WO2019076946A1

WO2019076946A1 - Improved remote control and corresponding operating method

Info

Publication number: WO2019076946A1
Application number: PCT/EP2018/078334
Authority: WO
Inventors: Luca DA CANAL; Manuel BERZIOLI
Original assignee: Sice Tech Srl
Current assignee: Sice Tech Srl
Priority date: 2017-10-16
Filing date: 2018-10-17
Publication date: 2019-04-25
Anticipated expiration: 2020-04-18

Abstract

A remote control (1), which is adapted to control remotely an electrical device, comprises at least one central control unit (4), at least one memory (5), at least one transceiver (6) connected to the central control unit (4), at least one antenna (7a, 7b) associated with the transceiver (6), and an acoustic sensor (10). Conveniently, the remote control (1) comprises a voice recognition unit (8) adapted to recognize a voice command (VC) from a user and to convert the voice command (VC) into a control instruction (CI) for remotely controlling the electrical device, wherein such a remote control (1) further comprises an activation module (1) adapted to recognize a particular activation signal (AS) of the userdetected by the acoustic sensor (10)and to convert the activation signal (AS) into an activation instruction (AI) apt to be sent to the central control unit (4) for activation of the remote control (1), which is otherwise in standby mode.

Description

Title: Improved remote control and corresponding operating method

DESCRIPTION

Field of application

The present invention relates to a radio frequency remote control adapted to control remotely an electrical device, the remote control comprising at least one central control unit, at least one memory, at least one transceiver connected to the central control unit and at least one antenna associated with the transceiver. The present invention also relates to a method for operating the aforementioned remote control and the following description is made with reference to this application field with the only purpose of simplifying the exposition thereof.

Prior art

As it is well known in this technical field, a remote control is an electric device that allows sending signals to another device which is remotely placed and is controllable by means of those signals. The remote control is a portable object having small dimensions, being battery powered and structured in order to be easily kept and activated also with a single hand.

The most common remote controls in the domestic field are intended for opening and closing doors and gates or for controlling lighting systems.

A remote control is capable to emit electromagnetic signals that are picked up by the remotely controlled electrical device. For short-range remote controls, infrared signals are used, while for longer distances, radio frequency signals are used, and, in that case, such remote controls are called "radio remote controls".

There are also remote controls in the domestic field which are defined as "universal" and are set to control a plurality of electrical devices such as a music center, a television and/ or other apparatuses being present in the domestic field.

Generally, a remote control sends commands to an electrical device following the pressure of a key, a precise command being associated with each key of the remote control. However, in many situations, pressing a given key of the remote control is not always easy to perform. For example, in a moving car, the driver often has difficulty in finding the remote control and pressing a key thereof in order to open a gate or a garage door.

Consequently, there is the need for remote controls that may be operated not only by pressing a key, but also by means of a voice command.

However, including a voice recognition unit inside a remote control of the type described above leads to a high battery consumption, with the consequent need of a constant power supply (for example from cigarette lighters or USB ports in a car) or rechargeable batteries (for example via a micro USB) which may also be large in size.

The technical problem of the present invention is to provide a remote control having structural and functional features such as to allow overcoming the limitations and drawbacks still affecting the known solutions, in particular able to effectively recognize voice commands of a user and to operate a remote electrical device accordingly, without this resulting in excessive battery consumption.

Summary of the invention

The solution idea at the basis of the present invention is to provide a remote control able to control remotely an electrical device on the basis of a voice command input by a user, said remote control being provided with components which allow it to be switched from a low battery consumption standby mode to an active mode only following a recognition of an intended use thereof, this recognition being based on the recognition of movements and/ or voice signals of the user. In particular, the recognition of the intended use of the remote control is possible owing to the presence of suitable sensors, such as acoustic and/ or movement sensors, embedded therein, the signals from these sensors being suitably processed for the activation and operation of the remote control. Advantageously, the acoustic sensor is adapted to detect external vibrations and the remote control is activated according to the amplitude of such vibrations.

On the basis of this solution idea, the aforementioned technical problem is solved by a remote control adapted to control remotely an electrical device, the remote control comprising at least one central control unit, at least one memory, at least one transceiver connected to the central control unit, at least one antenna associated with the transceiver, a voice recognition unit adapted to recognize a voice command from a user and to convert the voice command into a control instruction for remotely controlling the electrical device, and an acoustic sensor connected to the voice recognition unit, wherein the remote control further comprises an activation module adapted to recognize an activation signal of the user and to convert the activation signal into an activation instruction apt to be sent to the central control unit for activation of the remote control, which is otherwise in standby mode, and wherein the acoustic sensor is coupled (in particular connected) to the activation module, such activation module being configured to process the signals detected from the acoustic sensor for the activation of the remote control. In particular, the activation module is configured to activate the remote control in response to the activation signal detected by the acoustic sensor.

More particularly, the invention comprises the following additional characteristics, taken individually or in combination if required. According to an aspect of the present invention, the acoustic sensor can be adapted to detect an acoustic vibration as activation signal. According to an aspect of the present invention, the activation module can be configured to activate the remote control if the vibrations detected by the acoustic sensor are above a predetermined threshold.

