Control apparatus of audio-visual display apparatus and the control method

• US 7,295,252 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2003
• Issued: 11/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Inventors: Watanabe, Masahiro, Taniguchi, Tomohisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Yenke; Brian P.
• Application Number:
  US10/388,647
• Publication Number:
  US 20030177489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,702 Days
• Field of Search: 348/734, 725/25, 725/29, 725/37, 340/825.5, 340/825.51
• US Class Current: 348/734
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/61 Password, biometric
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42215 by measuring the time interval during which a key is pressed, e.g. for inputting sequences of digits when selecting a television channel
• 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 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children

Abstract

A control apparatus of an audio-visual display apparatus is provided, wherein only one remote control unit in a plurality of remote control units has a control right for controlling the audio-visual display apparatus, the control apparatus determines whether a signal is received from a remote control unit with the control right until a scrambling determination time elapses from a time when detecting that an operation command is received from a remote control unit without the control right; and deprives the remote control unit with the control right of the control right and provides the control right to other remote control unit if a signal is not received from the remote control unit with the control right within the scrambling determination time.

Claims

1. A control apparatus of an audio-visual display apparatus, wherein a plurality of remote control units are associated with the audio-visual display apparatus, one remote control unit in the plurality of remote control units has a control right for controlling the audio-visual display apparatus, and other remote control units do not have the control right, the control apparatus comprising:

a receiving part for receiving an operation command and a remote control unit ID sent from a remote control unit;

a determining part for determining whether a signal is received from a remote control unit with the control right until a first predetermined time elapses, the first predetermined time is started from a time when detecting that an operation command is received from a remote control unit without the control right, the control right being transferred to the remote control unit without the control right if no signal is received from the remote control unit with the control right until the first predetermined time elapses;

a control right depriving and providing part for depriving the remote control unit with the control right of the control right and providing the control right to another remote control unit if a signal is not received from the remote control unit with the control right within the first predetermined time.

2. The control apparatus of the audio-visual display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control right depriving and providing part:

rejects an operation command from the remote control unit without the control right if the remote control unit without the control right sends the operation command before a second predetermined time elapses, the second predetermined time is started from a time when the remote control unit with the control right sends an operation command, the second predetermined time being a time for assuring that the remote control unit with the control right continues to have the control right;

starts measurement of the first predetermined time if the remote control unit without the control right sends the operation command after the second predetermined time elapses.

3. The control apparatus of the audio-visual display apparatus as claim in claim 1, wherein the control apparatus displays information of an operation by the remote control unit without the control right on the audio-visual display apparatus if the control apparatus detects that the remote control unit without the control right sends the operation command.

4. The control apparatus of the audio-visual display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the control apparatus comprising an end time detection part for detecting an end time of a program specified by the operation command;

wherein, when the remote control unit with the control right sends an operation command specifying a program, the control right depriving and providing part deprives the remote control unit with the control right of the control right at the end time of the program.

5. The control apparatus of the audio-visual display apparatus as claimed in claim 4, the control apparatus comprising a program information management part for storing and managing an electronic program table;

wherein the end time detection part detects the end time on the basis of the electronic program table.

6. The control apparatus of the audio-visual display apparatus as claimed in claim 4, the control apparatus comprising a program information management part for storing and managing a provisional program table in which a start time and an end time is provisionary determined for each program;

wherein the end time detection part detects the end time on the basis of the provisional program table.

7. The control apparatus of the audio-visual display apparatus as claimed in claim 4, the control apparatus comprising storing part for storing a program specifying time indicating a time when a program is specified;

wherein the control right depriving and providing part deprives the remote control unit with the control right of the control right at an end time of a next program instead of an end time of the specified program if a time from the program specifying time to the end time of the specified program is shorter than a third predetermined time.

8. The control apparatus of the audio-visual display apparatus as claimed in claim 4, the control apparatus comprising:

a permissible number setting part for permitting to change setting of the audio-visual display apparatus predetermined number of times; and

a program change part for changing a program within the predetermined number of times;

wherein the control right depriving and providing part deprives the remote control unit with the control right of the control right at an end time of a program changed by the program change part.

