechts, Marc Emiel Celine, Wouters, Johan Agnes Emile, De Bolster, Ann
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, VERNAL U
• Application Number:
  US09/989,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20020101358A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,736 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.22, 340/825.72, 340/825.69, 340/426.13, 340/3.31, 340/3.32, 341/176, 341/173, 348/734, 348/14.05, 359/142, 379/369, 700/17
• US Class Current: 340/12.22
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code

Abstract

In an arrangement including a remote control device and at least a first electronic device, the remote control device includes a first memory for storing a set of code data for controlling a further electronic device, the first memory being connected to an input of a signal generator for supplying the code data to the input, the signal generator generating, on the basis of the code data, control signals for controlling the further electronic device, and transmitting these control signals to the further electronic device. The first electronic device includes a data input for receiving data from the remote control device, and the remote control device includes a code data output unit connected to the first memory. The code data output unit has a further input for receiving an upload signal and reads, under control of the upload signal, at least a subset of the set of code data from the first memory. The code data output unit transmits the subset of code data burst-wise to the data input of the first electronic device, and first electronic device includes a second memory for storing a received subset of code data.

Claims

1. A arrangement including a remote control device and at least one further electronic device, said remote control device comprising a first memory for storing a set of code data for use in controlling said at least one further electronic device, said remote control device further comprising a signal generator having an input for receiving code data from said first memory, said signal generator generating, on the basis of said code data, control signals for controlling said at least one further electronic device, and transmitting said control signals to a control signal input of said at least one further electronic device, characterized in that said at least one further electronic device includes a first electronic device having a data input for receiving data from said remote control device, and said remote control device further comprises a code data output unit connected to said first memory, said code data output unit having a further input for receiving an upload signal, said code data output unit reading, under control of said upload signal, at least a subset of said set of code data from said memory, transmitting said subset of said set of code data burst-wise to the data input of said first electronic device, said first electronic device including a second memory for storing said received subset of said set of code data.

2. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said signal generator is connected to said code data output unit, said code data output unit generating a control signal after reading said subset of said set of code data, and transmitting said control signal and said subset of said set of code data to said signal generator, said signal generator generating a code data signal, including said subset of said set of code data, upon receipt of said control signal, and transmitting said code data signal to said data input of the first electronic device, said first electronic device including a signal decoder for retrieving said subset of said set of code data from the received code data signal.

3. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said first electronic device further comprises a verification unit connected to said second memory and said data input, said verification unit comparing a received subset with subsets stored in said second memory, and generating a first flag if said received subset is not stored in said second memory.

4. The arrangement as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that said verification unit generates a second flag if said received subset is already stored in said second memory, said verification unit further inhibiting, under control of said second flag, storage of said received subset in said second memory.

5. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said signal generator generates said control signals in accordance with a predetermined transmission protocol, and said code data output unit includes an identifier, identifying said transmission protocol, into said subset.

6. A remote control device comprising;

a first memory for storing a set of code data for use in controlling at least one further electronic device;

a signal generator having an input coupled to said first memory for receiving said code data, said signal generator generating, on the basis of said code data, control signals for controlling said at least one further electronic device, and transmitting said control signals to said at least one further electronic device; and

a code data output unit connected to said first memory, said code data output unit having a further input for receiving an upload signal, said code data output unit reading, under control of said upload signal, at least a subset of said set of code data from said memory, and transmitting said subset of said set of code data burst-wise to a data input of a first electronic device of said at least one further electronic device.

7. The remote control device as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that said remote control device is a user-configurable remote control device.