More in particular, the acoustic sensor can be a MEMS microphone comprising a digital output, wherein the activation module is integrated into this MEMS microphone for the activation of its digital output which is configured to send the activation instruction to the central control unit, and wherein this MEMS microphone comprises an input connected with the central control unit for the activation of the MEMS microphone itself.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the voice recognition unit can comprise a microprocessor adapted to process data from the acoustic sensor and to generate the control instruction apt to be sent to the central control unit. According to an aspect of the present invention, the remote control can further comprise a movement sensor adapted to detect a movement and/ or handling thereof, the signal of this movement sensor being processed by the activation module for the activation of the remote control. In particular, the movement sensor can be selected from a MEMS accelerometer and a MEMS gyroscope provided with three measurement axes, these sensors having an adjustable activation threshold.

The activation module can thus comprise a first processing unit apt to process the signals of the acoustic sensor, and a second processing unit apt to process the signals of the movement sensor, these first and second processing units being adapted to recognize the activation signal of the user and to convert it into the activation instruction for the central control unit.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the remote control can comprise at least one key for controlling the electrical device and/ or for programming the remote control.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the central control unit can be further adapted to receive and duplicate a code transmitted from an original remote control which is to be duplicated by the remote control.

It is also observed that the memory can be adapted to store the duplicated code and can further include a plurality of storing sequences apt to be sent to a receiver of the electrical device for storing the duplicated code on the receiver of the electrical device, the central control unit being adapted to select a storing sequence from the plurality of storing sequences on the basis of the duplicated code.

Furthermore, the plurality of storing sequences can correspond to storing sequences of all the manufacturers of remote controls.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the memory can be adapted to store one or more codes for controlling a corresponding remote electrical device or plurality of remote electrical devices, wherein those one or more codes are transmitted only according to corresponding specific voice commands input by the user, the recognition unit and/ or the central control unit being configured to recognize only these specific voice commands.

Finally, the remote control can comprise a pair of antennas for reception/ sending of a radiofrequency signal.

The present invention also relates to a method for operating a remote control adapted to control remotely an electrical device and comprising at least one central control unit, at least one memory, at least one transceiver connected to the central control unit, at least one antenna associated with the transceiver, and an acoustic sensor, the method comprising at least the steps of:

- receiving an activation signal by means of the acoustic sensor; - recognizing, by means of an activation module, an intended use of the remote control on the basis of the activation signal from the acoustic sensor, with consequent generation of an activation instruction apt to be sent to the central control unit; - activating the remote control from an initial standby mode; and

- remaining for a predetermined time interval, by means of a voice recognition unit, in a listening mode of a voice command from a user for the remote control of the electrical device, the voice recognition unit being adapted to recognize the voice command and to convert the voice command into a control instruction for the electrical device.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the method can further comprise a step of comparing, in the central control unit, the activation instruction, generated from the activation signal, with the control instruction, generated from the voice command, such that, if a specific activation signal and a corresponding specific voice command are performed simultaneously by the user, a command for the electrical device is generated and sent simultaneously and in addition to the activation of the remote control.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the activation of the remote control and the sending of commands to the electrical device can be also performed by pressing at least one key of the remote control.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the command sent to the electrical device can correspond to a code received and duplicated by the remote control, wherein the memory is adapted to store the duplicated code and includes a plurality of storing sequences apt to be sent to a receiver of the electrical device for storing the duplicated code on the receiver of the electrical device, the central control unit being adapted to select a storing sequence from the plurality of storing sequences on the basis of the duplicated code. According to yet another aspect of the present invention, in the standby mode, the activation module is active, the central control unit is in a minimum power consumption mode, the voice recognition unit and the transceiver are not active, the central control unit being activated by the activation instruction and in turn activating the voice recognition unit and the transceiver.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the activation signal can be an acoustic vibration detected by the acoustic sensor.

Moreover, the remote control can be operated by a voice command input only by a single user and/ or by group of users.

Finally, the recognition of a voice command can comprise recognising only specific voice commands corresponding to specific stored codes for respective electrical devices to control.

The features and advantages of the remote control and of the method according to the invention will become apparent from the following description of an embodiment thereof, given by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief description of the drawings

In these drawings: - Figure 1 schematically shows a remote control according to the present invention;

- Figure 2 schematically shows the components and the corresponding connections embedded in the remote control of Figure 1 ; and

- Figure 3 schematically shows successive steps of a method for operating the remote control according to the present invention.

Detailed description With reference to those figures, and in particular to Figure 1 , a remote control according to the present invention is globally and schematically indicated with 1.

It is worth noting that the figures represent schematic views and are not drawn to scale, but instead they are drawn so as to emphasize the important features of the invention. Moreover, in the figures, the different elements are depicted in a schematic manner, their shape varying depending on the application desired. It is also noted that in the figures the same reference numbers refer to elements that are identical in shape or function.

The remote control 1 is adapted to control remotely an electrical device, such as a gate or a garage door, even though it is not limited to these. The remote control 1 operates at radio frequency and for this reason it will be referred to hereinafter also using the term "radio remote control". The remote control 1 may also be defined as "universal" since it can be used with a plurality of electrical devices to be operated, in particular for domestic applications. Moreover, the remote control 1 is able to emulate original remote controls manufactured by a plurality of manufacturing companies, independently of the internal structure of such remote control, as it will be illustrated in greater detail below.