9. A control method used in a control apparatus of an audio-visual display apparatus, wherein a plurality of remote control units are associated with the audio-visual display apparatus, one remote control unit in the plurality of remote control units has a control right for controlling the audio-visual display apparatus, and other remote control units do not have the control right, the control method comprising:

a receiving step for receiving an operation command and a remote control unit ID sent from a remote control unit;

a determining step for determining whether a signal is received from a remote control unit with the control right until a first predetermined time elapses, the first predetermined time is started from a time when detecting that an operation command is received from a remote control unit without the control right, the control right being transferred to the remote control unit without the control right if no signal is received from the remote control unit with the control right until the first predetermined time elapses;

a control right depriving and providing step for depriving the remote control unit with the control right of the control right and providing the control right to another remote control unit if a signal is not received from the remote control unit with the control right within the first predetermined time.

10. The control method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the control right depriving and providing step comprising steps of:

rejecting an operation command from the remote control unit without the control right if the remote control unit without the control right sends the operation command before a second predetermined time elapses, the second predetermined time is started from a time when the remote control unit with the control right sends an operation command, the second predetermined time being a time for assuring that the remote control unit with the control right continues to have the control right;

starting measurement of the first predetermined time if the remote control unit without the control right sends the operation command after the second predetermined time elapses.

11. The control method as claim in claim 9, wherein the control apparatus displays information of an operation by the remote control unit without the control right on the audio-visual display apparatus if the control apparatus detects that the remote control unit without the control right sends the operation command.

12. The control method as claimed in claim 9, the control method comprising an end time detection step for detecting an end time of a program specified by the operation command;

wherein, when the remote control unit with the control right sends an operation command specifying a program, the control right depriving and providing step includes a step of depriving the remote control unit with the control right of the control right at the end time of the program.

13. The control method as claimed in claim 12, the end time detection step includes a step of detecting the end time on the basis of an electronic program table.

14. The control method as claimed in claim 12, the control method including an end time detection step of detecting the end time on the basis of a provisional program table in which a start time and an end time is provisionary determined for each program.

15. The control method as claimed in claim 12, the control right depriving and providing step including a step of depriving the remote control unit with the control right of the control right at an end time of a next program instead of an end time of a specified program if a time from the program specifying time to the end time of the specified program is shorter than a third predetermined time.

16. The control method as claimed in claim 12, the control method comprising:

a permissible number setting step of permitting to change setting of the audio-visual display apparatus predetermined number of times; and

a program change step of changing a program within the predetermined number of times;

the control right depriving and providing including a step of depriving the remote control unit with the control right of the control right at an end time of a program changed in the program change step.

17. A computer program for causing a computer to control an audio-visual display apparatus and a plurality of remote control units, wherein the plurality of remote control units are associated with the audio-visual display apparatus, one remote control unit in the plurality of remote control units has a control right for controlling the audio-visual display apparatus, and other remote control units do not have the control right, the computer program comprising:

receiving program code means for receiving an operation command and a remote control unit ID sent from a remote control unit;

determining program code means for determining whether a signal is received from a remote control unit with the control right until a first predetermined time elapses, the first predetermined time is started from a time when detecting that an operation command is received from a remote control unit without the control right, the control right being transferred to the remote control unit without the control right if no signal is received from the remote control unit with the control right until the first predetermined time elapses;

control right depriving and providing program code means for depriving the remote control unit with the control right of the control right and providing the control right to another remote control unit if a signal is not received from the remote control unit with the control right within the first predetermined time.

18. The computer program as claimed in claim 17, wherein the control right depriving and providing program code means:

rejects an operation command from the remote control unit without the control right if the remote control unit without the control right sends the operation command before a second predetermined time elapses, the second predetermined time is started from a time when the remote control unit with the control right sends an operation command, the second predetermined time being a time for assuring that the remote control unit with the control right continues to have the control right;

starts measurement of the first predetermined time if the remote control unit without the control right sends the operation command after the second predetermined time elapses.

19. The computer program as claim in claim 18, the computer program including program code means for displaying information of an operation by the remote control unit without the control right on the audio-visual display apparatus if the computer detects that the remote control unit without the control right sends the operation command.

