Patent ID: 9715823
Date: 2017-07-25
CPC Classifications: G08C

Claim:
1. A remote control device for remotely controlling an appliance in one of a plurality of selectable operational modes dependent upon a degree of physical contact between the remote control device and a user, the remote control device comprising: an input facility configured to receive user input and generate a user input signal indicative of the user input, a contact sensing facility configured to determine the degree of physical contact between the remote control device and a user, and generate a mode control signal indicative of the determined degree of physical contact, a control mode selection facility configured to receive the mode control signal from the contact sensing facility, and select one of the plurality of selectable operational modes of the remote control device dependent on the determined degree of physical contact between the remote control device and the user as indicated by the mode control signal, an input facility configured to receive user input and generate a user input signal indicative of the user input, a processor facility configured to derive appliance control information for the appliance from the user input signal according to a function enabled by the selected operational mode, a transmission facility configured to transmit said appliance control information to the appliance, wherein the respective selections of the operational mode enables respective corresponding subsets of user control modes from a plurality of user control modes, wherein in a first operational mode, there is no physical contact between the device and the user and the corresponding subset of user control modes includes a visual control mode, a movement/tilt control mode and a touch/press control mode.