As shown in Figure 1 , the remote control 1 comprises a casing 2, preferably having a parallelepiped shape and small thickness, which encloses all its main components.

In particular, with reference now to Figure 2, the casing 2 encloses and protects an electronic circuitry 3 which in turn comprises at least one central control unit 4, a memory 5, a transceiver 6 and at least one antenna, preferably two antennas (indicated by the reference numbers 7a and 7b) for sending/ receiving a radiofrequency signal. Preferably, the memory 5 is integrated in the central control unit 4, which is a programmable device (such as a microprocessor) which controls the operation of the remote control 1 , even though other solutions are obviously possible.

Advantageously, the double antenna increases the range of the radiofrequency and therefore the distance of effective action with respect to the controlled device.

The circuitry 3 is powered by means of a direct-current battery which is inserted inside the casing 2, but is not shown in the drawings since conventional, for example an alkaline or lithium battery, but the invention is not limited to these types of batteries. Conveniently, the remote control 1 is structured in such a way that it is able to remotely control an electrical device on the basis of voice commands input by a user.

The remote control 1 comprises in fact a voice recognition unit 8 adapted to recognize a voice command VC from the user and to convert this voice command VC into a control instruction CI for the remote control of the electrical device to be operated.

More specifically, the voice recognition unit 8 is connected to the central control unit 4 and sends thereto the control instruction CI, which is processed in the central control unit 4 so as to send, via the transceiver 6, a command associated with this control instruction CI. In other words, the central control unit 4 is apt to recognize the control instruction CI and is therefore apt to send via the transceiver 6 the command to the remote device, the command being in the form of a code which may be fixed or variable (rolling code), this code being previously stored in the memory 5.

The presence of the voice recognition unit 8 results in a significant increase in the battery power consumption of the remote control 1 and for this reason the remote control 1 is designed so as to activate this voice recognition unit 8 only when necessary. In particular, in order to limit the battery power consumption of the remote control 1 , the remote control 1 is generally in a starting standby mode, namely in a mode where only those components which allow an activation thereof upon reception of suitable commands are active, this remote control 1 being therefore activated only when required by the user. In the standby mode, the transceiver 6 and the voice recognition unit 8 are not active, while the central control unit 4 is in a minimum power consumption mode (known as "sleep mode").

Advantageously according to the present invention, the remote control 1 comprises an activation module 9 adapted to recognize an activation signal AS from the user, such as a voice signal or a movement of the remote control 1. The activation module 9 is adapted to convert the activation signal AS into an activation instruction AI (also called "wakeup signal") which is suitably sent to the central control unit 4 for the activation of the remote control 1 , causing it to be switched from the minimum consumption standby mode to an active mode where it is fully operative and is able to receive voice commands and also to send commands for controlling the remote device. The central control unit 4 is therefore fully activated (i.e. woken up from sleep mode) by the activation instruction AI emitted by the activation module 9, which instead is always active, the central control unit 4 being in turn adapted to activate the voice recognition unit 8 and the transceiver 6.

In other words, the circuitry 3 comprises a wake-up line by means of which the activation instruction AI generated by the activation module 9 is transmitted from this activation module 9 to the central control unit 4 and from the latter to the transceiver 6 and to the voice recognition unit 8.

The activation module 9, which is kept always in an active (and low- consumption) mode, therefore allows the detection of the interaction of the user with the remote control 1 , namely the detection of an action which forces the activation and the start-up of the operative mode, allowing the subsequent recognition of voice commands and/ or of other actions which can be interpreted as commands by the central control unit 4. In other words, the activation module 9 allows an intended use of the remote control 1 by the user to be detected, the remote control 1 being activated following this recognition. Conveniently, the remote control 1 does not have to be always in a "listening" mode and, moreover, it is not necessary to press given keys in order to activate it, as will be illustrated in greater detail below. This advantageous functionality of the remote control 1 is implemented by means of a plurality of components incorporated within it. In particular, the remote control 1 comprises an acoustic sensor 10 which is advantageously coupled (for example connected) both to the voice recognition unit 8 and to the activation module 9, this acoustic sensor 10 being for example a MEMS microphone, although other solutions are obviously possible. More in particular, the acoustic sensor 10 is a MEMS microphone having at least one digital output which can be activated upon receiving an acoustic signal having a sufficient amplitude. This acoustic sensor 10 can be operated in a stand-by mode with low consumption, wherein in such standby mode it is only apt to receive an acoustic activation signal for activation.

The MEMS technology ensures a good audio response, extremely small and compact dimensions and low consumption.

In this way, as it will be discussed into details below, the acoustic sensor 10 is adapted to act as a vibration sensor in order to detect all the environment vibrations (including acoustic vibrations) and to discriminate between environment noise and an actual activation signal AS for the activation of the remote control 1.

