Patent ID: 8175569
Filing Date: 2012-05-08
Classification: G08C

Abstract:
1. A device control apparatus, comprising: a high-priority signal receiver unit for receiving a control signal having a higher priority status; a high-priority signal processing unit for processing the control signal received by said high-priority signal receiver unit; a low-priority signal receiver unit for receiving a control signal having a lower priority status; a low-priority signal processing unit for processing the control signal received by said low-priority signal receiver unit; a low-priority signal enabling condition determination unit for determining a condition for enabling or disabling processing of the control signal received by said low-priority signal receiver unit in said low-priority signal processing unit; a low-priority signal processing control unit for instructing said low-priority signal processing unit to enable or disable the processing of the control signal received by said low-priority signal receiver unit based on a result of a determination made in said low-priority signal enabling condition determination unit; and a screen display control unit for controlling a display of a control menu on a display screen, wherein said low-priority signal enabling condition determination unit includes: wherein said low-priority signal processing control unit instructs said low-priority signal processing unit to disable processing of the control signal received by said low-priority signal receiver unit from a time that control signal is received by said high-priority signal receiver unit to a time, measured by said timer, that exceeds the time-out value held in said time-out value storage unit, wherein said low-priority signal processing control unit instructs said low-priority signal processing unit to disable processing of the control signal being received by said low-priority signal processing unit from said low-priority signal receiver unit while said control menu is displayed on said display screen, and wherein the control menu is configured to inform a user that the low-priority signal is disabled while the control menu is displayed on the display screen such that the user can recognize a period of time that the low-priority signal is disabled and to allow the user, who is trying to send a low-priority signal, to visually realize that the low-priority signal is disabled.