Remote control hand apparatus for operating different modules

• US 4,712,105 A
• Filed: 04/30/1985
• Issued: 12/08/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Kohler, Hans E. P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weldon, Ulysses
• Application Number:
  US06/729,008
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• Field of Search: 358/194.1, 340/365 R, 340/365 VL, 340/365 S, 340/825, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/765, 340/711, 340/712, 455/603
• US Class Current: 340/12.53
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0025 in a remote control unit remote control tuning in general H03J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/25 Remote control device with display
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control

Abstract

Remote control hand apparatus for operating different modules such as a TV-receiver, teletext decoder, video recorder, VLP player, audio system, audio tuner, compact disc player, audio recorder, etc. This hand apparatus has a plurality of module keys by means of which the user can get access to a specific module. In addition, a dot-matrix display element is provided around which a plurality of multi-functional keys are arranged. The control function of such a key depends on the module key operated and this function is shown on the display-element for each of these keys.

Claims

1. A remote control hand apparatus for generating control signals for controlling several functions of a plurality of modules coupled to the hand apparatus via a transmission channel, said hand apparatus comprising, a plurality of multi-functional keys to which one of a plurality of control functions is selectively assignable and of which the control function operable thereby is dependent on the module to be operated;

a plurality of module keys each of which is assigned to a module;

display means;

a control circuit coupled to said module keys and to said multi-functional keys, said control circuit selecting, in dependence on the module to be operated, one of the assignable control functions for assigning a specific function to the multi-functional key and for displaying said operating function on the display means, characterized in that a user can only gain access to a relevant module via said plurality of module keys and the control circuit;

that the display means comprise one single display device of the dot-matrix type around which all of the multi-functional keys are arranged in registry with adjacent portions of the display device assigned to respective ones of the multi-functional keys and on which display device a plurality of symbols indicating the actual control functions associated with the module selected to be operated and assigned to the multi-functional keys are simultaneously displayed for all of the specific control functions assigned to their respective adjacent multi-functional keys upon actuation of a particular module key and under the control of the control circuit.

2. A remote control hand apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that informative information also can be displayed on the display device under the control of the control circuit.

5. A remote control hand apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a single housing which contains all of said multi-functional keys, all of said module keys, said control circuit, said one display device and a plurality of control keys.

3. A remote control hand apparatus for operating a plurality of different remotely located modules under control of a control circuit and via a signal transmission path, said apparatus comprising:

a plurality of module keys for selectively gaining access to a module to be selected, a plurality of multi-functional keys which provide a plurality of control functions related to said different modules wherein a selected control function is determined by the module selected by an operated module key, and a single display apparatus of the dot-matrix type, means for coupling said control circuit to said module keys and to said multi-functional keys so that, depending on the module selected by a module key, a specific one of said plurality of control functions is assigned to a multi-functional key, said control circuit being the operative means by which a selected module key provides access to the selected module, and wherein said multi-functional keys are physically arranged around the display apparatus and in a line along at least one edge of the display apparatus so that adjacent portions of the display apparatus simultaneously display, under control of the control circuit, symbols indicative of all of the specific control functions related to the selected module and assigned to their respective adjacent multi-functional keys.

4. A remote control hand apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein, after a given remote module has been selected, the control circuit includes means for providing direct access to another remote module by actuation of only the one module key assigned to said another remote module.