Once activated, the acoustic sensor 10 is able to receive the voice command VC from the user and to send this voice command VC to the voice recognition unit 8 for controlling the remote electrical device. The voice recognition unit 8 comprises a microprocessor programmed to process data from the acoustic sensor 10 and to generate the control instruction CI sent to the central control unit 4. This microprocessor is also able to filter background noise, so as to make the voice recognition process carried out by the voice recognition unit 8 more efficient.

Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the remote control 1 comprises a movement sensor 1 1 adapted to detect a movement and / or a handling of the remote control 1.

By way of example, the movement sensor 1 1 is selected from a MEMS accelerometer or gyroscope, which are provided with three measurement axes and an adjustable activation threshold, even though other solutions are obviously possible. The movement sensor 1 1 ensures therefore the detection of impacts and handling of the remote control 1 , as well as the discrimination of movements along the three spatial axes.

Owing to the presence of the sensors 10 and 1 1 , the remote control 1 is thus able to recognize an intended use by the user, the signals from these sensors being suitably processed by the activation module 9.

In particular, the activation signals AS may be both voice signals (more generally acoustic vibrations) detected by the acoustic sensor 10 and movements/ vibrations/ handling actions detected by the movement sensor 1 1. The activation module 9 therefore comprises a first processing unit 9a apt to process the signals from the acoustic sensor 10, and a second processing unit 9b apt to process the signals from the movement sensor 1 1.

Therefore, advantageously according to the present invention, the activation module 9 is configured to process the signals from both the acoustic sensor 10 and movement sensor 1 1 and to recognize the activation signal AS of the user, such activation signal AS being converted into the activation instruction AI for the central control unit 4.

As mentioned before, particularly advantageously according to the present invention, the acoustic sensor 10 is able to detect sounds or acoustic vibrations coming from the external environment (and therefore also from the user), such acoustic sensor 10 being coupled with a dedicated circuit (i.e. the first processing unit 9a of the activation module 9, which can also be integrated in the acoustic sensor 10 itself) able to recognize if the acoustic vibration level is below or above a predetermined threshold. In the above indicated preferred embodiment in which the acoustic sensor 10 is a MEMS microphone, the first processing unit of the activation module 9 is embedded in such microphone, in order to activate its digital output in response to an activation signal AS above a predetermined threshold. More in particular, upon receiving an acoustic signal having an intensity above the threshold, the digital output (i.e. the output digital pin) of the MEMS microphone is activated, this output communicating with the central control unit 4 and providing the activation instruction AI thereto, the central control unit 4 then activating the components of remote control 1 , including the acoustic sensor 10 itself, which can thus switch from a low power consumption mode (sleep mode) to an activated normal mode. When activated in the normal mode, the acoustic sensor 10 can then be used a standard microphone, with a higher battery consumption, in order to recognize a voice command VC from the user to be processed by the voice recognition unit 8.

Therefore, in the sleep mode, the acoustic sensor 10 is sensitive only to acoustic vibrations (for example thanks to the vibration of a membrane thereof), and, once the remote control 1 is active, it then acts as an actual microphone detecting voice commands VC. The vibration causing the activation of the remote control 1 can be a voice signal from the user, but also other external vibrations, such as for example the opening/closing of a car door or the activation of the car motor.

In other words, the acoustic sensor 10 is both a microphone, providing voice signals to the voice recognizing unit 8 to be converted into control instructions CI, and also a vibration sensor operatively communicating with the activation module 9 for recognising an activation signal AS of the user. In the latter case, the acoustic sensor 10 is sensitive to the amplitude of the external vibrations and the central control unit 4 is programmed in such a way that it wakes up (i.e. activates) the remote control 1 only if the detected vibration amplitude is above a predetermined threshold. This threshold is set during manufacturing and can be adjusted during the life of the remote control 1.

In particular, the threshold for the activation of the acoustic sensor 10 can range from 60 dB to 90 dB. In the sleep mode, the acoustic sensor 10 consumes only 5 μΑ of supply current (9 μW of power). The activation of the microphone into the normal mode occurs very rapidly, in about 100 μβ.

All these advantageous functionalities can be achieved thanks to the use of the above-described MEMS microphone.

When the acoustic sensor 10 dose not receive any signal for a predetermined time interval, it is pushed by the central control unit 4 into the sleep mode, waiting for the next activation.

The first processing unit 9a and the second processing unit 9b are therefore the components able to recognize the activation signals AS of the user and to convert them into the activation instruction AI which is then transmitted to the central control unit 4. Obviously, the processing units 9a and 9b can be separate or can be integrated in a single component (or also integrated in the sensors), the present invention not being limited by a particular hardware configuration. In a preferred embodiment, the first processing unit 9a is embedded in the MEMS microphone, whose digital output provides the activation instruction AI to the central control unit 4.

The acoustic sensor 10 is therefore able to detect voice commands VC for the command of the remote device and able to detect activation signals AS in the form of voice signals, this acoustic sensor 10 being connected both to the voice recognition unit 8 and to the activation module 9, in particular to the first processing unit 9a of this activation module 9, as shown in Figure 2. In an embodiment of the present invention, if the activation signal AS is a voice signal emitted by the user, this voice signal also corresponds to the voice command VC which is intended for the command of the electronic device. Consequently, in this case, the activation signal AS, in addition to the activation of the remote control 1 , is used also to generate the control instruction CI and the command to be sent to the electronic device.

