Remote Control Patents (Class 340/12.22)
  • Publication number: 20110291817
    Abstract: An AV equipment control device includes a detecting portion that detects a state of a signal line which is connected to a controlled object equipment to transmit an audio signal or a video signal, a control signal generating portion that generates a control signal to control the controlled object equipment, a deciding portion that decides a state of the controlled object equipment based on a detected content of the detecting portion, and a controlling portion that controls the control signal generating portion based on a decision result of the deciding portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2010
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Applicant: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Hirochika MAEGAKI, Katsuaki Tanaka, Yuki Yoshizawa
  • Patent number: 8068013
    Abstract: A RF communication system includes a RF communication module capable of controlling either an IR communication system-controlled device or a controlled device not equipped with a reception circuit for receiving IR signals remotely with RF signals. The RF communication module is equipped with an antenna for receiving RF signals, a RF communication circuit for demodulating the remote control data from the RF signal received by the antenna, a UART interface for outputting bit stream remote data to a device-side microcomputer of the controlled device, and a communication control unit having two types of communication interfaces in a pulse signal interface that outputs a pulse modulated signal, having been pulse modulated with remote control data, to a pulse modulated signal input port of the device-side microcomputer, so that remote control data transmitted by RF signals is output freely, as either bit stream or pulse modulated signals, to a device-side microcomputer of the controlled device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: SMK Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Otsuka, Nobuhide Ninomiya
  • Publication number: 20110285515
    Abstract: A lighting remote control system includes an illuminating device for irradiating illumination light in a changeable direction, a remote controller for irradiating visible light, a direction sensor for detecting an irradiating direction of the visible light based on a posture of the remote controller, and a position sensor for detecting position coordinates of the remote controller. The illuminating device is designed to irradiate the illumination light on a position specified pursuant to the position coordinates of the remote controller detected by the position sensor, the irradiating direction of the visible light detected by the direction sensor and an arbitrarily-set unit length.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2011
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Applicant: Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigemi Fushimi, Hiroki Noguchi, Shinichi Abe, Saori Ueno, Makoto Hasuo
  • Patent number: 8063749
    Abstract: A remote control device for communicating between a computer system and a plurality of electronic devices. The remote control device includes a radio frequency (RF) transmitter, a RF receiver, an optical transmitter, a memory unit, and a processor in data communication with the memory unit, the RF transmitter, the RF receiver, and the optical transmitter. The processor includes a first component that instructs the optical transmitter to emit at least one signal in response to information received by the RF receiver from a computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: X10 Ltd.
    Inventors: David J. Rye, Leslie A. Leech, James R. W. Phillips
  • Publication number: 20110254668
    Abstract: A wireless remote control device for controlling an electronic device includes a switch module, a wireless transmission module, a wireless receiving module and a control module. The switch module receives a DC voltage and outputs a first control signal. The wireless transmission module receives the first control signal and encodes the first control signal to output an encoded first control signal. The wireless receiving module receives the encoded first control signal and decodes the encoded first control signal to output a decoded first control signal. The control module receives the decoded first control signal and outputs a second control signal to turn on/off or reset the electronic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2010
    Publication date: October 20, 2011
    Applicants: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD., HONG FU JIN PRECISION INDUSTRY (ShenZhen) CO., LTD
    Inventors: YAN-HUI WU, YA-JUN PAN, SONG-LIN TONG
  • Publication number: 20110248576
    Abstract: The systems and methods described herein include an intelligent energy-saving power supply system which conserves energy by recognizing when a chargeable electronic device, such as a cellular telephone, has been detached from its battery charger and by then cutting off power to the battery charger to prevent energy from being consumed while not serving the useful function of charging the chargeable electronic device. In addition, these systems may optionally include a device which turns off the receiver circuit of an electronic device to additionally save power and an interface which displays the amount of energy conserved by using the energy-saving power supply system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Applicant: Tenebraex Corporation
    Inventor: Peter W. J. Jones
  • Patent number: 8026789
    Abstract: A state-based remote control system for providing efficient and simple operation of a plurality of electronic devices as a coordinated system based upon an overall task. The state-based remote control system includes a housing, a keypad in communication with an electronic system contained within the housing, and a communication device in communication with the electronic system for communicating with external electronic devices. The electronic system monitors the buttons selected by a user to determine the state of all external electronic devices that are to be controlled. When the user selects a task (e.g. watch television), the electronic system automatically determines the actions required to achieve the desired task based upon the current state of the external electronic devices. After the task has been fulfilled, the electronic system updates the data to reflect the modified state of the external electronic devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Logitech Europe S.A.
