Method and apparatus for remotely operating appliances from video interphones or shopping terminals

• US 20080068207A1
• Filed: 08/24/2006
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elbex Video Limited (Elbex Japan Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Elbex Video Limited (Elbex Japan Ltd.)
• Inventors: Elberbaum, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,973,647 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825.72
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/40 Remote control systems using repeaters, converters, gateways
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/41 Remote control of gateways
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared

Abstract

A method and apparatus for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance through a monitor station of a video interphone. The appliance itself being capable of operation by a remote control device. The monitor station includes a receiving input, a central processing unit, a memory, select keys and at least one output. The remote control device is used for generating a coded signal to the receiving input which filters the received coded signal for feeding a clean envelope of the coded signal to the central processing unit. The central processing unit processes the envelope and generates counted data pertaining to the envelope and indexes and stores the counted data into the memory. One of the select keys is assigned for retrieving and feeding the counted data to the output on the basis of the indexing. The output regenerates the coded signal for operating the appliance.

Claims

1. A method for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance through at least one monitor station selected from a group consisting of video interphone, shopping terminal and a combination thereof including at least one receiving input selected from a group consisting of wireless receiver, wired receiver and a combination thereof, central processing unit, memory, select keys and at least one output, said appliance includes at least one remote control device selected from the group consisting of wireless, wired and a combination thereof, comprising the steps of:

operating said remote control device and generating at least one coded signal to said receiving input;

receiving and filtering said coded signal for feeding a clean envelope of said coded signal to said central processing unit;

processing said envelope through a process selected from a group consisting of detecting rise and fall times, up-down counting, counting, resetting, detecting time duration, detecting pulse width, defining intervals state, definng pulses state and a combination thereof for generating counted data pertaining to said envelope and for indexing and storing said counted data into said memory;

assigning at least one key of said select keys for retrieving and feeding said counted data to said output, on the basis of said indexing; and

regenerating said coded signal through said output for operating said appliance.

2. The method for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 1, wherein said at least one output is a driver output circuit selected from a group consisting of a relay contact, open collector, electric switch, a serial code buffer, parallel code buffer, an RF transmitter, an IR transmitter and a combination thereof.

3. The method for remotely operating at least one remote control appliance according to claim 1, wherein said at least one output is connected to and operated in conjunction with said appliance, and wherein said appliance is selected from the group consisting of an alarm, emergency lighting, television, audio-video equipment, audio-visual recording, home theater, radio, back ground music, elevators, curtains, shades, locks, kitchen, laundry, garden, air conditioning, air pollution control devices, heating devices, cooling devices and combinations thereof.

4. The method for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 2, wherein said driver output circuit is connected to and operated in conjunction with said appliance, and wherein said appliance is selected from a group consisting of an alarm, emergency lighting, television, audio-video equipment, audio-visual recording, home theater, radio, back ground music, elevators, curtains, shades, locks, kitchen, laundry, garden, air conditioning, air pollution control devices, heating devices, cooling devices and combinations thereof.

5. The method for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 1, wherein said remote control device includes keys for generating a sequence of coded signals and said method comprising the further steps of:

receiving and processing in sequence said coded signals of said remote control device;

and feeding the envelopes of said unknown coded signals in said sequence to said central processing unit;

processing said envelopes in said sequence;

indexing and storing the data pertaining to said sequence and the counted data pertaining to said envelopes into said memory;

assigning at least one key of said select keys for retrieving and feeding the data pertaining to said sequence and said counted data pertaining to said envelopes to said output; and

regenerating said sequence of said coded signals through said output for operating said appliance.

6. The method for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 5, wherein said sequence includes a sequence of repeatedly generating said coded signal.

7. The method for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 1, wherein said select keys are touch keys associated with a display monitor of said video interphone or said shopping terminal.

8. The method for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 5, wherein said select keys arc touch keys associated with a display monitor of said video interphone or said shopping terminal.

9. The method for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 1, wherein said wireless receiver is RF receiver including scanning circuit for detecting the received RF frequency.

10. The method for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 9, wherein said output is RF transmitter and the frequency of said RF transmitter is controlled by said scanning circuit for matching tile detected frequency of said received RF.

11. The method for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 2, wherein said driver output circuit selected From a group consisting of a relay contact, open collector and electric switch directly connected to said appliance.

