Programmable remote controller and setting method thereof

• US 8,629,941 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2010
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IMU Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: IMU Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Lou, Ruey-Der
• Primary Examiner(s): Harold, Jefferey
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAIEM, SEAN N
• Application Number:
  US12/689,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20100182515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,456 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 348/734
• 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 21/42227 the keys being reprogrammable, e.g. soft keys

Abstract

A programmable remote controller, used for controlling audio/video devices, includes a main body, a button module, a motion-sensing module, a microprocessor unit, and a memory. The button module includes a function button group related to the control of the audio/video devices and a programming button group related to the setting of the remote controller. The setting method includes steps of: pressing a first button of the programming button group to start the setting method; pressing at least one function button of a function button group which corresponds to at least one function operation of the audio/video devices; controlling the main body of the remote controller to have a first motion status which is sensed by the motion-sensing module; and storing the first motion status and a first control command corresponding to the at least one function operation in the memory.

Claims

1. A remote controller for controlling an audio/video device, comprising:

a main body to be held by a user;

a button module disposed on the main body for generating an actuating signal in response to the press of a button of the button module, the button module comprising;

a function button group to be pressed to make the audio/video device to perform one or more operations; and

a programming button group to be pressed to program the remote controller to associate a motion status with a control command corresponding to the one or more function operations of the audio/video device;

a motion-sensing module disposed in the main body, and having therein an adjustable sensing tolerance limit related to a complexity of an electronic menu for generating a sensing signal in response to the motion status of the main body;

a microprocessor unit disposed in the main body and in communication with the button module and the motion-sensing module for receiving and processing the actuating signal and the sensing signal, and the microprocessor unit having a conflicting setting to associate an operation error limit with the control command corresponding to the one or more function operations of the audio/video device as the sensing signal is out of the adjustable sensing tolerance limit, the operation error limit being related to the adjustable sensing tolerance limit; and

a memory in communication with the microprocessor unit for storing the motion status and the control command to be accessed by the microprocessor unit.

2. The remote controller according to claim 1 wherein the microprocessor unit issues a control signal corresponding to the control command in response to the motion status of the main body.

3. The remote controller according to claim 2 wherein the remote controller further comprises a wireless transmission unit in communication with the microprocessor unit for receiving and outputting the control signal to the audio/video device via wireless transmission to perform the one or more function operations of the audio/video device.

4. The remote controller according to claim 1 wherein the programming button group further comprises:

a first button to be pressed to start a programming procedure of the remote controller;

a second button to be pressed after one or more function buttons of the function button group corresponding to the one or more function operations of the audio/video device are pressed by the user;

a third button being as an action button to be continuously pressed to make the motion-sensing module to sense the motion status of the main body; and

a fourth button to be pressed to store the sensed motion status together with the control command.

5. The remote controller according to claim 1 wherein the remote controller comprises an indicator disposed on the main body and in communication with the microprocessor unit, for emitting light, flashing, or changing light color to indicate the programming procedure.

6. The remote controller according to claim 1 wherein the motion status of the main body includes a pitch motion, a yaw motion, a rolling motion, or a combination thereof.

7. The remote controller according to claim 1 wherein the motion-sensing unit is implemented by an accelerometer, a gyroscope, an electronic compass, or a combination thereof.

15. The remote controller according to claim 1 wherein the conflicting setting is to replace the motion status with the subsequent motion status.

8. A method for setting a remote controller used for controlling an audio/video device, the remote controller comprising a main body, a motion-sensing module, a microprocessor unit, a memory and a button module disposed on the main body, the method comprising steps of:

generating an actuating signal when a button of the button module is pressed, the step further comprising;

pressing a first button of a programming button group of the button module to start the setting method;

pressing at least one function button of a function button group of the button module; and

stilling the remote controller for a first period to determine one or more function operations of the audio/video device corresponding to the at least one function button;

controlling the main body of the remote controller to have a first motion status which is sensed by the motion-sensing module and stilling the remote controller for a second period to generate a sensing signal and an operation error limit according to a structure complexity of the first motion status;

receiving the actuating signal and the sensing signal, and checking the sensing signal using an operation tolerance limit related to the operation error limit by the microprocessor unit;

a conflicting setting providing a second motion status comprising a sequential of operation motions to replace the first motion status as the sensing signal is out of the operation tolerance limit; and

storing the second motion status as an action button being continuously pressed and a first control command corresponding to the one or more operations of the audio/video device in the memory.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising steps of:

keeping a third button of the programming button group pressed when the main body of the remote controller is controlled to have the first motion status; and

releasing the third button and pressing a memory button of the programming button group to store the first motion status and the first control command.

10. The method according to claim 8 wherein the function button group is pressed to make the audio/video device to perform the one or more function operations.

11. The method according to claim 8 wherein the remote controller controls the one or more operations of the audio/video device when the main body of the main controller is held by the user and controlled to have the first motion status.

12. The method according to claim 8 wherein the first motion status of the main body includes a pitch motion, a yaw motion, a rolling motion, or a combination thereof.

13. The method according to claim 8, further comprising steps of:

checking association of the first motion status and the first control command in the memory when a memory button is pressed;

an indicator of the remote controller flashing or changing light color when a second control command is associated with the first motion status in the memory; and

storing the first control command to be associated with the first motion status in the memory when the memory button is pressed again.

14. The method according to claim 8, further comprising steps of:

checking association of the first motion status and the first control command in the memory when a memory button is pressed;

an indicator of the remote controller flashing or changing light color to indicate a second control command is associated with the first motion status in the memory;

pressing the first button of the programming button group to start the setting method again;

controlling the main body of the remote controller to have a second motion status which is sensed by the motion-sensing module to generate another sensing signal; and

storing the second motion status and the first control command corresponding to the one or more function operations of the audio/video device in the memory.

16. The remote controller according to claim 8, wherein the structure complexity is a various sequence or/and a various combination of the pitch motion, yaw motion and roll motion.