JP2002345050A - Remote controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a remote controller, with which the display or the like of an operation button can be easily changed corresponding to the functions of respective machine types and information on remote control operation for each machine type is effectively registered in a storage area, in the remote controller capable of simultaneously operating a plurality of electric equipment for domestic use. SOLUTION: The storage means of the remote controller is provided with the storage area storing a control code for electric equipment to execute a desired function and a correspondent function in one-to-one correspondence and corresponding to the electric equipment to be used, the control code to be used is read out of the storage area and controlled. Namely, a function like such as a switch common for a plurality of electric equipment is managed and controlled by the same control code.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a remote control device (hereinafter, also simply referred to as "remote control device") capable of remotely controlling a VTR device, a television receiver, and a plurality of other electric appliances in a home.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, home electric appliances such as an AV device such as a television receiver and a VTR device each have an individual remote control device, which can be remotely operated by the remote control device. . A general remote control device transmits a control signal, which is an optical signal, to a main body of an electric device by causing a light emitting element such as an infrared LED to emit light in association with a user pressing a button on the remote control device, and performing a pressing operation. The electric device executes the function corresponding to the pressed button. In addition, the remote control device attached to each electric device, by presetting the waveform of the pulse signal oscillated from the remote control device to be different for each electric device,
A control signal is prevented from intermingling between a plurality of electric devices to prevent a malfunction.

[0003] This remote control device is generally small in size, easy to carry, and always kept near the user.
It is very convenient because most functions of electrical equipment can be remotely controlled. However, as the number of electric devices that can be operated by the remote control device in the home increases, it becomes confused which remote control device corresponds to which electric device, and storage of a plurality of remote control devices, battery replacement, etc. The maintenance of the remote control device is becoming less convenient due to complicated maintenance.

[0004] Against this background, there has been an increasing demand for one remote control device to be able to operate a plurality of electrical devices. In order to respond to this demand, a remote control device with a learning function that allows one remote control device to learn the control signals of a plurality of remote control devices so that the remote control device can be operated has been developed. The operation was complicated because of the assignment to the buttons.

[0005] By the way, with the recent advancement of electronics technology and multi-integration, electric equipment also tends to have more functions. In order to control the operation of the multifunctional electric device with a remote control device, a large number of operation buttons are required.

Therefore, when a single remote control device controls a plurality of electric devices, simply integrating the remote control devices into one unit would increase the number of operation switches so much that the operation would become complicated, The size of the remote control device becomes so large that it becomes difficult to carry, or the convenience of the remote control device is impaired. In addition, it is not preferable to arrange buttons that are used very rarely in the remote control device as standard, since the operability of the remote control device becomes complicated and the user may be confused. Various techniques have been developed and proposed to solve such problems.

For example, in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 2-82137, a memory card storing information (control codes and the like) related to remote control operation is prepared for each electric device, and a user uses the memory card when using the electric device. A technique related to a remote control device that enables a remote control device to operate a plurality of electric devices by selecting a memory card corresponding to the electric device and causing the remote control device to read information is disclosed.

Further, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 1-169889 discloses a technique related to a remote control device in which a plurality of memory cards can be always mounted in addition to the above-mentioned invention.

Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-57093 discloses that
A remote control device using a memory card that has a function of an operation button and that can customize the arrangement of the operation buttons so that a user can easily use it is disclosed. In addition, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-156290 discloses a remote control device in which a plurality of functions are made to correspond to one operation button in accordance with the type of electric device to be remote-controlled, and the number of operation buttons of the remote control device is reduced. The complexity has been reduced.

In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-98581, an operation switch is provided on a liquid crystal panel having a touch sensor function using an optical touch panel using infrared rays disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 4-51405. There is disclosed a remote control device in which the arrangement of operation switches can be changed in accordance with electric devices to be displayed and operated by remote control.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-134681 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-152353 not only transmit a control signal to an electric device main body, but also transmit state information and electric information of the electric device transmitted from the electric device main body. A technique related to an interactive system using a remote controller capable of receiving identification information of a device or the like is disclosed.

[0012]

However, in the above-mentioned prior art, the control codes specified for each electric device are recorded as they are in the storage device of the remote control device. In order to register a recent electric device having the above, a storage device having a large storage capacity is required, so that the cost of the remote controller increases. In addition, the storage capacity may be insufficient and the user may not be able to register all the electrical devices that the user wants to operate with the remote control.

