Remote control apparatus and communication system

• US 8,622,283 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2009
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ueno, Masatoshi, Kabasawa, Kenichi, Kikuchi, Akihiro, Tsurumoto, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hess, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Savusdiphol, Paultep
• Application Number:
  US12/355,199
• Publication Number:
  US 20090184161A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,817 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/435, 235/441, 235/486, 235/487, 235/492
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• 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 21/4436 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: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A remote control apparatus for communicating with an electric apparatus by radio communication is provided. The remote control apparatus includes a reader/writer for carrying out reading out and writing of information from and into an information recording medium; a transmission/reception section configured to transfer a signal to and from the electric apparatus by the radio communication; and a control section having a power control function for controlling the power of the reader/writer; the control section controlling the reader/writer to the low power consumption state when the power supply to the remote control apparatus is made available.

Claims

1. A remote control apparatus for communicating with an electric apparatus by radio communication, the remote control apparatus being configured to have a low power consumption state and a normal power consumption state, the remote control apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a non-contact reader/writer;

a transmission/reception means; and

a memory device storing instructions which when executed by the processor, cause the processor, in cooperation with the non-contact reader/writer and the transmission/reception means, to;

(a) read first information from an information recording medium;

(b) write second information into the information recording medium;

(c) using the radio communication, transmit a first signal to the electric apparatus;

(d) set the non-contact reader/writer to the low power consumption state while the processor is set to the normal power consumption state;

(e) using the radio communication, receive a function confirmation command for confirming a presence of the non-contact reader/writer from the electric apparatus;

(f) end the low power consumption state of the non-contact reader/writer before the first information is read from the information recording medium and the second information is written into the information recording medium in response to the function confirmation command from the electric apparatus being received; and

(g) using the radio communication, receive a reader/writer execution command for at least one of reading the first information from the information recording medium and writing the second information into the information recording medium, wherein the read/writer execution command is separate from the function confirmation command.

2. The remote control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, in cooperation with the transmission/reception means, using the radio communication:

(a) transmit an operation instruction to the electric apparatus;

(b) transmit the read first information read out from the information recording medium; and

(c) receive, from the electric apparatus, third information which is to be written into the information recording medium.

3. The remote control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, in response to processing of the non-contact reader/writer after starting till ending of signal outputting from said non-contact reader/writer being not carried out regularly, set the non-contact reader/writer to the low power consumption state.

4. The remote control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

(a) in response to a command being received from the electric apparatus or said non-contact reader/writer, start counting of a timer; and

(b) thereafter, in response to a command being not received from the electric apparatus or said non-contact reader/writer within a fixed period of time after the counting of said timer is started;

(i) stop the counting of the timer; and

(ii) set the non-contact reader/writer to the low power consumption state.

5. The remote control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

set the processor to the low power consumption state after the non-contact reader/writer is set to the low power consumption state.

6. The remote control apparatus of claim 5, wherein the non-contact reader/writer sends an end command to the processor when the non-contact reader/writer enters the low power consumption state, and

wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to reset a timer for setting the processor to the low power consumption state when the processor receives the end command from the non-contact reader/writer.

7. The remote control apparatus of claim 6, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

set the processor to the low power consumption state when the timer comes to a time-up state.

8. The remote control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

send a command to the non-contact reader/writer, and re-send the command to the non-contact reader/writer if a reply from the non-contact reader/writer is not received by the processor within a fixed period of time.

9. The remote control apparatus of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

set the processor to the low power consumption state when the command is re-sent to the non-contact reader/writer a predetermined number of times without receiving a reply.

10. The remote control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-contact reader/writer is connected to an antenna to communicate with the information recording medium via electromagnetic interaction.

11. The remote control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

using the radio communication, receive a power confirmation command for confirming whether the non-contact reader/writer has enough power to carry out processing;

determine whether the non-contact reader/writer has enough power to carry out processing; and

using the radio communication, transmit a reply to the power confirmation command to the electric apparatus.

12. A communication system, comprising:

an electric apparatus; and

a remote control apparatus for communicating with the electric apparatus by radio communication, the remote control apparatus being configured to have a low power consumption state and a normal power consumption state, the remote control apparatus including;

(a) a processor;

(b) a non-contact reader/writer;

(c) transmission/reception means; and

(d) a memory device storing instructions which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

(i) read first information from an information recording medium;

(ii) write second information into the information recording medium;

(iii) using the radio communication, transmit a first signal to the electric apparatus;

(iv) set the non-contact reader/writer to the low power consumption state while the processor is set to the normal power consumption state; and

(v) using the radio communication, receive a function confirmation command for confirming a presence of the non-contact reader/writer from the electric apparatus;

(vi) end the low power consumption state of the non-contact reader/writer before the first information is read from the information recording medium and the second information is written into the information recording medium in response to the function confirmation command second signal from the electric apparatus being received; and

(vii) using the radio communication, receive a reader/writer execution command for at least one of reading the first information from the information recording medium and writing the second information into the information recording medium, wherein the read/writer execution command is separate from the function confirmation command.