Remote controller with a communication function

• US 7,538,686 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2007
• Issued: 05/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
• Inventors: Chiang, Ming-Chang, Yeh, I-Hau
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US11/623,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20070273655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.72, 340/10.1, 340/825.57, 340/825.71, 340/825.73, 455/344, 455/74, 455/420, 455/556.1, 379/102.01, 379/102.02, 379/102.03
• US Class Current: 340/12.54
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/31 Voice input
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A remote controller includes an input module including an input panel and a controller coupled to the input panel for generating coordinate information of the input panel. The remote controller further includes a data transmission interface for transmitting data to an electronic appliance, a microphone for transforming sound waves into audio signals, a speaker for transforming audio signals into sound waves, an image capturing module for capturing and converting image of a user to image signals, an image display module for converting image signals of a remote user received to an image, and a control unit coupled to the input module, the data transmission interface, the microphone, and the speaker, for controlling the data transmission interface to transmit audio or images signals and data corresponding to the coordinate information generated by the controller to the electronic appliance.

Claims

1. A remote controller with a communication function comprising:

an input module comprising;

an input panel; and

a controller, coupled to the input panel, for generating coordinate information corresponding to inputs inputted to the input panel;

a data transmission interface for transmitting data to an electronic appliance;

a microphone for converting sound waves into audio signals;

a speaker for converting audio signals into sound waves;

an image capturing module for capturing and converting image of a user to image signals;

an image display module for converting image signals of a remote user received to an image; and

a control unit, coupled to the input module, the data transmission interface, the microphone, the speaker, the image capturing module, and the image display module for controlling the data transmission interface to transmit audio or image signals and data corresponding to the coordinate information generated by the controller to the electronic appliance.

2. The remote controller of claim 1 wherein the input panel is a touch pad, and the controller is a touch pad controller.

3. The remote controller of claim 1 wherein the input module for inputting a mode control code corresponding to a remote control mode of the remote controller further comprises a mode input interface for inputting the mode control code.

4. The remote controller of claim 3 wherein the mode input interface inputs the mode control code corresponding to a phone mode so as to switch the remote controller to the phone mode.

5. The remote controller of claim 3 wherein the mode input interface inputs the mode control code corresponding to a handwriting input mode so as to switch the remote controller to the handwriting input mode.

6. The remote controller of claim 3 wherein the mode input interface inputs the mode control code corresponding to a cursor mode so as to switch the remote controller to the cursor mode.

7. The remote controller of claim 3 wherein the mode input interface inputs the mode control code corresponding to the remote control mode so as to switch the remote controller to the remote control mode.

8. The remote controller of claim 3 wherein the mode input interface inputs the mode control code corresponding to a graphic input mode so as to switch the remote controller to the graphic input mode.

9. The remote controller of claim 3 further comprising a display module, coupled to the control unit, for displaying mode information corresponding to the mode control code inputted by the mode input interface.

10. The remote controller of claim 1 wherein the data transmission interface is selected from the group of a wireless data transmission interface.

11. The remote controller of claim 1 wherein the data transmission interface is selected from the group of a wired data transmission interface.

12. The remote controller of claim 1 further comprising a handwriting recognition controller, coupled to the controller, for converting the coordinate information into corresponding human interface device code (HID code) or character code.

13. The remote controller of claim 1 wherein the remote controller is a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) phone.

14. The remote controller of claim 1 wherein the remote controller is a public switched telephone network (PSTN) phone.