Remote Control Patents (Class 340/4.11)
  • Patent number: 8175569
    Abstract: A device control is disclosed for controlling a device with a high-priority signal without interference by a low-priority signal. Panel keys, which serve as a high-priority signal receiver unit, receives a high-priority signal. A panel key signal processing unit, which is a high-priority signal processing unit, processes the signal received by the panel keys. A remote control signal receiver unit, which is a low-priority signal receiver unit, receives a low-priority signal. A remote control signal processing unit, which is a low-priority signal processing unit, processes the signal received by the remote control signal receiver unit. A remote control signal reception control unit, which is a low-priority signal processing control unit, disables the processing in the remote control signal processing unit when the panel key signal processing unit is performing the processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: NEC Viewtechnology, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yukinori Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8159324
    Abstract: The portable electronic device (1) allows functions and/or data of a vehicle to be controlled and managed. In order to do this, the portable device comprises, in a casing having an upper part (10) fixed, for example, in a removable manner on a lower part (11), means for wirelessly transmitting and receiving signals for short range personalised communication with the vehicle. It further comprises a microprocessor unit for processing functions and/or data of the device and of the vehicle, at least one display screen (3) having a portion which is visible from outside the casing for displaying different menus or data of the device or of the vehicle, and manual control means (5, 6) for controlling the execution of functions of the microprocessor unit. A power source, such as a battery, is provided in the casing for supplying electric power to all the electronic components of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Asulab S.A.
    Inventors: Emil Zellweger, Frank Bajahr, Volker Urban, Jean-Daniel Etienne
  • Patent number: 8149084
    Abstract: A remote control apparatus and method of using are disclosed for controlling an electronic appliance such as a television set, radio, computer, or other. The remote control apparatus may include a hand held housing, a wireless transmitter for sending signals to the appliance, and a manually operated rotary controller for causing operation adjusting signals to be generated and supplied to the transmitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Inventor: Lane T. Hauck
  • Publication number: 20120062357
    Abstract: A method of providing assistance from an assistant to a user, wherein the user and the assistant are remote from each other, includes obtaining an image of an area adjacent the user, transmitting the image from the user to the assistant, and displaying the image on a display to the assistant. The method also includes transmitting a message generated by the assistant relating to the image from the assistant to the user and audibly outputting the message to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2011
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Applicant: Echo-Sense Inc.
    Inventor: Milan Slamka
  • Patent number: 8134649
    Abstract: Systems and methods that facilitate the elimination of interference of an IR signal emitted from an IR blaster by the IR signal emitted from a remote control unit. In a preferred embodiment in which an AV device coupled to a television receives IR signals repeated and transmitted by the television over an IR blaster cable, a right hand polarizer lens is positioned on the front of the remote control unit in front of the IR emitter and a left hand polarizer lens is positioned on the AV device in front of its IR detector. In operation, the IR beam emitted from the remote control unit is right hand polarized and is blocked by the left hand polarizer lens. The IR beam emitted from the IR blaster is randomly polarized and passes through the left hand polarizer lens with only a slight attenuation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Visual Solutions America, Inc.