Alternatively, the remote control 1 is activated by a voice activation signal AS, for example by a generic voice signal, which does not correspond to the voice command VC specifically intended to operate the electrical device. Consequently, in this case, after being activated by the generic voice signal, the remote control 1 remains in listening mode, waiting for the proper voice command VC from the user.

Obviously, if the activation signal AS is a touch, tap or movement of the remote control 1 , and therefore is a signal detected by the movement sensor 1 1 , the voice recognition unit 8 remains after the activation in listening mode waiting for the voice command VC of the user.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the memory 5 of the remote control 1 is able to store a plurality of codes for the control of a corresponding plurality of electrical devices. In this case, the remote control 1 transmits the stored codes to the various devices according to specific control instructions CI relating to specific different voice commands VC input by the user, the central control unit 4 selecting the proper command depending on the received control instruction CI.

In other words, it is possible to control a large number of electrical devices (for example gates of different dwellings) using the same remote control, by simply emitting for each electrical device a different voice command VC, which is associated with a corresponding command (code) stored in the memory 5 during the programming of the remote control 1. Moreover, the remote control 1 can be configured to recognize only specific voice commands VC previously stored in its memory 5. In particular, the central control unit 4 and/ or the voice recognition unit 8 can be configured to generate a command signal (i.e. to transmit a specific stored code) to open a gate only in response to predetermined voice commands VC. For example, the recognition unit 8 can recognize only a predetermined number of voice commands VC (e.g. eight voice commands), each command corresponding to a respective gate that is to be opened by the remote control 1. As an example, one command can be related to a first gate (e.g. "home"), a second command can be related to a second gate (e.g. "mountain house" or sea house") and the like. In this way, the voice commands VC also act as passwords, increasing the security of the remote control 1 according to the present invention.

With reference now to Figure 1 again, on the surface 12 of the casing 2 of the remote control 1 a number of keys is arranged, including: a command key 13 for operating an electrical device, a second programming key 14 and a third and fourth key, 15 and 16, for optionally operating further electrical devices. Obviously, the remote control 1 may comprise any number of keys depending on the needs and/ or circumstances, the figures being provided only by way of a non- limiting example of the scope of the present invention.

In addition to the advantageous possibility of controlling an electrical device by means of a voice command, the remote control 1 therefore comprises at least one command and/ or programming key. It is pointed out that, when the remote control 1 is in standby mode, the circuit portion which controls the keys is also kept in an active mode, so that in standby mode both the activation module 9 and at least one of the keys 13, 14, 15 and 16, namely those components intended to identify the operation of the remote control 1 by the user and therefore to activate the remote control 1 , are active.

The remote control 1 may in fact be activated also by the simple pressing of one of its keys. In this case, pressing the key corresponds to the intended use by the user and, together with the activation of the remote control 1 , the command associated with the key is sent to the electrical device by means of the transceiver 6.

Each of the keys also has in relief a corresponding Braille character which facilitates the identification thereof by means of touch alone.

The remote control 1 further comprises signalling elements 17 which are selected for example from lighting signalling elements (such as LEDs) and/ or acoustic signalling elements, these signalling elements 17 being apt to indicate to the user the operating mode of the remote control 1.

The surface 12 of the casing 2 finally comprises an opening 18 in order to allow the acoustic sensor 10, which is preferably arranged at this opening 18, to detect effectively a voice command VC or an activation signal AS in the form of a voice signal. Furthermore, in an embodiment of the present invention, the remote control 1 is a clone remote control able to receive and duplicate a code transmitted by an original remote control which is to be duplicated, this remote control 1 therefore emulating the original remote control. The emulation of the original remote control occurs after a learning procedure of the code of the original remote control, this procedure being performed in the central control unit 4 which is suitably programmed for this purpose.

In the case of fixed-code remote controls, i.e. always transmitting the same code, the emulation is performed by making an exact copy of the radio code, which is characterized by the radio signal, the modulation and the working frequency. In the case of rolling-code original remote controls, the emulation is performed by making a similar copy of the radio code, which is characterized by the same modulation and working frequency, but by a radio code which is partially different. The copy procedure can be performed for example by pressing a key or several keys in combination. Once the copy procedure has been activated, the emitting end of an original remote control to be copied and the emitting end of the clone remote control 1 of the present invention must be moved one close to the other, and the desired key of the original remote control which is to be copied must be pressed. It is also possible to associate a voice command with the copied code.

As mentioned above, for the rolling-code original remote controls, the clone remote control 1 generates a code similar to the original, this cloned code being stored in the memory 5 of the remote control 1. In fact, it is not possible to use the same code of the original remote control, because the two remote controls would interfere.

The duplicated rolling code similar to the original code must then also be stored in the memory of the receiver of the electrical device to be operated. It is in fact known that, in order to use a remote control, it must be identified at the receiver of the device to be operated. For this purpose, the remote control 1 sends to the receiver of the device to be operated suitable code sequences which are intended for the recognition and storage thereof.

