Remote controller, electronic product system, and related method with memory capability

• US 7,956,792 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2007
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qisda Corporation
• Original Assignee: Qisda Corporation
• Inventors: Lee, Chang-Hung, Chen, Shu-Yi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): KARAMZADEH, MAJID
• Application Number:
  US11/843,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20080055146A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,384 Days
• Field of Search: 340/734, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 348/734, 341/74
• US Class Current: 341/176
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/50 Receiving or transmitting feedback, e.g. replies, status updates, acknowledgements, from the controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control

Abstract

A remote controller with memory capability includes a status button, a memory, a processing unit, and a transceiver device. The memory is utilized for storing a status information of an electronic product. When the status button is pressed, the processing unit generates a control signal and determines whether the status information exists in the memory. When the status button is pressed and the status information does not exist in the memory, the transceiver device outputs the control signal and receives the status information and the memory stores the status information. When the status button is pressed and the status information exists in the memory, the transceiver device outputs the control signal and the status information stored in the memory.

Claims

1. A remote controller with memory capability for controlling electronic products, comprising:

a status button;

a memory for storing a status information of a first electronic product;

a processing unit for generating a control signal and determining whether the status information exists in the memory when the status button is pressed; and

a transceiver device for transmitting and receiving;

wherein when the status button is pressed and the processing unit determines that the status information does not exist in the memory, the transceiver device outputs the control signal to and receives the status information from the first electronic product, and the memory stores the status information;

wherein when the status button is pressed and the processing unit determines that the status information exists in the memory, the transceiver device outputs the control signal and the status information stored in the memory to a second electronic product.

2. The remote controller of claim 1, wherein the transceiver device is a wireless transceiver device.

3. The remote controller of claim 2, wherein the transceiver device is an infrared ray (IR) transceiver device.

4. The remote controller of claim 1, wherein the electronic products are televisions.

5. The remote controller of claim 1, wherein the electronic products are air conditioners.

6. An electronic product system capable of controlling memory capability with a remote controller comprising:

a first electronic product having a first transceiver device and status information;

a second electronic product having a second transceiver device; and

a remote controller, the remote controller comprising;

a status button;

a memory for storing the status information;

a processing unit for generating a control signal and determining whether the status information exists in the memory when the status button is pressed; and

a third transceiver device for transmitting the control signal and the status information, and exchanging data with the first transceiver device and the second transceiver device;

wherein when the status button is first pressed, the third transceiver device transmits the control signal to the first transceiver device, receives the status information as a response from the first electronic product, and stores the status information in the memory;

wherein when the status button is pressed again, the third transceiver device transmits the control signal and the status information to the second transceiver device for controlling the second electronic product.

7. The electronic product system of claim 6, wherein the first transceiver device, the second transceiver device, and the third transceiver device are each an infrared ray (IR) transceiver device.

8. The electronic product system of claim 6, wherein the first electronic product and the second electronic product are each a television.

9. The electronic product system of claim 6, wherein the first electronic product and the second electronic product are each an air conditioner.

10. A method for utilizing a remote controller to operate electronic products, comprising:

determining whether status information of a first electronic product exists in a memory of a remote controller when a status button of the remote controller is pressed;

the remote controller transmitting a control signal to the first electronic product if the status information does not exist in the memory of the remote controller;

determining whether the first electronic product is on;

the first electronic product transmitting the status information to the remote controller if the first electronic product is on and the status information does not exist in the memory of the remote controller;

storing the status information in the memory of the remote controller;

turning off the first electronic product;

the remote controller transmitting a control signal to a second electronic product if the status information exists in the memory of the remote controller;

determining whether the second electronic product is on;

and

setting a status of the second electronic product according to the status information stored in the memory of the remote controller if the second electronic product is on and the status information exists in the memory of the remote controller.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

turning on the first electronic product if the first electronic product is off and the status information does not exist in the memory of the remote controller.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of the first electronic product transmitting the status information to the remote controller comprises a first television transmitting a last played channel information to the remote controller.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of the first electronic product transmitting the status information to the remote controller comprises a first air conditioner transmitting a temperature setting status to the remote controller.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

turning on the second electronic product and setting the status of the second electronic product according to the status information stored in the memory of the remote controller if the second electronic product is off and the status information exists in the memory of the remote controller.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of the remote controller transmitting the control signal and the status information stored in the memory of the remote controller to the second electronic product comprises the remote controller transmitting the control signal and a channel stored in the memory of the remote controller to a second television.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of setting the status of the second electronic product according to the status information stored in the memory of the remote controller comprises the second television playing the channel.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of the remote controller transmitting the control signal and the status information stored in the memory of the remote controller to the second electronic product comprises the remote controller transmitting the control signal and a temperature setting status stored in the memory of the remote controller to a second air conditioner.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of setting the status of the second electronic product according to the status information stored in the memory of the remote controller comprises setting the temperature setting status as the temperature setting status stored in the memory of the remote controller.