    Inventor: Harlan Rogers
  • Patent number: 8134453
    Abstract: An RF communications system including a controlled apparatus configured to receive a RF signal transmitted from a remote control transmitter on a channel that the controlled apparatus can receive, without providing a response signal to the remote control transmitter. The RF transmitting circuit unit of the remote control transmitter transmits RF signals on all of a number of selected transmission channels in a wireless frequency band, while the RF receiving circuit unit of the controlled apparatus stands by to receive an RF signal on a channel of the selected channels that has a relatively low electric field intensity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: SMK Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Ootsuka
  • Patent number: 8126577
    Abstract: A method, a system, and a computer program product for managing one or more electronic devices. Performance of an electronic device is monitored and presented to a user through a digital agent interface. The performance of the electronic device is controlled automatically by digital agent through the digital agent interface. The invention also enables automatic testing of the electronic device through the digital agent interface by setting up test configurations, activating test signals, and interpreting any error codes that may be generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: NeoPhotonics Corporation
    Inventors: Anthony J. Ticknor, Jinghong Li, Robert Lombaerde
  • Patent number: 8125318
    Abstract: A wireless control system for use with a patient-support apparatus includes a first receiver located on the patient-support apparatus and a wireless hand-held controller configured to wirelessly communicate with the first receiver to control functions of the patient-support apparatus and/or functions of hospital room equipment. The wireless control system may also include a second receiver located apart from the patient-support apparatus. The wireless hand-held controller may be configured to wirelessly communicate with the second receiver to control functions of the hospital room equipment. Additionally, the wireless control system may include a docking station configured to receive and charge the wireless hand-held controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Hill-Rom Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard H. Heimbrock, Craig A. McNeely, Keith A. Huster
  • Patent number: 8115596
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling distant equipment. A passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag within a Programmable Secure Remote Controller (PSRC) receives a radio frequency (RF) signal from a transmitter integrated in the distant equipment. The distant equipment is external to and remote from the PSRC. The PRSC does not include an internal source of energy and requires energy from an external source to operate. The PSRC is configured to distribute sufficient energy from the RF signal to components of the PSRC to enable the components to operate. The RFID tag is activated to generate information and the information is decoded to identify the distant equipment. A request to perform an operation that controls the distant equipment is received. After the request is received, a first predefined scenario is activated for performing the operation that controls the distant equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Intermational Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Arnaud Lund
  • Publication number: 20110304424
    Abstract: A device to facilitate a user interface of a computer system utilizing breath includes a body, a user side inlet defined by the body to receive a fluid flow generated by a user, an exhaust opening defined by the body, a conduit positioned between the user side inlet and the one exhaust opening, at least one segment positioned inside the body and one or more contactors positioned to be intermittently in contact with the at least one segment. The contact may occur responsive to the fluid flow generated by the user. The device may include a sensor to react to a movement of the at least one segment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2007
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Inventor: Pierre Bonnat
  • 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
  • Patent number: 8063733
    Abstract: A device for communicating with a system, especially for operating and monitoring an automated industrial manufacturing system is described. The device contains a mobile communication device for wireless exchange of data with the system. Further, the device also includes a fixed installed connection for the communication device and a sensor recognizing whether the communication device is connected to the fixed installed connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Gottfried Rieger
  • Patent number: 8044766
    Abstract: An assistive apparatus and method for remote control of an appliance by a subject are provided. The apparatus can comprise a tracer unit affixed to the tongue of the subject such that a change in position of the tongue changes position of the tracer; at least one sensor for detecting a position of the tracer unit; and a transmitter for transmitting a sensor signal to an appliance based on the detected position of the tracer unit, wherein the sensor signal effects control of the appliance. A method for tracking movement, position, or both of a tongue in a subject using the assistive apparatus is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: North Carolina State University
    Inventors: Maysam Ghovanloo, Gautham Krishnamurthy
  • Patent number: 8018320
    Abstract: With a method and a System for tongue based control of computers and/or aids, particularly for severely disabled persons it is the intention to ease the communication capabilities of severely disabled persons and their control of their aids, where the costs of producing the system are low, thereby avoiding the drawbacks of the prior art.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: TKS A/S
    Inventor: Lotte Najanguaq Søvsø Andreasen Struijk
  • Patent number: 7945256
    Abstract: A communication device, such as a mobile phone, which implements a voice communication mode, a digital mirror mode, and a remote controlling mode, wherein the image retrieved from the camera is displayed in an inverted manner when the digital mirror mode is implemented, and a specific device, which is a device different from the communication device, is remotely controlled by the communication device in a wireless fashion when the remote controlling mode is implemented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Inventor: Iwao Fujisaki
  • Publication number: 20110063073
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a tactile remote control system, which uses a processor to integrate the operation selection items of controlled devices and arrange the selection items into a graphic user interface, and which uses a microswitch to output instructions. The processor arranges the graphic user interfaces of a controlled device hierarchically. Therefore, the graphic user interfaces have organizationality, logicality and continuity. The user watches the display and operates the microswitches to remotely control the controlled devices. The present invention integrates the control functions to assist the user to control the daily-life electronic devices and household appliances. The present invention enables any one, who has been briefly instructed, to remotely control the linked devices by his will.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2010
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Applicant: NATIONAL CHIAO TUNG UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: MU-CHUN SU, CHIN-TENG LIN, CHIN-YEN YEH, KUO-CHUN CHIU, YEN-TING LIN, DE-YUAN HUANG, YI-ZENG HSIEH, SHIH-CHIEH LIN, WEI-CHUN WANG, YOHANNES BUDIONO JINAWI, PO-CHIH CHEN