12. The method for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 2, wherein said driver output selected from the group consisting of a serial code buffer, parallel code buffer, RF transmitter and M transmitter is feeding its signals to a relay station selected from a group consisting of serial code to relay contact relay station, serial code to RF transmitter relay station, serial code to IR transmitter relay station, parallel code to relay contact relay station, parallel code to RF transmitter relay station, parallel code to IR transmitter relay station, RF receiver to relay contact relay station, RF receiver to RF transmitter relay station, RF receiver to IR transmitter relay station, IR receiver to relay contact relay station, IR receiver to IR transmitter relay station, IR receiver to RF transmitter relay station and a combination thereof.

13. The method for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 1, wherein said counted data is selected from a group consisting of the duration of each low of the envelope, the duration of each high of the envelope, the duration of the whole lows of the envelope, the duration of the whole highs of the envelope, the duration of the whole envelope, the sum of the whole lows and the whole highs of the envelope, the polarity of the envelope, the low state pulses on the basis of time duration, the high state pulses on the basis of time duration, each mid state pulses on the basis of time duration, the total number of low state pulses, the total number of high state pulses, the total number of each mid state pulses, the sequence of the whole low state and high state pulses, the sequence of the whole low state, high state and each mid state pulses and a combination thereof.

31. The method for remotely operating at least one remote control appliance according to claim 1, wherein said at least one output is connected to and operated in conjunction with said appliance, and wherein said appliance is selected from the group consisting of an alarm, emergency lighting, a television, audio-video equipment, an audio-visual recording, a home theater, a radio, back ground music, elevators, curtains, shades, locks, a kitchen, a laundry, a garden, air conditioning, air pollution control devices, heating devices, cooling devices and a combination thereof.

14. An apparatus for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance through at least one monitor station selected from a group consisting of video interphone, shopping terminal and a combination thereof, said appliance includes at least one remote control device selected from the group consisting of wireless, wired and a combination thereof, comprising;

at least one receiving input selected from a group consisting of RF receiver, IR receiver, data receiver and a combination thereof, central processing unit, memory, select keys and at least one output;

said remote control device is used for generating at least one coded signal to said receiver;

said receiving input filters the received coded signal for feeding a clean envelope of said coded signal to said central processing unit;

said central processing unit processes said envelope through a process selected from a group consisting of detecting rise and fall times, up-down counting, counting, resetting, detecting time duration, detecting pulse width, defining intervals state, defining pulses state and a combination thereof and generates counted data pertaining to said envelope, for indexing and storing said counted data into said memory;

at least one key of said select keys is assigned for retrieving and feeding said counted data to said output, on the basis of said indexing; and

said output regenerates said coded signal for operating said appliance.

15. The apparatus for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 14, wherein said at least one output is a driver output circuit selected from a group consisting of a relay contact, open collector, electric switch, a serial code buffer, parallel code buffer, an RF transmitter, an IR transmitter and a combination thereof.

16. The apparatus for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 14, wherein said at least one output is connected to and operated in conjunction with appliance selected from a group consisting of alarm, emergency, lighting, television, audio-video, A/V recording, home theater, radio, back ground music, elevators, curtains, shades, locks, kitchen, laundry, garden, air conditioning, air pollution, heating, cooling and a combination thereof.

17. The apparatus for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 15, wherein said driver output circuit is connected to and operated in conjunction with appliance selected from a group consisting of alarm, emergency, lighting, television, audio-video, A/V recording, home theater, radio, back ground music, elevators, curtains, shades, locks, kitchen, laundry, garden, air conditioning, air pollution, heating, cooling and a combination thereof.

18. The apparatus for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 14, wherein said remote control device includes keys for generating a sequence of said coded signals and said central processing unit is programmed to process said sequence of said coded signals, including the indexing and storing of the data pertaining to said sequence and said counted data pertaining to said envelopes into said memory;

and

at least one key of said select keys is assigned for retrieving said data pertaining to said sequence and said counted data pertaining to said envelopes for regenerating said sequence of said coded signals through said output for operating said appliance.

19. The apparatus for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 18, wherein said sequence includes a sequence of repeatedly generating said coded signal.

20. The apparatus for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 14, wherein said select keys are touch keys associated with a display monitor of said video interphone or said shopping terminal.

21. The apparatus for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 18, wherein said select keys are touch keys associated with a display monitor of said video interphone or said shopping terminal.

22. The apparatus for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 14, wherein said RF receiver includes a scanning circuit for detecting the received RF frequency.

23. The apparatus for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 22, wherein said output is RF transmitter and the frequency of said RF transmitter is controlled by said scanning circuit for matching the detected frequency of said received RF.

24. The apparatus for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 15, wherein said driver output circuit selected from a group consisting of a relay contact, open collector and electric switch is directly connected to said appliance.

