System for remote control of identical devices

• US 7,388,511 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2002
• Issued: 06/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Roku, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Amand, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman; Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, NAM V
• Application Number:
  US10/496,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20050009173A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,056 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 455/345, 455/352, 455/151.4, 341/176, 359/146, 359/148
• US Class Current: 340/12.51
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for remote control of at least two controllable devices, the system comprising a remote control device (6) with communicating means for communicating to the controllable devices a user-specified command produced by the remote control device. The invention also relates to a method of remote control of at least two controllable devices, the method comprising the step of communicating a user-specified command to the controllable devices (4, 5). The method comprises the further steps of adding the user-specified command a device identifier for identification of at least one of the controllable devices; transmitting the device identifier and the user-specified command, receiving the device identifier and the user-specified command; extracting the device identifier, comparing said extracted device identifier with a further device identifier for identification of the controllable device, refraining from further operation with the received user-specified command if said identifiers do not match, and supplying the user-specified command to the controllable device.

Claims

1. A system for remote control of at least two like controllable devices, the system comprising:

a) a remote control device comprising;

a remote control input means for inputting a user-specified command for controlling the controllable devices; and

a remote control transmitting means adapted to transmit the user-specified command;

b) a coding device comprising;

a coding input means for receiving the user-specified command from the remote control device;

a coding means designed to add to the user-specified command a device identifier for identification of at least one of the controllable devices;

a coding transmitting means adapted to transmit the device identifier and the user-specified command in combination;

c) the like controllable devices each comprising;

a receiving means adapted to receive the device identifier and the user-specified command in combination;

a decoding means designed (1) to extract the device identifier, (2) to compare said extracted device identifier with a further device identifier for identification of the controllable device, and (3) to refrain from further operation with the received user-specified command if said identifiers do not match;

an output means for supplying the user-specified command if said identifiers do match;

wherein the remote control device and the coding device are separate devices which are selectively interconnectable and disconnectable, the remote control device functioning to transmit the user-specified command to controllable devices when the coding device is disconnected and the coding device functioning to transmit the user-specified command when the remote control device and the coding device are connected.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the device identifier added by the coding means is user-selected and the further device identifier to which the decoding means compares the extracted device identifier is user-selected.

3. A system for remote control of a plurality of like controllable devices which are controllable with common commands, the system comprising:

a) a remote control device including;

an input means for inputting a user-specified one of the commands which control the plurality of like controllable devices;

a coding means configured to add to the user-specified command a device identifier for identification of at least a selected one of the controllable devices;

a transmitting means configured to transmit the device identifier and the user-specified command in combination;

b) a decoding device comprising;

a first receiving means configured to receive the device identifier and the user-specified command in combination;

a decoding means configured to (1) extract the device identifier and (2) compare said extracted device identifier with a user-specified device identifier for identification corresponding to the controllable selected device;

an output means configured for supplying the user-specified command to the corresponding controllable device if the identifiers match;

c) the controllable devices each comprising;

a second receiving means configured to receive the user-specified command from the corresponding decoding device output means;

a means for controlling the controllable device to implement each user-specified command received from the decoding device;

wherein the decoding device and the controllable devices are separate devices, the decoding device being selectively connectable to one of the controllable devices, when the decoding device is connected with the controllable device, the decoding device receives the transmitted device identifier and the user-specified command in combination from the coding device and when the decoding device is separate from the controllable device, the controllable device receives the user-specified command and the device identifier in combination from the coding device.

4. A system for remote control of a plurality of like controllable devices, the system comprising:

a) a remote control device comprising;

a remote control input means for inputting a user-specified command for controlling the controllable devices; and

a remote control transmitting means adapted to transmit the user-specified command;

b) a coding device comprising;

a coding input means for receiving the user-specified command from the remote control device;

a coding means designed to combine the user-specified command and a device identifier for identification of at least one of the controllable devices;

a coding transmitting means adapted to transmit the device identifier and the user-specified command in combination;

c) a decoding device comprising;

a decoding receiving means adapted to receive the combined device identifier and the user-specified command from the coding device;

a decoding means designed to (1) extract the device identifier and (2) compare said extracted device identifier with a further device identifier for identification of an associated controllable device;

an output means for supplying the user-specified command to the associated controllable device if the identifiers match;

d) the controllable devices each comprising;

a receiving means adapted to receive the user-specified command from an associated decoding device output means;

a means for controlling the controllable device to carry out the user-specified command received by the coding device; and

e) wherein at least one of;

the remote control device and the coding device are separate devices which are selectively interconnectable and disconnectable, the remote control device functioning to transmit the user-specified command to controllable devices when the coding device is disconnected and the coding device functioning to transmit the user-specified command when the remote control device and the coding device are connected; and

the decoding device and the controllable devices are separate devices, the decoding device being selectively connectable to one of the controllable devices, when the decoding device is connected with the controllable device, the decoding device receives the transmitted device identifier and the user-specified command in combination from the coding device and when the decoding device is separate from the controllable device, the controllable device receives the user-specified command and the device identifier in combination from the coding device.

5. A method for remote control of at least two like controllable devices, the method comprising:

a) with a remote control device,

inputting a user-specified command for controlling the controllable devices; and

transmitting the user-specified command;

b) with a coding device,

receiving the user-specified command from the remote control device;

adding to the user-specified command a device identifier for identification of at least one of the controllable devices;

transmitting the device identifier and the user-specified command in combination;

c) with one of the like controllable devices,

receiving the device identifier and the user-specified command in combination;

extracting the device identifier;

comparing said extracted device identifier with a further device identifier for identification of the controllable device;

refraining from further operation with the received user-specified command if said identifiers do not match; and

supplying the user-specified command if said identifiers do match;

wherein the remote control device and the coding device are separate devices which are selectively interconnectable and disconnectable, and wherein the step of transmitting the user specified command further includes;

transmitting the user-specified command from the remote control device to controllable devices when the coding device is disconnected and

transmitting the user-specified command and the device identifier from the coding device to the controllable devices when the remote control device and the coding device are connected.

6. A method for remote control of a plurality of like controllable devices which are controllable with common commands, the method comprising:

a) with a remote control device,

inputting a user-specified one of the common commands which control the plurality of like controllable devices;

adding to the user-specified command a device identifier for identification of at least a selected one of the controllable devices;

transmitting the device identifier and the user-specified command in combination;

b) with a decoding device,

receiving the device identifier and the user-specified command in combination;

extracting the device identifier,

comparing said extracted device identifier with a user-specified device identifier for identification of an identified one of the controllable devices;

supplying the user-specified command to the corresponding controllable device if the identifiers match;

c) with the identified controllable device,

receiving the user-specified command from the corresponding decoding device output means;

controlling the identified controllable device to implement each user-specified command received from the decoding device;

wherein the decoding device and the controllable devices are separate devices, the decoding device being selectively connectable to the identified one of the controllable devices, and further including;

when the decoding device is connected with the identified controllable device, receiving the transmitted device identifier and the user-specified command in combination from the coding device with the decoding device, and

when the decoding device is separate from the controllable device, receiving the user-specified command and the device identifier in combination from the coding device with the identified controlling device.