In particular, the memory 5 of the remote control 1 includes a plurality of storing sequences for storing the duplicated code on the receiver of the electrical device to be operated. Conveniently, the plurality of storing sequences of the memory 5 of the remote control 1 corresponds to storing sequences for nearly all the manufacturers of remote controls. Even more particularly, the storing procedure performed by the remote control 1 forces automatically the storage of the emulated code on the receiver, generating for this purpose an alternation of old codes (namely codes of the original remote control) and new codes (namely the emulated code of the clone remote control) transmitted in a sequence, which is precisely the storing sequence. The alternating old and new codes allow the receiver to understand that the sequence of received signals does not represent an ordinary activation command, but a storing sequence of the new emulated rolling code similar to the original code. The central control unit 4 selects the appropriate storing sequence on the basis of the duplicated code. In this way, it is possible to clone any type of remote control and to activate the storing procedure on the receiver of the device to be operated without knowing anything about the manufacturers of the original remote control, different remote controls having usually different storing procedures, greatly facilitating the installation.

It is also possible to personalize the remote control 1 , programming the central control unit 4 so that this remote control 1 responds only to the voice commands VC of one or more users, increasing the security thereof.

It is emphasized finally that all the functions described above, such as the activation of the remote control, the cloning of an original code and the storing procedure on the receiver of the device to be operated, are carried out automatically by the remote control 1 , with a great simplification for the user. The present invention also relates to a method for operating a remote control 1 adapted to control remotely an electrical device and comprising at least one central control unit 4, at least one memory 5, at least one transceiver 6 connected to the central control unit 4, and at least one antenna, preferably a pair of antennas 7a and 7b associated with the transceiver 6.

In order to reduce the overall power consumption, the remote control 1 is initially in a standby mode and the method of the present invention, illustrated in a schematic form in Figure 3, allows to activate or "wake up" this remote control 1 in a simple and effective manner.

In particular, the method comprises a preliminary step of receiving an activation signal AS, such as for example a voice signal or a movement caused by a user who wishes to activate the remote control 1.

This step is then followed by a step of recognizing, by means of an activation module 9, an intended use of the remote control 1 by the user on the basis of the activation signal AS, with consequent generation of an activation instruction AI apt to be sent to the central control unit 4.

Owing to the activation instruction AI generated following the activation signal AS, it is therefore possible to initiate a step of activating the remote control 1 , causing it to switch from the standby mode into an active mode, where this remote control 1 is operative.

In particular, the activation instruction AI generated by the activation module 9 is able to wake up from a minimum power consumption mode (also called "sleep mode") the central control unit 4, which then activates all the other non-active components, such as the transceiver 6 and a voice recognition unit 8.

In fact, in the standby mode the activation module 9 is always active, the central control unit 4 is in sleep mode, while the voice recognition unit 8 and the transceiver 6 are not active. Once the voice recognition unit 8 has been activated by the central control unit 4, in a following step the remote control 1 remains, for a predetermined time interval, in a listening mode of a voice command VC from the user for controlling the electrical device to be operated, wherein the voice recognition unit 8 is adapted to recognize the voice command VC and to convert this voice command VC into a control instruction CI for the electrical device to be operated.

As mentioned above, the remote control 1 remains in listening mode waiting for a voice command VC for a predetermined time interval (set during programming), following which it returns into standby mode. In other words, following the activation (by means of the activation module 9) of the wake-up line which activates the various components, the remote control 1 remains in the listening mode for a predetermined time interval and if, during this time interval, it does not receive any voice command VC, it switches off automatically. In the same way, after receiving a voice command VC and transmitting the corresponding command to the electrical device to be operated, the remote control 1 remains active for such time interval, following which (if no other voice command or activation signal is emitted) the central control unit 4 switches off the various components and returns into sleep mode. The time interval for which the remote control 1 remains active in the listening mode is therefore calculated from the moment it sends a command to the electrical device to be operated or the moment when an activation signal AS is no longer detected by the sensors embedded in the remote control 1.

The method of the present invention also comprises an optional step of comparing, by means of the central control unit 4, the activation instruction AI with the received control instruction CI.

In particular, during this step, the activation instruction AI, generated from the activation signal AS, is compared in the central control unit 4 with the control instruction CI, generated from the voice command VC, such that, if a specific activation signal AS and a corresponding specific voice command VC are performed simultaneously by the user, a command for the electrical device to be operated is also generated and emitted in addition to the activation of the remote control 1. Purely by way of example, the remote control 1 may be able to identify a movement from the bottom upwards (which activates it) and recognize a simultaneous voice command, generating a command for opening an automated door. The movement from the top downwards simultaneously with the same voice command as before will cause, on the other hand, the closure of this automated door. Also envisaged is the possibility of providing the remote control 1 also with at least one key which supplements the voice recognition unit 8. In this way, the activation of the remote control 1 and the sending of commands to the electrical device to be operated is also performed by pressing the at least one key of the remote control 1. In an embodiment of the present invention, the command sent to the electrical device to be operated corresponds to a code received and duplicated by the remote control 1 , which may therefore be regarded as a clone remote control able to duplicate the code (either fixed or variable) of an original remote control. In this case, the memory 5 of the remote control 1 is adapted to store the duplicated code and also includes a plurality of storing sequences apt to be sent to a receiver of the electrical device to be operated in order to store this duplicated code on such a receiver of the electrical device to be operated. The central control unit 4 therefore selects a suitable storing sequence from the plurality of storing sequences on the basis of the duplicated code, so that the clone remote control 1 is able to be recognized and stored by any type of receiver of an electrical device to be operated.

