WO1999030302A1 - Telecontrol with sound-activated acoustic signalling device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention is based on the incorporation to the base structure of any conventional telecontrol (1) with its corresponding key pad (2) and optionally protected by a case of an acoustic signalling device (4) which can be actuated by a sound of predetermined intensity and frequency such as a hand clap or a whistle so that said acoustic signalling device evidences the location of the telecontrol unit. The acoustic signalling device (4) can be integrated into the casing (1) of the telecontrol unit, or be an element which is physically independent from said telecontrol unit and be appropriately fixed to the casing of said control unit, or be integrated in a housing of the protector (6) of the telecontrol unit (1), complementary to the housing of said protector sheath wherein the control unit is located.

Description

 REMOTE CONTROL WITH SOUND ACTIVATED ACOUSTIC SIGNALER

D E S C R I P C I Ó N

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a remote control, of those used for remote control of television receivers, audio or video equipment, etc., which has been substantially perfected in order to facilitate its location.

The object of the invention is embodied in a signaling device that can be integrated in the remote control itself, constitute an accessory thereof or be integrated in the classic protector of this type of controls.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Current technology means that at a domestic level there is a high degree of comfort, so that certain types of devices, such as television, video, music channels, etc., which until a long time ago integrated the corresponding panel in their own housing. controls, are now usually equipped with a remote control that allows you to comfortably control the variables of the device in question from anywhere in the cabin, such as sitting comfortably on a sofa from which you are watching television or listening to music.

The high degree of comfort of having such a remote control is marred by a problem derived from its own mobility and reduced volumetry, so that when there are several people who use the same remote control and / or when it is not sufficiently ordered to maintain at all times the remote control located in the place provided for In effect, localization problems arise that sometimes involve a considerable waste of time, in addition to the unease of not finding something that should be directly localizable.

In fact and as it is evident, in many occasions the remote control is used for example to lower the volume while attending a telephone call or to the door of the street, which supposes having to move and make a more or less long route, during which inadvertently the command can be deposited at any unusual point, which makes its subsequent location very difficult.

On the other hand, the mobility of this type of controls itself causes them to be subjected to frequent falls that can damage their components, which is why the use of protectors is known, based on a soft material, such as an elastomeric material , which constitute a cover of integral protection for the body of the command, especially as regards its vertices and edges, with a large window on its front face through which the actuation keys are directly accessible about it.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The remote control that the invention proposes has It was conceived in order to solve this problem fully satisfactorily.

To do this, and more specifically, said control, based on the basic structuring of any conventional control, focuses its characteristics on the incorporation of an acoustic signaling system, activatable by means of a sound of a certain intensity and frequency, such as a clap, so that an action of this type will suffice, that is, for example, with a slap, so that the remote control shows what is its own situation by generating an acoustic signal, such as a beep.

From this basic structuring it is possible that the acoustic signaling device is housed inside the remote control housing, said housing being properly configured for this purpose, by means of an external grid for output of the acoustic signal and by means of an internal access for replacement of the corresponding power battery, or the acoustic signaling device may constitute a complementary element, foreign to the control housing and fixed to the latter by any conventional means, without the adoption of one or another solution affecting the essence of the invention, since the first one is especially suitable for newly designed remote controls, while the second one is applicable to pre-existing controls.

However, the acoustic signaling device can be integrated into the classic protector of the control itself, for which purpose said protector will be slightly oversized in the longitudinal direction, to accommodate inside, in addition to the corresponding remote control, the aforementioned acoustic signaling device, establishing between them both a spacer preferably materialized in a protective rubber part, and counting the body of the protector on its front face, in addition to the wide window that mostly affects said face for access to the keys, of a considerably smaller window, facing the acoustic signaling, to improve the acoustic communication between said signaling and the outside.

The said rubber protective piece that separates the control of the acoustic signaling device can be physically independent of the protector or be attached to the latter with a single piece, obviously with mobility possibilities to allow the implantation of the repeatedly mentioned acoustic signaling device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To complement the description that is being made and in order to help a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, according to a preferred example of practical implementation thereof, a set of drawings is attached as an integral part of said description. In an illustrative and non-limiting manner, the following has been represented:

Figure 1.- Shows, according to schematic perspective representation, a remote control carried out in accordance with the improvements object of the present invention, according to a variant embodiment in which the acoustic signaling housing is independent and external to the control housing itself, being duly fixed to the latter.

Figure 2.- Shows, also according to a perspective view, a variant embodiment in which the acoustic signaling device is integrated in the protector for the remote control.

