Electronic device, remote control device, and remote control system

• US 8,405,783 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2008
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LAPIS Semiconductor Co., Ltd. (ROHM Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Oki Semiconductor Company Limited (ROHM Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Taya, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): YENKE, BRIAN P
• Application Number:
  US12/272,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20090128714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,590 Days
• Field of Search: 348705-706, 348/730, 348/734, 386/234, 386/277, 340/10, 340/693.1, 340/693.3, 345/211
• 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: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• 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 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4436 Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/63 Generation or supply of power specially adapted for television receivers

Abstract

An electronic device includes a wireless receiving circuit for receiving signals transmitted from a remote control unit, a core circuit having a digital signal processing circuit for processing input signals and configured to perform at least one of display processing and record processing based on signals processed in the digital signal processing circuit in accordance with a control signal transmitted from the remote control unit and received by the wireless receiving circuit, and a preliminary activation circuit for starting electric power supply to the digital signal processing circuit to thereby activate the digital signal processing circuit when a pre-operation state where the remote control unit is expected to be operated during stoppage of electric power supply to the core circuit has occurred.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a receiving circuit configured to receive remote control signals from a remote control device;

an electronic device body including a signal processor for processing input signals and configured to perform at least one of video processing and audio processing based on signals processed in the signal processor in accordance with the remote control signals received by the receiving circuit;

an activation circuit for initializing an electric power supply which powers the signal processor to activate the signal processor when a pre-operation state is detected in the remote control device;

a detection circuit for detecting the occurrence of the pre-operation state by detecting a predetermined physical quantity,

wherein the activation circuit performs the activation processing when the pre-operation state has been detected by the detection circuit;

a storage device for storing the detected physical quantity and information as to whether or not the control signal has been received from the remote control device in a correlated manner; and

a threshold calculation circuit for calculating, based on the contents stored in the storage device, a threshold of the physical quantity for determining whether or not the activation processing of the activation circuit is to be performed,

wherein the activation circuit performs the activation processing when the pre-operation state has been detected by the detection circuit and when the detected physical quantity is larger than the threshold.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the activation circuit initializes the electric power supply to the signal processor to thereby activate the signal processor while initializing the electric power supply to a motor included in the electronic device body to thereby activate the motor, upon occurrence of the pre-operation state.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a stopping circuit for stopping the electric power supply initialized by the activation circuit when a state where the control signal has not been received from the remote control device after activation of the signal processing portion continues for a predetermined period of time.

4. A remote control system comprising:

a remote control device including

an operation circuit for being operated to transmit a control signal capable of remotely controlling an electronic device, and

a transmitting circuit for transmitting the control signal when the operation circuit is operated; and

an electronic device including

a receiving circuit for receiving signals transmitted from the remote control device;

an electronic device body having a signal processing for processing input signals and configured to perform at least one of display processing and record processing based on signals processed in the signal processor in accordance with a control signal transmitted from the remote control device and received by the receiving circuit; and

an activation circuit for starting electric power supply to the signal processor to thereby activate the signal processor when a pre-operation state where the remote control device is expected to be operated during stoppage of electric power supply to the electronic device body has occurred,

wherein either one of the remote control device or the electronic device includes

a detection circuit for detecting the occurrence of the pre-operation state by detecting a predetermined physical quantity,

a storage circuit for storing the detected physical quantity and information as to whether or not the operation circuit has been operated in a correlated manner, and

a threshold calculation circuit for calculating, based on the contents stored in the storage circuit, a threshold of the physical quantity for determining as to whether or not the activation processing of the activation circuit is to be performed, and

wherein the activation circuit of the electronic device performs the activation processing when the pre-operation state has been detected by the detection circuit and when the detected physical quantity is larger than the threshold.

5. The remote control system according to claim 4, wherein the activation circuit of the electronic device starts the electric power supply to the signal processor to thereby activate the signal processor while starting electric power supply to a motor included in the electronic device body to thereby activate the motor, upon occurrence of the pre-operation state.

6. The remote control system according to claim 4, wherein the electronic device further includes a stop circuit for stopping the electric power supply started by the activation circuit when a state where the control signal has not been received from the remote control device after activation of the signal processor continues for a predetermined period of time.

7. A remote control system comprising:

a remote control device configured to generate remote control signals, detect a physical quantity indicative of a condition of the remote control device, calculate a threshold based on the detected physical quantities, and determine a pre-operation state when a detected physical quantity is greater than the threshold; and

an electronic device configured to receive the remote control signals, the electronic device including

a processor configured to perform signal processing responsive to the remote control signals, and

an activation circuit configured to initialize an electric power supply to activate the processor prior to activating other circuits of the electronic device, upon occurrence of the pre-operation state.

8. The remote control system according to claim 7, wherein the activation circuit starts the electric power supply to the processor to thereby activate the processor while starting electric power supply to a motor included in the electronic device to thereby activate the motor, upon occurrence of the pre-operation state.

9. The remote control system according to claim 7, wherein the electronic device further includes a stop circuit for stopping the electric power supply started by the activation circuit when a state where a remote control signal has not been received from the remote control device after activation of the processor continues for a predetermined period of time.

10. The remote control system according to claim 7, wherein the detected physical quantities are stored in a memory.

11. The remote control system according to claim 7, wherein the detected physical quantities include acceleration, change in direction of gravity, incident light, brightness of light, temperature, geomagnetism, ambient sound, contact or movement.