In conclusion, the present invention provides a remote control able to control remotely an electrical device on the basis of a voice command input by a user, said remote control being provided with components which allow it to be switched from a low battery consumption standby mode to an active mode only following a recognition of an intended use thereof, this recognition being based on the recognition of movements and/ or voice signals of the user. In particular, the recognition of the intended use of the remote control is possible owing to the presence of suitable sensors, such as acoustic and/ or movement sensors, embedded therein, the signals from these sensors being suitably processed for the activation and operation of the remote control. The acoustic sensor is adapted to detect external acoustic vibrations and the remote control is activated according to the amplitude of such vibrations.

The present invention innovates the way in which a user interacts with the remote control since, in addition to the possibility of performing actions via keys, a voice recognition unit able to convert voice commands into operative actions is provided.

Advantageously according to the present invention, in order to reduce the overall power consumption and therefore to overcome the limitations of the battery operated remote controls which arise when a voice recognition technology is used, the remote control is provided with the activation module able to recognize an intended use of this remote control by the user. The activation module is the distinguishing feature of the present invention and is a system able to recognize a simple interaction between user and remote control with the aim of activating the remote control only when really necessary, with clear advantages in terms of the overall power consumption.

The intended use detected by the activation module is for example an instinctive action, which is not specific and not reasoned, to be made without looking at the remote control and without taking one's attention off the surrounding environment. Such actions are therefore simple, such as tapping the remote control, holding the remote control, performing a rough spatial gesture, such as a movement from the bottom upwards or the like, or issuing a generic voice command. Alternatively, the intended use corresponds to a proper voice command. In any case, the information which the activation module sends to the central control unit is related to displacements, gestures or other data associated with the interaction of the remote control with the surrounding space, which the remote controls of the known solutions are unable to do.

In order to prevent an undesirable activation, the remote control of the present invention is provided with sensors, such as MEMS microphones, accelerometers or gyroscopes, with an adjustable activation threshold. This is particularly advantageous in the case of remote controls which are located inside motor vehicles.

In particular, advantageously according to the present invention, the acoustic sensor is configured to detect external acoustic vibrations and the system is configured to verify if the measured vibration amplitude is above a predetermined threshold. In this way, the remote control according to the present invention is extremely versatile and can be activated in an efficient way even without touching it.

The remote control of the present invention is therefore always in the standby mode, where the power consumption is minimal, and it is activated by the activation module only when there is the real intention to use this remote control. In this way, the remote control can be provided with an ordinary DC battery with smal dimensions and it is not necessary to use special batteries or constant external power supply (such as the power from the cigarette lighter of the motor vehicle). Moreover, all this results in a reduction of the overall dimensions of the remote control and a reduction of the production costs.

Furthermore, in the remote control according to the present invention, there is no longer the need to find and press a specific command key (which may result in operating errors and potentially dangerous distraction, particularly when driving, therefore increasing the driver's security), and at the same time it keeps the battery power consumption low.

The remote control according to the present invention, in addition to the standard personalization and configuration procedures based on keys, offers the possibility of a series of dedicated procedures for learning, personalization and configuration of the voice recognition unit and the activation module. Conveniently, the programming and activation steps of the remote control are performed automatically, preventing errors by the user.

Finally, the presence of the activation module associated with the voice recognition unit allows to overcome the problems of false recognitions which often affect the systems equipped with voice recognition.

Obviously, a person skilled in the art, in order to meet particular needs and specifications, can carry out several changes and modifications to the remote control and to the method described above, all included in the protection scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A remote control (1) adapted to control remotely an electrical device, said remote control (1) comprising:

- at least one central control unit (4); - at least one memory (5);

- at least one transceiver (6) connected to said central control unit (4);

- at least one antenna (7a, 7b) associated with said transceiver (6);

- a voice recognition unit (8) adapted to recognize a voice command (VC) from a user and to convert said voice command (VC) into a control instruction (CI) for remotely controlling the electrical device, and

- an acoustic sensor (10) connected to the voice recognition unit (8), wherein said remote control (1) further comprises an activation module (9) adapted to recognize an activation signal (AS) of the user and to convert said activation signal (AS) into an activation instruction (AI) apt to be sent to said central control unit (4) for activation of said remote control (1), normally in standby mode, and wherein said activation module (9) is configured to activate the remote control (1) in response to the activation signal (AS) detected by said acoustic sensor (10).

2. The remote control (1) according to claim 1 , wherein said acoustic sensor (10) is adapted to detect an acoustic vibration as activation signal (AS).

3. The remote control according to claim 2, wherein said activation module (9) is configured to activate the remote control (1) if the acoustic vibrations detected by said acoustic sensor (10) are above a predetermined threshold.