Here, an example in which a control code of an electric device and a function corresponding thereto are registered in a conventional remote control device capable of operating a plurality of electric devices will be briefly described. FIG. 6 is a list of control codes and functions corresponding to the control codes for operating the remote control of the electric device.
(A) is a television device, (b) is a VTR device,
(C) is a control code of the DVD device and a function corresponding to the control code. FIG. 7 is a configuration example of a storage area of the remote control device in which the control codes of the electric devices shown in FIG. 6 are registered.

In the television device shown in FIG. 6A, the manufacturer name is registered in the control code 1 and the model name is registered in the control code 11. Programs that realize the functions of the television device corresponding to the control codes 21 to 28 are registered in the storage device of the remote control device, and when these control codes are selected, the registered program is executed and the television device is executed. The main body is operated. Specifically, the control code 21 includes a power on / off function and a control code 22.
Is a channel change function, a control code 23 is a volume up / down function, a control code 24 is a function of switching an input signal to a video signal or the like, and a control code 25 is a main sound in bilingual broadcasting or the like. A control code 26 has a timer setting function such as automatic power-off, a control code 27 has an image quality adjustment function such as brightness and contrast, and a control code 28 has an audio surround output on / off function. Yes, it is.

In the VTR shown in FIG. 6B, the manufacturer name is registered in the control code 2 and the model name is registered in the control code 12. Programs that realize the functions of the VTR device corresponding to the control codes 21 to 38 are registered in the storage device of the remote control device. When these control codes are selected, the registered program is executed and the main body of the VTR device is executed. Operated. Specifically, the control codes 21 to 25 are the same as the control codes of the television device,
9 is a video tape playback function, control code 30 is a video tape operation stop function, control code 31 is a video tape playback pause function, control code 32 is a video tape fast-forward function, and control code 33 is a control code 33. Video tape rewind function, control code 34 is a video tape slow playback function, control code 35 is a video tape take-out function, control code 36 is a video tape recording function, and control code 37 is a recording reservation setting. The function and control code 38 correspond to the G code function.

In the DVD device shown in FIG. 6C, the manufacturer name is registered in the control code 3 and the model name is registered in the control code 13. Programs that realize the functions of the DVD device corresponding to the control codes 21 to 44 are registered in the storage device of the remote control device. When these control codes are selected, the registered program is executed and the DVD device main body is executed. Operated. Specifically, the control codes 21 and 25 correspond to functions similar to those of the television device and the VTR device, and the control codes 29 to 35 correspond to functions similar to the control codes of the VTR device. The control code 39 further includes a ten-key designation function for selecting a song number and the like, and a control code 40.
Is a function for switching the angle of the image to be displayed to the control code 41, a function to switch the display / non-display of the subtitle to the control code 42, a setting function of the random reproduction to the control code 43, and a function to the control code 44. Is supported by the repeat playback function.

Conventionally, when an electrical device having the control codes shown in FIGS. 6A to 6C is registered in one remote control device, the control codes are registered in a configuration as shown in FIG. That is, despite the fact that common control codes are used for the respective electric devices such as the control codes 21 to 25 and 29 to 35, the conventional remote control device registers the control codes redundantly for each electric device. And managed. Therefore, when trying to register a large number of electric devices in one remote control device, the storage area tends to be insufficient.

The present invention relates to a remote control device which can control a plurality of electric appliances at home, and can easily change the display of operation buttons according to the function of each model. It is an object of the present invention to provide a remote control device that effectively registers information related to remote control operation in a storage area.

[0019]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to achieve the above-mentioned object, and a display means (liquid crystal panel 1) capable of displaying an operation button or the like corresponding to an electric device to be operated, as an image. An operation detecting means (touch sensor 2) for detecting that the operation button image displayed on the display section is pressed with a finger, a transmitting means (transmitting section 6) for transmitting a control signal to an electric device to be remotely operated, and a display Control means (CPU 3) for controlling image display on the unit and controlling transmission from the transmission unit based on detection by the operation detection unit; and identification information of each electrical device, and electrical devices such as control codes. An information reading means (card reader 8) for reading the information from a recording medium (memory card 9) in which information relating to the function is stored; image data to be displayed on the display unit; And a storage means (memory 7) for storing information read by the information reading unit while preliminarily storing a program or the like, the remote control device (RC) being capable of remotely controlling a plurality of electric devices. The storage means has a storage area in which a control code for causing an electric device to execute a desired function is stored in a one-to-one correspondence with the function of the electric device,
A control code used in accordance with an electric device to be operated is read from the storage area and controlled. That is,
Functions common to a plurality of electric devices, such as a power switch, are managed and controlled by the same control code.

Thus, the control code and the function corresponding to the control code can be prevented from being redundantly managed between the registered electrical devices, so that the storage area can be saved and used efficiently. In addition, if the manufacturer prepares a memory card for each electric device, it is not necessary to attach a remote control device, so that low-priced products can be provided to consumers.

Further, a control code for causing the electric device to execute a desired function and a function corresponding to the control code may be stored in the storage area in advance.

That is, it is only necessary to record only information designating a control code used in the electric device on a recording medium (for example, a memory card) attached to the electric device, and to reduce the capacity of the recording medium. Thus, the cost can be reduced, and the information can be easily registered in the remote control device.

[0023] Further, there is provided a display mode switching means for enabling the screen display on the display means to be selectable from a plurality of display modes. Specifically, a detailed mode in which all functions of the electric device to be operated can be executed with operation buttons,
The display mode can be switched to one of the simple modes in which only the frequently used operation buttons are enlarged and displayed.

The display mode can be set for each user, and the screen display can be switched according to the user.

Thus, the user can use the remote control device by displaying a screen in a display mode that is easy for the user to use. For example, an elderly person can reduce the frequency of erroneous operations by using the simple mode.

[0026]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a remote controller according to the present invention. Remote control device R of the present embodiment
C denotes a small portable remote control device, which is a liquid crystal panel 1 for displaying an image of a switch arrangement or the like corresponding to an electric device to be operated, and that a switch image displayed on the liquid crystal panel 1 is pressed with a finger. Touch sensor 2 to detect
A transmitting unit 6 for transmitting an optical signal to an electric device to be operated;
CPU that controls image display on liquid crystal panel 1 and controls transmission from transmission unit 6 based on detection by touch sensor 2
3, a card reader 8 for reading information such as a control code necessary for remote-controlling each electric device stored in a memory card 9 attached to the electric device, and image data to be displayed on the liquid crystal panel 1. A memory 7 for storing programs executed by the CPU 3 in advance and for storing information read by the card reader, a charging circuit 5 for charging by being connected to a charging device (not shown), Based on the power
The power supply circuit 4 supplies a predetermined power supply voltage to the PU and the like. Note that the liquid crystal panel 1 and the touch sensor 2
It can be configured similarly to the touch panel type input / display unit disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-134681.

Next, a data structure in the memory 7 when a control code and the like are registered in the memory 7 will be described with reference to FIG. It should be noted that the data chart of FIG.
7 is a configuration example when a TV device, a VTR device, and a DVD device having the control codes shown in (c) are registered, in order to realize an area Ri for storing identification information of each electric device and a function of the electric device. And an area Rc for storing function information such as a program.

In an area Ri for storing identification information of each electric device, control codes 1, 2, and 3 are code numbers indicating a manufacturer name, control codes 11, 12, and 13 are model names of electric devices and control codes. Control codes corresponding to the functions of the electric device are registered in F1, F2, and F3.

On the other hand, in an area Rc for storing function information such as a program for executing the operation of the electric device, the control code 21 includes power on / off, the control code 22 includes a channel change, and the control code 23 includes a control code 23. Is a volume up / down switch, a control code 24 is a switch of an input signal to a video signal or the like, a control code 25 is a switch between a main sound and a sub sound in bilingual broadcasting, and a control code 26 is an automatic power supply. Timer setting such as OFF, adjustment of image quality such as brightness and contrast in control code 27, ON / OFF of audio surround output in control code 28, playback and control of media such as video tapes and DVDs in control code 29 Code 3
0 indicates the stop of the operation of the medium, the control code 31 indicates the pause of the reproduction of the medium, the control code 32 indicates the fast-forward of the medium, the control code 33 indicates the rewinding of the medium, and the control code 34 indicates the slow reproduction of the medium. Control code 35
Is a media take-out, a control code 36 is for recording on a medium, a control code 37 is a recording reservation setting, a control code 38 is a G code registration, and a control code 39 is a 10-key for selecting a song or the like to be reproduced. Designation, control code 40 is for zooming the video, control code 41 is for switching the angle of the video to be displayed, control code 42 is for switching between subtitle display / non-display, control code 43 is for random playback setting, control code 44 Has registered therein a program for executing the setting of the repeat reproduction.

