Wireless remote
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus, comprising:
- a remote for controlling one or more devices in connection with a base station located in an environment including an approximate line-of-sight transmission space, the remote operable to continuously receive an infrared frequency beacon signal, transmitted by the base station using a transmitter, wherein the infrared frequency beacon signal includes a sequence of pulses representing at least one channel information portion, wherein the at least one channel information portion includes information indicating a radio frequency,the infrared frequency beacon signal transmitted within and contained substantially within the approximate line-of-sight transmission space between said transmitter of the base station and the remote,the remote operable to establish bi-directional communications with the base station for controlling one or more devices and configured to transmit an audio signal representative of sounds received at a microphone coupled to the remote using the radio frequency designated by the at least one channel information portion,wherein the remote is configured to detect that it has left said approximate line-of-sight transmission space by detecting termination of reception of said infrared frequency beacon signal, andthe remote is further configured to terminate the bi-directional communications using said radio frequency when the remote detects the termination of reception of said infrared frequency beacon signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Various embodiments include apparatus, systems, and methods including an apparatus comprising a remote operable to receive a non-radio frequency beacon signal, the non-radio frequency beacon signal transmitted within and contained substantially within an approximate line-of-sight transmission space, the non-radio frequency beacon signal including at least one channel information portion, wherein the channel information portion includes information indicating a radio frequency, the remote operable to establish bi-directional communications using the radio frequency designated by the at least one channel information portion.
82 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
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a remote for controlling one or more devices in connection with a base station located in an environment including an approximate line-of-sight transmission space, the remote operable to continuously receive an infrared frequency beacon signal, transmitted by the base station using a transmitter, wherein the infrared frequency beacon signal includes a sequence of pulses representing at least one channel information portion, wherein the at least one channel information portion includes information indicating a radio frequency, the infrared frequency beacon signal transmitted within and contained substantially within the approximate line-of-sight transmission space between said transmitter of the base station and the remote, the remote operable to establish bi-directional communications with the base station for controlling one or more devices and configured to transmit an audio signal representative of sounds received at a microphone coupled to the remote using the radio frequency designated by the at least one channel information portion, wherein the remote is configured to detect that it has left said approximate line-of-sight transmission space by detecting termination of reception of said infrared frequency beacon signal, and the remote is further configured to terminate the bi-directional communications using said radio frequency when the remote detects the termination of reception of said infrared frequency beacon signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A system, comprising:
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a base station operable to transmit an infrared frequency beacon signal including a sequence of pulses, the sequence of pulses representing at least one channel information portion; and a remote for controlling one or more devices in connection with the base station located in an environment including an approximate line-of-sight transmission space, the remote operable to continuously receive the infrared frequency beacon signal transmitted by the base station, wherein the at least one channel information portion includes information indicative of a radio frequency, the base station is operable to transmit and receive bi-directional communications with the remote on the radio frequency indicated by the at least one channel information portion of the infrared frequency beacon signal to control the one or more devices, the remote includes a microphone coupled to the remote and configured to transmit an audio signal representative of sounds received at the microphone using the radio frequency, the remote is configured to detect that it has left said approximate line-of-sight transmission space by detecting termination of reception of said infrared frequency beacon signal, and the remote is further configured to terminate the bi-directional communications using said radio frequency when the remote detects the termination of reception of said infrared frequency beacon signal. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method, comprising:
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transmitting an infrared frequency beacon signal including a sequence of pulses by a base station in an approximate line-of-sight transmission space, the sequence of pulses representing channel information indicating a channel; continuously receiving the infrared frequency beacon signal with a remote control device; determining a channel for establishing bi-directional communications based on the channel information in the received infrared frequency beacon signal by the remote control device; establishing bi-directional communications between the remote control device and the base station using the channel, the channel operating as a transmission capable of transmission beyond the line-of-sight transmission space of the infrared frequency beacon signal; transmitting an audio signal generated by a microphone coupled to the remote control device when the audio signal representative of sounds is received at the microphone using said channel; transmitting one or more control signals from the remote control device to control one or more devices connected to the base station using said channel upon activation of one or more actuatable devices of the remote control device; determining by the remote control device that it has left said approximate line-of-sight transmission space by detecting termination of reception of the infrared frequency beacon signal; and terminating the bi-directional communications in response to the determining that the remote control device has left said approximate line-of-sight transmission space by detecting of the termination of the infrared frequency beacon signal. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A system, comprising:
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a plurality of base stations, wherein each of the plurality of base stations is located in an enclosure with a corresponding approximate line-of-sight transmission space, one or more remotes for controlling one or more devices in connection with the base station located in the enclosure including the approximate line-of-sight transmission space, at least one of the remotes including a microphone configured to generate an audio signal representing of sounds received at the microphone; wherein each of the plurality of base stations transmits an infrared frequency beacon signal including a sequence of pulses that is detectable by the one or more remotes located within the approximate line-of-sight transmission space of its enclosure, the sequence of pulses representing information indicative of a radio frequency channel, wherein the one or more remotes continuously receives the infrared frequency beacon signal and selects the radio frequency channel for establishing bi-directional communications with the base station to control one or more devices located within its enclosure, wherein the plurality of base stations includes a first base station and a second base station, wherein the first and second base stations are located in a first and a second enclosure, respectively, wherein the one or more remotes are operable to automatically establish bi-directional communications with the first base station over a first radio frequency channel selected based on the infrared frequency beacon signal transmitted by the first base station when the one or more remotes are within the approximate line-of-sight transmission space defined by the first enclosure and by the infrared beacon signal transmitted by the first base station, at least one of the one or more remotes transmitting the audio signal generated by said microphone using the first radio frequency channel, wherein the one or more remotes are operable to automatically establish bi-directional communications with the second base station over a second radio frequency channel selected based on the infrared frequency beacon signal transmitted by the second base station when the one or more remotes are within an approximate line-of-sight transmission space defined by the second enclosure and by the infrared beacon signal transmitted by the second base station; and wherein each of the one or more remotes is operable to terminate the bi-directional communications with its respective base station when the remote detects that it has left the approximate line-of-sight transmission space of the respective base station by detecting that it is no longer receiving the infrared frequency beacon signal transmitted by the respective base station. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification