Remote control unit

• US 8,072,550 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2006
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tsunoda, Takashi, Itazawa, Toshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): YENKE, BRIAN P
• Application Number:
  US11/332,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20060158571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,149 Days
• Field of Search: 348/730, 348/734, 348705-706
• US Class Current: 348/734
• 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 21/42204 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 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/63 Generation or supply of power specially adapted for television receivers

Abstract

A remote control unit capable of bidirectionally communicating with a display apparatus, such as a television set. The remote control unit comprises a display unit adapted to display an image transmitted from the display apparatus, a detector unit adapted to detect a state of a power supply of the remote control unit, and a switching unit adapted to switch a display mode of the display unit from a moving image mode to a still image mode, according to the state of the power supply.

Claims

1. A remote control unit capable of bidirectionally communicating with a controlled apparatus, the remote control unit comprising:

a display unit;

a detector unit that detects a voltage of a battery; and

a control unit that (a) determines whether or not a state of transmission between the controlled apparatus and the remote control unit is degraded or recovered, (b) controls the remote control unit to transmit a first command for requesting the controlled apparatus to reduce a data size of a moving image or still image, when the state of transmission between the controlled apparatus and the remote control unit is degraded, (c) controls the remote control unit to transmit a second command for requesting the controlled apparatus to increase the data size of the moving image or still image, when the state of transmission between the controlled apparatus and the remote control unit is recovered, (d) determines whether or not the remote control unit receives external power from an AC adapter or the battery after the first command or the second command is transmitted to the controlled apparatus, (e) controls the remote control unit to transmit a third command for requesting the controlled apparatus to transmit the moving image from the controlled apparatus to the remote control unit so that the remote control unit receives the moving image from the controlled apparatus and displays the moving image received from the controlled apparatus on the display unit, when the remote control unit receives the external power from the AC adapter, (f) controls the remote control unit to transmit the first third command so that the remote control unit receives the moving image from the controlled apparatus and displays the moving image received from the controlled apparatus on the display unit, when the remote control unit receives the external power from the battery and the voltage of the battery detected by the detector unit is not lower than a predetermined level, and (g) controls the remote control unit to transmit a fourth command for requesting the controlled apparatus to transmit the still image from the controlled apparatus to the remote control unit so that the remote control unit receives the still image from the controlled apparatus and displays the still image received from the controlled apparatus on the display unit, when the remote control unit receives the external power from the battery and the voltage of the battery detected by the detector unit is lower than the predetermined level.

2. The remote control unit according to claim 1, wherein the controlled apparatus includes a television set.

3. A method of controlling a remote control unit having a display unit and being capable of bidirectionally communicating with a controlled apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

determining whether or not a state of transmission between the controlled apparatus and the remote control unit is degraded or recovered;

controlling the remote control unit to transmit a first command for requesting the controlled apparatus to reduce a data size of a moving image or still image, when the state of transmission between the controlled apparatus and the remote control unit is degraded;

controlling the remote control unit to transmit a second command for requesting the controlled apparatus to increase the data size of the moving image or still image, when the state of transmission between the controlled apparatus and the remote control unit is recovered;

determining whether or not the remote control unit receives external power from an AC adapter or a battery after the first command or the second command is transmitted to the controlled apparatus;

detecting a voltage of the battery;

controlling the remote control unit to transmit a third command for requesting the controlled apparatus to transmit the moving image from the controlled apparatus to the remote control unit so that the remote control unit receives the moving image from the controlled apparatus and displays the moving image received from the controlled apparatus on the display unit, when the remote control unit receives the external power from the AC adapter;

controlling the remote control unit to transmit the third command so that the remote control unit receives the moving image from the controlled apparatus and displays the moving image received from the controlled apparatus on the display unit, when the remote control unit receives the external power from the battery and the voltage of the battery detected in the detecting step is not lower than a predetermined level; and

controlling the remote control unit to transmit a fourth command for requesting the controlled apparatus to transmit the still image from the controlled apparatus to the remote control unit so that the remote control unit receives the still image from the controlled apparatus and displays the still image received from the controlled apparatus on the display unit, when the remote control unit receives the external power from the battery and the voltage of the battery detected in the detecting step is lower than the predetermined level.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the controlled apparatus includes a television set.