System and method for providing a low power remote control

• US 9,146,611 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2014
• Issued: 09/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Hatambeiki, Arsham, Sommerville, Christopher Lee, Wang, Weidong William
• Primary Examiner(s): Stiglic, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US14/276,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20140250314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 504 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3243 Power saving in microcontroller unit
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3259 Power saving in cursor control device, e.g. mouse, joystick, trackball
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/12 Power saving techniques of remote control or controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

To conserve power in a controlling device having a processing device in communication with an input element and a transmitting device the processing device is caused to be placed into a low-power state for at least a portion of a transmission inactive interval intermediate the transmission of at least a pair of command frames. The command frames are caused to be transmitted by the transmitting device in response to an activation of the input element sensed via the processing device to thereby command a functional operation of an intended target device.

Claims

1. A controlling device for commanding an intended target device, comprising:

an input element;

a transmitting device; and

a processing device in communication with the input element and the transmitting device;

wherein the processing device causes a transmission of a plurality of command frames to the intended target appliance by the transmitting device in response to a sensed activation of the input element, wherein the processing device is temporarily transitioned from a run mode of the processing device to a stop mode of the processing device for an amount of time during the transmission of the plurality of command frames, and wherein the amount of time starts after a transmission by the transmitting device of a first one of the plurality of command frames, ends before a transmission by the transmitting device of a second one of the plurality of command frames immediately following the first one of the plurality of command frames, and is adjustable by the processing device.

2. The controlling device as recited in claim 1, wherein the amount of time is adjusted by the processing device as a function of data values to be transmitted in the plurality of command frames.

3. The controlling device as recited in claim 1, wherein the amount of time is adjusted by the processing device as a function of a protocol to be used when transmitting the plurality of command frames.

4. The controlling device as recited in claim 1, wherein the amount of time is adjusted by the processing device as a function of an encoding scheme to be used when transmitting the plurality of command frames.

5. The controlling device as recited in claim 1, wherein the amount of time is adjusted by the processing device prior to the transmission of the plurality of command frames.

6. The controlling device as recited in claim 1, wherein the amount of time is adjusted by the processing device during the transmission of the plurality of command frames.

7. The controlling device as recited in claim 1, wherein the amount of time is adjusted by the processing device after the transmission of the plurality of command frames.

8. The controlling device as recited in claim 1, comprising a first timer for measuring time periods for use in the transmission of the plurality of command frames and a second timer for measuring the amount of time.

9. The controlling device as recited in claim 8, wherein the second timer comprises a low-power timer.

10. A controlling device for commanding first intended target device and second intended target devices, comprising:

an input element;

a transmitting device; and

a processing device in communication with the input element and the transmitting device;

wherein, in a first operating mode of the controlling device, the processing device causes a transmission of a first plurality of command frames to the first intended target appliance by the transmitting device in response to a sensed activation of the input element, wherein the processing device is temporarily transitioned from a run mode of the processing device to a stop mode of the processing device for a first amount of time during the first transmission of the plurality of command frames, and wherein the first amount of time starts after a transmission by the transmitting device of a first one of the first plurality of command frames and ends before a transmission by the transmitting device of a second one of the first plurality of command frames immediately following the first one of the first plurality of command frames;

wherein, in a second operating mode of the controlling device, the processing device causes a transmission of a second plurality of command frames to the second intended target appliance by the transmitting device in response to a sensed activation of the input element, wherein the processing device is temporarily transitioned from a run mode of the processing device to a stop mode of the processing device for a second amount of time during the second transmission of the plurality of command frames, and wherein the second amount of time starts after a transmission by the transmitting device of a first one of the second plurality of command frames and ends before a transmission by the transmitting device of a second one of the second plurality of command frames immediately following the first one of the second plurality of command frames, and is adjustable by the processing device; and

wherein the first period of time is different than the second period of time.

11. The controlling device as recited in claim 10, wherein the processing device functions to determine the first amount of time and the second amount of time.

12. The controlling device as recited in claim 11, wherein the processing device functions to determine the first amount of time and the second amount of time as a function of data values to be transmitted in the respective first plurality of command frames and second plurality of command frames.

13. The controlling device as recited in claim 11, wherein the processing device functions to determine the first amount of time and the second amount of time as a function of a protocol to be used when transmitting the respective first plurality of command frames and second plurality of command frames.

14. The controlling device as recited in claim 11, wherein the processing device functions to determine the first amount of time and the second amount of time as a function of an encoding scheme to be used when transmitting the respective first plurality of command frames and second plurality of command frames.

15. The controlling device as recited in claim 11, wherein the first amount of time and the second amount of time are determined by the processing device prior to the transmission of the respective first plurality of command frames and second plurality of command frames.

16. The controlling device as recited in claim 11, wherein the first amount of time and the second amount of time are determined by the processing device during the transmission of the respective first plurality of command frames and second plurality of command frames.

17. The controlling device as recited in claim 11, comprising a first timer for measuring time periods for use in the transmission of the first plurality of command frames and second plurality of command frames and a second timer for measuring the first amount of time and second amount of time.

18. The controlling device as recited in claim 17, wherein the second timer comprises a low-power timer.