20. The computer program as claimed in claim 17, the computer program comprising an end time detection program code means for detecting an end time of a program specified by the operation command;

wherein, when the remote control unit with the control right sends an operation command specifying a program, the control right depriving and providing program code means deprives the remote control unit with the control right of the control right at the end time of the program.

21. The computer program as claimed in claim 20, the computer program comprising program information management program code means for storing and managing an electronic program table;

wherein the end time detection program code means detects the end time on the basis of the electronic program table.

22. The computer program as claimed in claim 20, the computer program comprising program information management program code means for storing and managing a provisional program table in which a start time and an end time is provisionary determined for each program;

wherein the end time detection program code means detects the end time on the basis of the provisional program table.

23. The computer program as claimed in claim 20, the computer program comprising storing program code means for storing a program specifying time indicating a time when a program is specified;

wherein the control right depriving and providing program code means deprives the remote control unit with the control right of the control right at an end time of a next program instead of an end time of the specified program if a time from the program specifying time to the end time of the specified program is shorter than a third predetermined time.

24. The computer program as claimed in claim 20, the computer program comprising:

permissible number setting program code means for permitting to change setting of the audio-visual display apparatus predetermined number of times; and

program change program code means for changing a program within the predetermined number of times;

wherein the control right depriving and providing program code means deprives the remote control unit with the control right of the control right at an end time of a program changed by the program change program code means.

25. A computer readable medium storing a computer program for causing a computer to control an audio-visual display apparatus and a plurality of remote control units, wherein the plurality of remote control units are associated with the audio-visual display apparatus, one remote control unit in the plurality of remote control units has a control right for controlling the audio-visual display apparatus, and other remote control units do not have the control right, the computer readable medium comprising:

receiving program code means for receiving an operation command and a remote control unit ID sent from a remote control unit;

determining program code means for determining whether a signal is received from a remote control unit with the control right until a first predetermined time elapses, the first predetermined time is started from a time when detecting that an operation command is received from a remote control unit without the control right, the control right being transferred to the remote control unit without the control right if no signal is received from the remote control unit with the control right until the first predetermined time elapses;

control right depriving and providing program code means for depriving the remote control unit with the control right of the control right and providing the control right to another remote control unit if a signal is not received from the remote control unit with the control right within the first predetermined time.

26. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 25, wherein the control right depriving and providing program code means:

rejects an operation command from the remote control unit without the control right if the remote control unit without the control right sends the operation command before a second predetermined time elapses, the second predetermined time is started from a time when the remote control unit with the control right sends an operation command, the second predetermined time being a time for assuring that the remote control unit with the control right continues to have the control right;

starts measurement of the first predetermined time if the remote control unit without the control right sends the operation command after the second predetermined time elapses.

27. The computer readable medium as claim in claim 26, the computer readable medium including program code means for displaying information of an operation by the remote control unit without the control right on the audio-visual display apparatus if the computer detects that the remote control unit without the control right sends the operation command.

28. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 25, the computer readable medium comprising an end time detection program code means for detecting an end time of a program specified by the operation command;

wherein, when the remote control unit with the control right sends an operation command specifying a program, the control right depriving and providing program code means deprives the remote control unit with the control right of the control right at the end time of the program.

29. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 28, the computer readable medium comprising program information management program code means for storing and managing an electronic program table;

wherein the end time detection program code means detects the end time on the basis of the electronic program table.

30. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 28, the computer readable medium comprising program information management program code means for storing and managing a provisional program table in which a start time and an end time is provisionary determined for each program;

wherein the end time detection program code means detects the end time on the basis of the provisional program table.

31. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 28, the computer readable medium comprising storing program code means for storing a program specifying time indicating a time when a program is specified;

wherein the control right depriving and providing program code means deprives the remote control unit with the control right of the control right at an end time of a next program instead of an end time of the specified program if a time from the program specifying time to the end time of the specified program is shorter than a third predetermined time.

32. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 28, the computer readable medium comprising:

permissible number setting program code means for permitting to change setting of the audio-visual display apparatus predetermined number of times; and

program change program code means for changing a program within the predetermined number of times;

wherein the control right depriving and providing program code means deprives the remote control unit with the control right of the control right at an end time of a program changed by the program change program code means.