25. The apparatus for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 15, wherein said driver output selected from the group consisting of a serial code buffer, parallel code buffer, RF transmitter and IP transmitter is feeding its signals to a relay station selected from a group consisting of serial code to relay contact relay station, serial code to RE transmitter relay station, serial code to IR transmitter relay station, parallel code to relay contact relay station, parallel code to RF transmitter relay station, parallel code to IR transmitter relay station, RF receiver to relay contact relay station, RF receiver to RF transmitter relay station, RF receiver to IR transmitter relay station, IR receiver to relay contact relay station, IR receiver to IR transmitter relay station, IR receiver to RF transmitter relay station and a combination thereof.

26. The apparatus for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 14, wherein said counted data is selected from a group consisting of the duration of each low of the envelope, the duration of each high of the envelope, the duration of the whole lows of the envelope, the duration of the whole highs of the envelope, the duration of the whole envelope, the sum of the whole lows and the whole highs of the envelope, the polarity of the envelope, the low state pulses on the basis of time duration, the high state pulses on the basis of time duration, each mid state pulses on the basis of time duration, the total number of low state pulses, the total number of high state pulses, the total number of each mid state pulses, the sequence of the whole low state and high state pulses, the sequence of the whole low state, high state and each mid state pulses and a combination thereof.

27. A method for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a monitor station including at least one receiver, a central processing unit, a memory, select keys and at least one output;

providing an appliance having at least one remote control device;

operating said remote control device and generating at least one coded signal;

inputting said coded signal to said receiver;

receiving and filtering said coded signal;

feeding a clean envelope of said coded signal to said central processing unit;

processing said envelope;

generating counted data pertaining to said envelope;

indexing and storing said counted data into said memory;

assigning at least one key of said select keys for retrieving and feeding said counted data to said output, on the basis of said indexing; and

regenerating said coded signal through said output for operating said appliance.

28. The method for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 27, wherein the monitor station is selected from the group consisting of a video interphone, a shopping terminal and combinations thereof.

29. The method for remotely operating at least once remote controlled appliance according to claim 27, wherein said at least one output is a driver output circuit selected from a group consisting of a relay contact, open collector, electric switch, a serial code buffer, parallel code buffer, an RF transmitter, an IR transmitter and a combination thereof.

30. The method for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 27, wherein said processing step performs a process selected from the group consisting of detecting rise and fall times, updown counting, counting, resetting, detecting time duration, detecting pulse width, defining intervals state, defining pulses state and a combination thereof.

32. The method for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 29, wherein said driver output circuit is connected to and operated in conjunction with said appliance, and wherein said appliance is selected from a group consisting of an alarm, emergency lighting, a television, audio-video equipment, an audio-visual recording, a home theater, a radio, back ground music, elevators, curtains, shades, locks, a kitchen, a laundry, a garden, air conditioning, air pollution control devices, heating devices, cooling devices and a combination thereof.

33. The method for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 27, wherein said remote control device includes keys for generating a sequence of coded signals and said method comprising the further steps of:

receiving and processing in sequence said coded signals of said remote control device;

feeding the envelopes of said unknown coded signals in said sequence to said central processing unit;

processing said envelopes in said sequence;

indexing and storing the data pertaining to said sequence and the counted data pertaining to said envelopes into said memory;

assigning at least one key of said select keys for retrieving and feeding the data pertaining to said sequence and said counted data pertaining to said envelopes to said output; and

regenerating said sequence of said coded signals through said output for operating said appliance.

34. The method for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 33, wherein said sequence includes a sequence of repeatedly generating said coded signal.

35. The method for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 27, wherein said select keys are touch keys associated with a display monitor of a video interphone or said shopping terminal.

36. The method for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 33, wherein said select keys are touch keys associated with a display monitor of a video interphone or said shopping terminal.

37. The method for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 27, wherein said wireless receiver is RF receiver including scanning circuit for detecting the received RF frequency.

38. The method for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 37, wherein said output is RF transmitter aid the frequency of said RF transmitter is controlled by said scanning circuit for matching the detected frequency of said received RF.

39. The method for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 27, wherein said driver output circuit selected from a group consisting of a relay contact, an open collector, and an electric switch directly connected to said appliance.

40. The method for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 29, wherein said driver output is selected from the group consisting of a serial code buffer, parallel code buffer, RF transmitter and IR transmitter.

41. The method for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 40 wherein said driver feeds its signal to a relay station selected from a group consisting of serial code to relay contact relay station, serial code to RF transmitter relay station, serial code to IR transmitter relay station, parallel code to relay contact relay station, parallel code to RF transmitter relay station, parallel code to at transmitter relay station, RF receiver to relay contact relay station, RF receiver to RF transmitter relay station, RF receiver to IR transmitter relay station, IR receiver to relay contact relay station, IR receiver to IR transmitter relay station, IR receiver to RF transmitter relay station and a combination thereof.