Figure 3.- Shows, finally, a sectional profile of the protector of the previous figure, in accordance with the cutting line A-B of said figure.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

In view of these figures, and especially of figure 1, it can be seen how the remote control that is recommended, like any conventional control, is constituted by a housing (1), of general elongated and flattened configuration, on whose front face the keys (2) corresponding to the multiple functions or variables to be controlled with said command are established, by generating signals supplied by the corresponding infrared emitter (3), but with the particularity that said remote control incorporates also an acoustic signaling device (4), in itself conventional, capable of emitting an acoustic signal, such as a beep, when it receives in turn another certain acoustic signal, of pre-established intensity and frequency, such as a slap, thus obtaining this way that, in front of a sound "call" of the user, the remote control "answers" by means of an acoustic signal that makes him easily crazy lizable. As previously stated and as the figure shows, the acoustic signaling device can be located in its own housing (4), conveniently fixed to the front wall of the housing (1) of the actual control, in the space left free of the multifunction keys (2), or in any other suitable place of the same, fixing that can also be carried out by any conventional means, such as by means of adhesive, or the electronic circuit corresponding to said acoustic signaling device can be integrated within the housing itself (1) of the control, with no other condition than to provide it with the equivalent grid (5) for output to the outside of the acoustic signal, said acoustic signaling being able to be fed in parallel with the control itself, at the expense of a single set of power batteries, or incorporate your own batteries, without affecting the essence of the invention.

However, and as shown in Figures 2 and 3, there is also the possibility that the acoustic signaling device (4) is located within the classic protector (6) for the remote control itself (1), a protector that , as is conventional, it will be constituted by a hollow body, basically prismatic-rectangular, dimensionally suitable for the complementary remote control, of a soft material and capable of incorporating irregularities or protuberances on its external face that facilitate its manual grip, provided in any case of a large front window (7) through which the keypad (2) of the remote control is directly accessible, but with the special feature in this case that the body (6) of the protector will be adequately oversized in longitudinal direction to house the acoustic signaling device (4), and will also incorporate a window (8) for an easier and more direct acoustic communication of the signaling device (4) with the outside.

The acoustic signaling device (4) will be duly independent of the control, within the protector (6), with the collaboration of a separating partition (9), materialized preferably in a piece of protective rubber that, as previously mentioned, may be united with a single-piece character to the body (6) or be physically independent of it, nevertheless allowing in any case an easy implantation of the acoustic signaling device (4) and an easy and subsequent access to it for maintenance.

In any case, the objective pursued of facilitating the location or location of the remote control (1) will be achieved, by means of a whistle, a slap or any other type of specific sound, easily generated by the user, which will result in the excitation of the acoustic signaling device. and the emission by it of the corresponding positional location signal of the command.

Claims

R E I V I N D I C A C I O N E S 1§.- Remote control for television receivers, audio or video equipment and the like, which, based on the structuring corresponding to any type of conventional control, is characterized by also incorporating an acoustic signaling device (4), activated by a sound of certain intensity and frequency, such as a slap or a whistle, so that said acoustic signal (4) shows the location of the control, for its location. 2 ^ .- Remote control for television receivers, audio or video equipment and the like, according to claim 1 ^§ , characterized in that the acoustic signaling device (4) is integrated in the housing (1) of the remote control, behind the corresponding grid for output to the outside of the acoustic signal and fed at the expense of the set of power batteries of the control itself. 3 a. - Remote television receiver, audio or video and the like, according to claim 1 ^§, wherein the acoustic indicator (4) is a separate element of the knob (1) itself, which is fixed by any means to the external face of the housing of said command. 4 ^ .- Remote control for television receivers, audio or video and the like, according to claim 1 ^§, wherein the acoustic indicator (4) is integrated into the protective classic (6) of the remote control (1). 5 ^§ .- Remote control for television receivers, audio or video equipment and the like, according to claims 1 ^§ and 4 ^§ , characterized in that the body (6) of the protector is longitudinally oversized with respect to the space required for the location of the remote control ( 1), defining an extreme housing for the acoustic signaling device (4), in correspondence with which it incorporates a small window or opening (8) to improve the acoustic communication between the signaling device (4) and the exterior, having provided that this extreme housing is defined by a spacer (9), materialized in a piece of protective rubber, which physically separates the control itself (1) from the acoustic signaling device (4), and this spacer (9) can be monopieza with the body (6) of the protector or be physically independent of it.