4. The remote control (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said acoustic sensor (10) is MEMS microphone comprising a digital output, wherein the activation module (9) is integrated into said MEMS microphone for the activation of said digital output which is configured to send the activation instruction (AI) to the central control unit (4), and wherein said MEMS microphone comprises an input connected with said central control unit (4) for the activation of said MEMS microphone.

5. The remote control (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said voice recognition unit (8) comprises a microprocessor adapted to process data from said acoustic sensor (10) and to generate said control instruction (CI) apt to be sent to said central control unit (4).

6. The remote control (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises a movement sensor (1 1) adapted to detect a movement and/ or handling of said remote control

(I) , the signal of said movement sensor (1 1) being processed by said activation module (9) for the activation of the remote control (1).

7. The remote control according to claim 6, wherein said movement sensor (1 1) is selected from a MEMS accelerometer and a MEMS gyroscope provided with three measurement axes, said sensors (10, 1 1) having an adjustable activation threshold.

8. The remote control (1) according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that said activation module (9) comprises a first processing unit (9a) apt to process the signals of said acoustic sensor (10), and a second processing unit (9b) apt to process the signals of said movement sensor

(I I) , said first and second processing units (9a, 9b) being adapted to recognize said activation signal (AS) of the user and to convert it into said activation instruction (AI) for said central control unit (4) .

9. The remote control (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least one key (13, 14, 15, 16) for controlling the electrical device and/ or for programming said remote control (1).

10. The remote control (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said central control unit (4) is further adapted to receive and duplicate a code transmitted from an original remote control which is to be duplicated by said remote control ( 1 ) .

1 1. The remote control (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that said memory (5) is adapted to store said duplicated code and further includes a plurality of storing sequences apt to be sent to a receiver of the electrical device for storing said duplicated code on said receiver of the electrical device, said central control unit (4) being adapted to select a storing sequence from said plurality of storing sequences on the basis of said duplicated code.

12. The remote control (1) according to claim 1 1 , characterized in that said plurality of storing sequences corresponds to storing sequences of all the manufacturers of remote controls.

13. The remote control (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said memory (5) is adapted to store one or more codes for controlling a corresponding remote electrical device or plurality of remote electrical devices, wherein said one or more codes are transmitted only according to corresponding specific voice commands (VC) input by the user, said voice recognition unit (8) and/ or said central control unit (4) being configured to recognize only said specific voice commands (VC).

14. The remote control (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said remote control (1) comprises a pair of antennas (7a, 7b) for reception/ sending of a radiofrequency signal.

15. A method for operating a remote control (1) adapted to control remotely an electrical device and comprising at least one central control unit (4), at least one memory (5), at least one transceiver (6) connected to said central control unit (4), at least one antenna (7a, 7b) associated with said transceiver (6), and an acoustic sensor (10), said method comprising at least the steps of: - receiving an activation signal (AS) by means of said acoustic sensor (10);

- recognizing, by means of an activation module (9), an intended use of said remote control (1) on the basis of said activation signal (AS) from said acoustic sensor (10), with consequent generation of an activation instruction (AI) apt to be sent to said central control unit (4);

- activating said remote control (1) from an initial standby mode; and

- remaining for a predetermined time interval, by means of a voice recognition unit (8), in a listening mode of a voice command (VC) from a user for the remote control of the electrical device, said voice recognition unit (8) being adapted to recognize said voice command (VC) and to convert said voice command (VC) into a control instruction (CI) for the electrical device.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising a step of comparing, in said central control unit (4), said activation instruction (AI), generated from said activation signal (AS), with said control instruction (CI), generated from said voice command (VC), such that, if a specific activation signal (AS) and a corresponding specific voice command (VC) are performed simultaneously by the user, a command for the electrical device is generated and sent simultaneously and in addition to the activation of said remote control (1).

17. The method according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the activation of said remote control (1) and the sending of commands to the electrical device is also performed by pressing at least one key (13, 14, 15, 16) of said remote control (1).

18. The method according to any one of the claims from 15 to 17, wherein the command sent to the electrical device corresponds to a code received and duplicated by said remote control (1), wherein said memory (5) is adapted to store said duplicated code and includes a plurality of storing sequences apt to be sent to a receiver of the electrical device for storing said duplicated code on said receiver of the electrical device, said central control unit (4) being adapted to select a storing sequence from said plurality of storing sequences on the basis of said duplicated code.

19. The method according to any one of the claims from 15 to 18, wherein, in said standby mode, said activation module (9) is active, said central control unit (4) is in a minimum power consumption mode, said voice recognition unit (8) and said transceiver (6) are not active, said central control unit (4) being activated by said activation instruction (AI) and in turn activating said voice recognition unit (8) and said transceiver (6).

20. The method according to any one of the claims from 15 to 19, wherein said remote control (1) is operated by a voice command (VC) input only by a single user and/ or by group of users.

21. The method according to any one of the claims from 15 to 20, wherein the recognition of a voice command (VC) comprises recognising only specific voice commands (VC) corresponding to specific stored codes for respective electrical devices to control.

22. The method according to any one of the claims from 15 to 21 , wherein said activation signal (AS) is an acoustic vibration detected by the acoustic sensor (10).