42. The method for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 27, wherein said counted data is selected from a group consisting of the duration of each low of the envelope, the duration of each high of the envelope, the duration of the whole lows of the envelope, the duration of the whole highs of the envelope, the duration of the whole envelope, the sum of the whole lows and the whole highs of the envelope, the polarity of the envelope, the low state pulses on the basis of time duration, the high state pulses on the basis of time duration, each mid state pulses on the basis of time duration, the total number of low state pulses, the total number of high state pulses, the total number of each mid state pulses, the sequence of the whole low state and high state pulses, the sequence of the whole low state, high state and each mid state pulses and a combination thereof.

43. An apparatus for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance comprising:

a remote control device associated with said remote controlled appliance and adapted to generate at least one coded signal; and

a monitor station including at least one receiver, a central processing unit, a memory, select keys and at least one output;

said receiver filtering coded signal from the remote control device and feeding a clean envelope of said coded signal to said central processing unit;

said central processing unit processing said envelope and generating counted data pertaining to said envelope;

said memory storing and indexing said counted data;

wherein at least one key of said select keys is assigned to retrieve and feed said counted data to said output, on the basis of said indexing; and

wherein

said output regenerates said coded signal for operating said remote controlled appliance.

44. The apparatus for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 43, wherein said at least one output is a driver output circuit selected from a group consisting of a relay contact, open collector, electric switch, a serial code buffer, parallel code buffer, an RF transmitter, an IR transmitter and a combination thereof.

45. The apparatus for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 43, wherein said at least one output is connected to and operated in conjunction with an appliance selected from a group consisting of an alarm, emergency lighting, a television, audio-video equipment, and audio visual recording, a home theater, a radio, back ground music, elevators, curtains, shades, locks, a kitchen, a laundry, a garden, air conditioning, air pollution control devices, heating devices, cooling devices and a combination thereof.

46. The apparatus for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 44, wherein said driver output circuit is connected to and operated in conjunction with an appliance selected from a group consisting of an alarm, emergency lighting, a television, audio-video equipment, an audio-visual recording, a home theater, a radio, back

51. The apparatus for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 43, wherein said RF receiver includes a scanning circuit for detecting the received RF frequency.

52. The apparatus for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 51, wherein said output is RF transmitter and the frequency of said RF transmitter is controlled by said scanning circuit for matching The detected frequency of said received RF.

53. The apparatus for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 44, wherein said driver output circuit selected from a group consisting of a relay contact, an open collector and an electric switch directly corrected to said appliance.

54. The apparatus for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 44, wherein said driver output is selected from the group consisting of a serial code buffer, a parallel code buffer, an RF transmitter and an IR transmitter.

55. The apparatus for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 43, wherein said counted data is selected from a group consisting of the duration of each low of the envelope, the duration of each high of the envelope, the duration of the whole lows of the envelope, the duration of the whole highs of the envelope, the duration of the whole envelope, the sum of the whole lows and the whole highs of the envelope, the polarity of the envelope, the low state pulses on the basis of time duration, the high state pulses on the basis of time duration, each mid state pulses on the basis of time duration, the total number of low state pulses, the total number of high state pulses, the total number of each mid state pulses, the sequence of the whole low state and high state pulses, the sequence of the whole low state, high state and each mid state pulses and a combination thereof.

56. The apparatus for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 43, wherein the monitor station is selected from the group consisting of a video interphone, a shopping termination and a combination thereof.

57. The apparatus for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 43, wherein said receiver is selected from the group consisting of an RF receiver, an R receiver, a data receiver, and a combination thereof.

58. The apparatus for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 43, wherein said central processing unit undertakes a process selected from the group consisting of detecting rise and fall times, up-down counting, counting, resetting, detecting time duration, detecting pulse width, defining intervals state, defining pulses state and a combination thereof.

59. The apparatus for remotely operating at least one remote controlled appliance according to claim 54, wherein said driver output feeds its signal to a relay station selected from a group consisting of serial code to relay contact relay station, serial code to RF transmitter relay station, serial code to IR transmitter relay station, parallel code to relay contact relay station, parallel code to RF transmitter relay station, parallel code to IR transmitter relay station, RF receiver to relay contact relay station, RF receiver to RF transmitter relay station, RE receiver to IR transmitter relay station, IR receiver to relay contact relay station, IR receiver to IR transmitter relay station, IR receiver to RF transmitter relay station and a combination thereof.