Patent ID: 6366328
Filing Date: 2002-04-02
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
A television control system that automatically operates any one of a predetermined plurality of different models of hospital televisions in response to a patient input without requiring patient programming of said television control system for a particular model, said television control system comprising:an input device operable for generating at least one television input signal corresponding to a television input from a person; and a controller configured for interfacing with said predetermined plurality of different models of hospital televisions, said controller operable for generating a cluster of control signals, in response to said television input signal and each time said television input signal is generated, to operate said predetermined plurality of different models of hospital televisions, wherein said cluster of control signals (i) corresponds to at least one specific operational function of said predetermined plurality of different models of hospital televisions, (ii) includes a predetermined set of sequentially generated, individual control signals, each of said individual control signals of said cluster corresponding to at least one model of said predetermined plurality of different models of hospital televisions, and (iii) includes individual controls signals for various models of said predetermined plurality of different models of hospital televisions, said controller is operable for generating control signals for causing said predetermined plurality of different models of hospital televisions to turn to a viewing channel corresponding to a channel digit indicated by said television input signal, and said cluster of control signals includes sequentially generated CHANNEL DIGIT signals for said various models of said predetermined plurality of different models of hospital televisions.