Multifunctional remote controller and control method for multiple appliances using the same

• US 5,990,803 A
• Filed: 07/28/1997
• Issued: 11/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Woo-Kyeong
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US08/901,785
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.34, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/825.22, 348/734, 348/552, 348/7, 348/10, 348/12, 348/3, 348/1, 359/196, 380/23
• US Class Current: 340/5.53
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/83 input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control
• 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 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4415 using biometric characteristics of the user, e.g. by voice recognition or fingerprint scanning cryptography using biological data H04L9/3231; authentication in networks using biometric H04L63/0861
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A remote controller having a multifunction and a control method for controlling multiple appliances using the remote controller are provided. The remote controller includes a menu selector for displaying predetermined menus on a screen according to a menu key and a selection key and inputting a command of selecting a menu, a controller for outputting data corresponding to the command input from the menu selector, and a data transmitter for transmitting the data of the controller in the form of optical signals of a predetermined frequency band.

Claims

1. A multifunctional remote controller comprising:

a menu selector for displaying predetermined menus on a screen according to a menu key and a selection key and inputting a command for selecting a menu, wherein one of the predetermined menus is a main menu for selecting from a plurality of different appliances;

a controller for outputting data corresponding to the command input from said menu selector;

a data transmitter for transmitting the data output by said controller as optical signals of a predetermined frequency band; and

a fingerprint recognizer for determining whether or not an input fingerprint matches a predetermined fingerprint and for applying a signal to said controller indicating whether or not the input fingerprint matches the predetermined fingerprint, and wherein said controller outputs the data corresponding to the command input from said menu selector only when the signal applied to said controller indicates that the input fingerprint matches the predetermined fingerprint.

2. A multifunctional remote controller, comprising:

a menu selector for displaying predetermined menus on a screen according to a menu key and a selection key and inputting a command for selecting a menu;

a controller for outputting data corresponding to the command input from said menu selector; and

a data transmitter for transmitting the data output by said controller as optical signals of a predetermined frequency band, wherein the menu selected by said menu selector is selected according to a POP-UP display method.

3. A control method comprising the steps of:

providing a remote controller;

using said remote controller to display menus on a screen in accordance with activation of a predetermined key or mouse button of said remote controller;

selecting a desired menu from the menus displayed on the screen; and

performing a mode operation corresponding to said selected menu;

wherein one of the menus displayed on the screen includes an Internet service menu for receiving an Internet information service.

4. A control method comprising the steps of:

providing a remote controller;

using said remote controller to display menus on a screen in accordance with activation of a predetermined key or mouse button of said remote controller;

selecting a desired menu from the menus displayed on the screen;

identifying a right of a user to use appliances before said step of displaying a menu; and

performing a mode operation corresponding to said selected menu, wherein in said step of displaying a menu, a menu for a necessary function is displayed on the screen by a POP-UP window method and, wherein in said step of identifying right of a user to use appliances, a fingerprint of the user is recognized to identify the right of the user to use the appliances.

5. A control method comprising the steps of:

providing a remote controller;

using said remote controller to display menus on a screen in accordance with activation of a predetermined key or mouse button of said remote controller;

selecting a desired menu from the menus displayed on the screen; and

performing a mode operation corresponding to said selected menu, wherein in said step of selecting a menu, one of the menus displayed on the screen is selected by moving a transmitter of said remote controller.