In the remote control device of the present embodiment, when a user performs a predetermined operation (an operation of selecting an electric device) to use a desired electric device, information registered in the identification information area Bi is displayed. Read out and read out control code F
The control code corresponding to the function of the electric device is read according to 1 to F3, and the corresponding operation button or the like is displayed on the screen. When the operation button is pressed, a program corresponding to the control code is executed, and the electric device body is operated.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the control area common to a plurality of electric devices, such as the control codes 21 to 26 and 29 to 35, is collectively managed to save the memory area. . Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the conventional remote control device uses 44 areas to register all information, whereas the present embodiment uses only 33 areas. Absent. As described above, a large amount of information can be registered by efficiently using the memory area.

Next, a procedure for registering the control code of the electric device stored in the memory card in the remote controller of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. FIG. 4 is a display example of a screen displayed on the liquid crystal panel of the remote controller when the contents of the memory card are taken in.

First, a memory card 9 storing control code information is inserted into a card reader 8 provided on a side surface of the remote control device main body (step S1). At this time, it is preferable to output a confirmation sound so that it can be confirmed that the memory card has been inserted.

Next, after the memory card 9 is inserted into the card reader 8, the read button BT1 of the remote control device is pressed and operated to read the identification information of the electrical equipment to be registered, such as the product name, the manufacturer name, and the model number. (Step S
2).

Next, after confirming from the displayed identification information that the electronic device is the one to be registered, the user presses the execution button BT2 to read information such as a control code stored in the memory card 9.

Next, a user who operates the electric equipment to be registered in step S4 with the remote controller is set (step S4). The remote control device of the present embodiment can change the screen display by freely selecting the display mode for each user. For example, about five users are registered in advance, and the user name registered in a pull-down menu is displayed by tapping the user column U, and the user name can be set to be selected from the list. .

Next, in step S5, a display mode such as operation buttons is set. For example, the operation buttons for a detailed mode in which operation buttons are arranged so that all functions can be operated, functions that are not usually used (for example, an image quality adjustment function for a TV device, initial channel settings, calendar settings, surround balance adjustment, and the like) are provided. There are display modes such as a standard mode in which the buttons are omitted, a simple mode in which operation buttons are generally arranged so that only frequently used operations can be performed, and an elderly mode in which individual buttons are displayed larger for the elderly. .

Next, by pressing the execution button BT2 in step S6, the information set by the above operation is recorded in the memory 7, and all registration is completed.

FIG. 5 is an external view showing an example of a screen display when the remote control device of the present embodiment is used for a TV device. FIG. 5A shows an example of a screen display in the standard mode and FIG. It is.

In the standard mode (a), the power button BT
3, input switch button BT4, numeric keypad BT5 for channel designation, channel button BT6, volume button BT7,
Operation buttons for controlling standard functions such as a cursor key BT8, a sound switching button BT9, a surround button BT10, a decision button BT12, and a timer button BT13 are arranged and displayed on the screen.

In the mode for the elderly (b), a power button BT3, an input switching button BT4, a numeric keypad BT5 for specifying a channel, a channel button BT6, and a volume button BT.
Operation buttons for controlling only the minimum functions such as 7 are arranged and displayed on the screen. In the mode for the elderly, not only the functions that can be operated are restricted but also each button is displayed in a large size, so that the buttons can be easily visually recognized and erroneous operations can be prevented.

In addition to the standard mode and the elderly mode, display modes such as a detailed mode and a simple mode are registered in advance, and are registered in a pull-down menu by tapping the display mode column M in FIG. The displayed display mode is displayed, and the display mode can be set by selecting from the display modes.

According to the remote control device of the present embodiment, the display mode can be changed according to the user, so that the user can improve the convenience by making the setting easy for the user to use.

As described above, the invention made by the present inventor has been specifically described based on the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. In this embodiment, a memory card attached to an electric device is inserted into a card reader to read information on each electric device. However, information on electric devices can be obtained by other means. For example, it is also possible to register information of an electric device in a barcode and read the information with a barcode reader. Thereby, the cost required for the recording medium (barcode) storing the information of the electric device can be suppressed.

The display mode of the screen display displayed on the liquid crystal panel of the remote controller is not limited to the mode exemplified in the present embodiment, and the user can freely customize the mode.

