Remote controller and system having the same

• US 7,190,345 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2002
• Issued: 03/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sawai, Kunihito, Nashida, Tatsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz; Sumati
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kumar; Srilakshmi K
• Application Number:
  US10/192,268
• Publication Number:
  US 20030020693A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,707 Days
• Field of Search: 345/769, 345/853, 345156-184, 348/734, 348/14.05, 348/134
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0025 in a remote control unit remote control tuning in general H03J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• 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 21/42208 Display device provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42227 the keys being reprogrammable, e.g. soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72

Abstract

In order to provide a remote control system that is easy to use, a first displaying unit displays a remote controller side display information. Since a first operation unit is used to select the remote controller side display information and then drag towards an image display apparatus, a display position of the remote controller side display information on the display surface of the first displaying unit is visually moved towards an image display apparatus. In accordance with the movement operation of the remote controller side display information, operational information associated with the remote controller side display information is transmitted from a first communicator to a second communicator.

Claims

1. A remote control system including an image display apparatus and a remote controller for controlling the image display apparatus, wherein:

said remote controller comprises a first display unit for displaying information, a first communicator for communicating with said image display apparatus, and a first controller,

said image display apparatus comprises a second communicator for communicating with said first communicator,

said first communicator transmits operational information for controlling said image display apparatus to said second communicator, and

said first controller controls said first display unit to display an image and to move a display position of the image displayed on the first display unit across a portion of the first display unit towards said image display apparatus and thereafter displaying the image on the image display apparatus.

2. A remote control system according to claim 1, wherein:

said image display apparatus comprises a second controller and a second displaying unit for displaying information,

said second controller controls said second displaying unit to display an image corresponding to the image displayed on the first display unit if said second communicator receives certain operational information, and

display of the image on said second displaying unit is performed to provide a visual effect as if said image is physically moved from said remote controller to said image display apparatus.

3. A remote control system according to claim 2, wherein:

said second displaying unit has a display screen to display an image, and

said second controller controls the second displaying unit so that said image displayed on said second displaying unit has a size corresponding to a dimension of said display screen.

4. A remote control system according to claim 2, wherein:

said first communicator transmits said image with said operational information to said second communicator, and

said image display apparatus side display information comprises said image displayed on said first display unit which is received by said second communicator.

5. A remote control system according to claim 1, wherein:

an audio generator is included in at least one of said remote controller and said image display apparatus, and

said audio generator outputs an audio signal associated with the transmission of operational information to said second communicator from said first communicator.

6. A remote control system according to claim 1, wherein:

a vibration generator is included in said remote controller, and

said vibration generator generates vibration associated with the transmission of said operational information to said second communicator from said first communicator.

7. A remote control system according to claim 1, wherein:

said remote controller comprises a display controller that can cause a position of said image displayed on said first display unit to move in a predetermined direction, and

said first controller controls said first communicator to transmit the operational information to the second communicator if the position of said image is moved in the predetermined direction across the first display unit by said operation unit.

8. A remote control system according to claim 1, wherein:

said remote control system comprises a plurality of said image display apparatuses,

said remote controller comprises an operation unit that can cause a position of one or more images displayed on said first display unit to move in one of predetermined directions,

said predetermined directions are determined so that each of the predetermined directions corresponds to one of said image display apparatuses, and said first controller controls said first communicator to transmit the operational information to the second communicator associated with said predetermined direction if the position of an image displayed on the first display unit is moved in said predetermined direction by said operation unit.

9. A remote control system according to claim 1, wherein:

said image displayed on the first display unit comprises image information including at least one of still image data and moving image data.

10. A remote control system according to claim 1, wherein:

said image displayed on the first display unit comprises URL data.

11. A remote control system according to claim 1, wherein:

said image displayed on the first display unit comprises at least one of icon data and text data.

12. A remote control system including an image display apparatus and a remote controller for controlling the image display apparatus, wherein:

said remote controller comprises a first display unit for displaying image information, a first communicator for communicating with said image display apparatus, and a first controller,

said image display apparatus comprises a second communicator for communicating with said first communicator,

said first communicator transmits operational information for controlling said image display apparatus to said second communicator, and

said first controller controls said first display unit to display an image and to move a display position of the image displayed on the first display unit towards said image display apparatus, said image display apparatus initially displaying portions of the image which are no longer displayed on the first display unit, while the first display unit continues to display remaining portions of the image, and thereafter the image display apparatus displays all portions of the image when the first display unit no longer displays any portion of the image.

13. A remote control system including an image display apparatus and a remote controller for controlling the image display apparatus, wherein:

said remote controller comprises a first display unit for displaying image information, a first communicator for communicating with said image display apparatus, and a first controller,

said image display apparatus comprises a second communicator for communicating with said first communicator,

said first communicator transmits operational information for controlling said image display apparatus to said second communicator, and

said first controller controls said first display unit to display an image and to move a display position of the image displayed on the first display unit across portions of the first display unit towards said image display apparatus; and

thereafter said image display apparatus displays the image that is moved across the first display unit toward the image display apparatus.