Integrated remote control system for a plurality of digital devices

• US 7,777,642 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2006
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Kwak, Ji Young, Lee, Kyung Hee, Kim, Ji Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEE, ANDREW W.
• Application Number:
  US11/637,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20080036570A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,344 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.69, 341/176, 235/462.46
• US Class Current: 340/12.52
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/51 Remote controlling of devices based on replies, status thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/71 Directional beams
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared

Abstract

An integrated remote control system includes a remote control device for selecting and controlling a plurality of digital devices, each including a bit pattern tag having location information and device information. The remote control device includes a display, a light emitting module for emitting light toward the digital devices, a sensor for recognizing the tags of the digital devices, and a controller for analyzing the tags recognized by the sensor to provide the display information of the digital devices on the display and then controlling a digital device selected from the displayed digital devices.

Claims

1. An integrated remote control system employing a remote control device for selecting and controlling a plurality of digital devices, each including a bit pattern tag having device information, the remote control device comprising:

a display;

a light emitting module for emitting light toward the digital devices;

a sensor for recognizing the tags of the digital devices and capturing a real time image of the digital devices; and

a controller for analyzing the tags recognized by the sensor to provide information of the digital devices on the display together with the real time image of the digital devices in an augmented reality interface, and then

controlling a digital device selected from the displayed digital devices;

wherein each said digital devices further comprises a plurality of location information tags that uniquely identify a position of the bit pattern tag for the recognition of the bit pattern tag having the device information of said digital device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the tag is made of a retro-reflector and represents a bit pattern value depending on existence/nonexistence of the retro-reflector.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes an infrared camera.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the light emitting module includes an infrared-ray emitting module.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein, when a digital device is predominantly displayed in real time on the display, other digital devices are displayed as icons around the predominantly displayed digital device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the other digital devices are displayed as icons along a peripheral edge of the display.

5. An integrated remote control system for selecting and controlling a plurality of digital devices, each including a bit pattern tag having device information, the system comprising:

a sensor for recognizing the tags of the digital devices;

a light emitting module for emitting light toward the digital devices;

a transparent window through which a real time image of the digital devices is projected;

a controller for analyzing the tags recognized by the sensor to display information of the digital devices together with the real time image of the digital devices in an augmented reality interface, and then

controlling a digital device selected from the displayed digital devices;

wherein each said digital devices further comprises a plurality of location information tags that uniquely identify a position of the bit pattern tag for the recognition of the bit pattern tag having the device information of said digital device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the tag is made of a retro-reflector and represents a bit pattern value depending on existence/nonexistence of the retro-reflector.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the sensor includes an infrared camera.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the light emitting module includes an infrared-ray emitting module.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein, when a digital device is predominantly viewed in real time through the transparent window, other digital devices are displayed as icons around the predominantly viewed digital device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the other digital devices are displayed as icons along a peripheral edge of the transparent window.