    Inventors: Glen McLean Harris, Justin M. Henry
  • Publication number: 20110205153
    Abstract: A mobile phone (1) in accordance with the present invention includes: a transmission setting database (50); a transmission setting section (21) for registering, on the transmission setting database (50), a piece of image data to be transmitted to a data receiving device; and an image data transmitting section (12) for transmitting, to the data receiving device, the piece of image data registered on the transmission setting database (50), the image data transmitting section (12) transmitting the piece of image data to the data receiving device in response to a transmission request received from the data receiving device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Applicants: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA, PIONEER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toru Ueda, Junichi Shirakawa, Nobuo Kusumoto, Syuji Daioku, Azusa Umemoto, Akira Tojima, Takehiko Shioda, Akihiro Tozaki, Kunihiro Minoshima, Kazunori Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 7990255
    Abstract: A method for extending a reception range of a vehicle remote control system includes: receiving, at a repeater, a first radio frequency (RF) signal having inbound data packets indicating a vehicle function to be performed from a remote transmitter; generating, at the repeater, a second RF signal by placing outbound data packets indicating the vehicle function to be performed between the inbound data packets until reception of the first RF signal is complete; and transmitting, from the repeater, the second RF signal to a reception module of a vehicle remote control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Audiovox Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph Santavicca, Shane Wilson
  • Patent number: 7990250
    Abstract: A remote control transmitting and receiving system for operating electric equipment with little operational misjudgment or malfunction. By setting a plurality of transmission codes of remote control signals of a plurality of remote control transmitters to different periods and by providing transmission order data in these transmission codes, even if transmission is carried out from a plurality of remote control transmitters completely simultaneously or with a slight time difference, it is possible to judge the transmission operation order accurately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuro Hanahara, Noriaki Matsui
  • Publication number: 20110169618
    Abstract: A power controller includes an infrared emitting circuit, an infrared receiving circuit, and a switching circuit. The infrared emitting circuit emits an infrared signal received by the infrared receiving circuit which outputs a corresponding control signal. The switching circuit is connected to the infrared receiving circuit to receive the control signal, and is connected to a powering control terminal of a motherboard of a computer to output a pulse signal to turn the computer on and off according to the control signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2010
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Applicants: HONG FU JIN PRECISION INDUSTRY (ShenZhen) CO., LTD., HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: HAI-QING ZHOU
  • Publication number: 20110148604
    Abstract: There is provided a method and device allowing a user to remotely control an electronic device with infrared signals using a media player device. Sound signals, either generated by or saved on the media player device correspond to infrared commands and are invoked by the user through a user interface. The sound signal is played back by the media player device and is received by an external device, connected to the media player device through a port, such as the headphone jack. The external device then converts the sound signal into an infrared signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2009
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Inventor: Andrew Kevin Miller
  • Publication number: 20110140867
    Abstract: A remote control having a touch-sensitive control panel and a transmission unit for transmitting encoded signals which are produced on the basis of a direction of movement of contact with successive regions of the control panel, regardless of the location at which contact is made with the control panel. It is also possible to produce encoded signals on the basis of a movement by the remote control in combination with a motion sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2009
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Applicant: FM MARKETING GMBH
    Inventor: Ferdinand Maier
  • Patent number: 7952467
    Abstract: Control information is exchanged between a component and a remote control device using RFID and then transmitted to a TV using RFID so that the TV can display components to be controlled and/or remote control device buttons and/or functions of remote control device buttons for particular components to be controlled, to train the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Hardacker, Thomas Patrick Dawson
  • Patent number: 7944340
    Abstract: A system and method for remote activation of a device includes, in one embodiment, receiving a signal indicative of a range from the device, comparing the range to a threshold, selecting a first transmission protocol when the range exceeds the threshold, selecting a second transmission protocol when the range fails to exceed the threshold, and transmitting a command signal according to the selected first or second transmission protocol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Riad Ghabra, Ronald O. King, John S. Nantz, Tom Q. Tang, Yi Luo
  • Publication number: 20110084817
    Abstract: A remote control device and a recognition method thereof. The recognition method is adapted to the remote control device for generating a corresponding remote control signal to control an electronic device when the remote control device is moved. A sequence of sensing signal corresponding to movement of the remote control device is provided. The sequence of sensing signal is converted into a sequence of characteristic data. A sequential predetermined data matching the sequence of characteristic data is selected from a plurality of sequential predetermined data respectively corresponding to a respective remote control signal. The remote control signal corresponding to the matched sequential predetermined data is transmitted to the electronic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Applicant: QUANTA COMPUTER INC.
    Inventors: Ko-Chien Chuang, Albert Chia-Che Young, Wei-Tsun Lee, Ching-Hui Chiu
  • Publication number: 20110080120
    Abstract: The invention relates to a wireless remote controlled device selection system for selecting devices. Signal processing provides information for a remote control device. This information is indicative of the angle between the remote control device and the various devices from which a device should be selected. By comparing the angular deviations, the desired device can be selected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2009
    Publication date: April 7, 2011
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V.
    Inventors: Johan Cornelis Talstra, Paul Jochijms, Lorenzo Feri, Hendricus Theodorus Gerardus Maria Penning De Vries, Johan Cornelis Talstra
  • Publication number: 20110074556
    Abstract: A controlling device having a plurality of user selectable operating modes, a user interface providing a plurality of function keys each operable to cause a transmission of at least one command to at least one of a plurality of appliances for commanding at least one operating function of the at least one of the plurality of appliances, and a light source for illuminating the user interface in multiple distinct colors. The light source is caused to illuminate the user interface in at least one of the multiple distinct colors as a function of a one of the plurality of operating modes in which the controlling device is currently placed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Applicant: UNIVERSAL ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Patrick H. Hayes, Sandro David Klein
  • Publication number: 20110025475
    Abstract: A method for receiving messages in an appliance such as a clock radio modified to retrieve messages from a remote computer, converting the retrieved messages into corresponding audio messages, generating a wake up signal to the user at a selected time in the radio appliance, starting the delivery of the audio messages from a speaker in the radio appliance in response to the generated wake up signal, and receiving audible commands in the radio from the user to control delivery of the messages. In a first embodiment, these method steps are performed in the radio appliance and, in a second embodiment, a remote computer performs all of the messages except delivery of the audio messages and receiving audible commands which occur at the appliance. Where two or more appliances are used, audio commands can cause the delivery of messages to stop in one appliance and resume in another appliance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2010
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Inventor: Robert C. Dorr