[0047]

According to the present invention, the storage means of the remote control device is provided with a storage area in which a control code for causing an electric device to execute a desired function and a function corresponding to the control code are stored one-to-one. A control code to be used is read from the storage area and controlled according to the electrical device to be used, that is, functions common to a plurality of electrical devices such as a power switch are managed and controlled by the same control code. In addition, the control code and the function corresponding to the control code are managed redundantly, and the storage area can be prevented from being wasted. Also, the manufacturer only needs to prepare a memory card (storage medium) for each electric device, and there is no need to ship the remote control device attached to the product, so that it is possible to provide consumers with low-priced products. it can.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a remote control device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a data chart showing a data configuration in a memory 7 when a control code is registered in the memory 7;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a procedure for registering a control code stored in a memory card in a remote control device.

FIG. 4 is a display example of a screen displayed on a liquid crystal panel of a remote control device when contents of a memory card are taken in;

FIG. 5 is an external view showing an example of a screen display when the remote control device of the embodiment is used for a TV device.

FIG. 6 is a list of control codes for operating a remote controller of an electric device and corresponding functions.

7 is a configuration example of a storage area of a conventional remote control device in which a control code of the electric device shown in FIG. 6 is registered.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Liquid crystal panel 2 Touch sensor 3 CPU 4 Power supply circuit 5 Charging circuit 6 Transmission part 7 Memory 8 Card reader 9 Memory card RC Remote control device main body

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 5C056 AA05 BA01 BA08 BA10 CA08 CA11 CA20 EA05 EA09 5K048 AA04 BA01 CA08 DB04 EA11 EB02 FB15 FC01 GC06 HA01 HA05 HA23

Claims (6)

[Claims] A display unit that can display an image of an operation button or the like corresponding to an electric device to be operated; an operation detection unit that detects that an operation button image displayed on the display unit is pressed with a finger; A transmitting unit that transmits a control signal to an electric device to be operated; a control unit that controls image display on a display unit and a transmission unit that performs transmission control and the like based on detection by the operation detection unit. An information reading unit that reads the information from a recording medium storing identification information and control code information of the electric device; image data to be displayed on the display unit; a program executed by the control unit; Storage means for storing in advance a control code for executing the function and a function corresponding thereto, and for storing information read by the information reading unit; The screen display on the display means can be executed by the operation buttons for all the functions of the electric equipment to be operated by the operation buttons, the simple mode in which only the frequently used operation buttons are enlarged and displayed, and the display set for each user And a display mode switching unit that can be selected from among a plurality of display modes having at least a mode, and a remote control device that can remotely control a plurality of electric devices, A control code for executing a desired function has a storage area where the control code is stored one-to-one with a function of the electric device, and the control unit reads a control code to be used according to the operated electric device from the storage area. A remote control device characterized in that it is controlled by a remote control. 2. A display means capable of displaying an image of an operation button or the like corresponding to an electric device to be operated, an operation detection means detecting that the operation button image displayed on the display unit is pressed by a finger, and a remote control. A transmission unit for transmitting a control signal to an electric device to be operated; a control unit for controlling image display on a display unit and a transmission control from the transmission unit based on detection by an operation detection unit; Information reading means for reading the information from a recording medium in which information relating to the function of the electric device such as device identification information and a control code is stored; image data to be displayed on the display unit; and a program executed by the control unit And a storage means for storing information read by the information reading unit, and a remote controller capable of remotely controlling a plurality of electric devices. A roll device, wherein the storage unit has a storage area in which a control code for causing an electric device to execute a desired function is stored in a one-to-one correspondence with a function of the electric device; A remote control device, wherein a control code used in accordance with a device is read from the storage area and controlled. 3. The storage unit according to claim 2, wherein the storage unit stores a control code for causing an electric device to execute a desired function and a function corresponding to the control code in the storage area in advance. Remote control device. 4. The remote control device according to claim 2, further comprising a display mode switching means for selecting a screen display on the display means from a plurality of display modes. 5. The display mode switching unit displays a display mode in one of a detailed mode in which all functions of an electric device to be operated can be executed by operation buttons and a simple mode in which only operation buttons that are frequently used are displayed in an enlarged manner. The remote control device according to claim 4, wherein the remote control device is switched. 6. The display mode switching device according to claim 4, wherein the display mode can be set for each user, and the display mode switching means switches a screen display in response to a user being designated. 6. The remote control device according to 5.