Abstract:
A remote control comprises a receiver operable to receive a data set, a presentation device coupled to the receiver and operable to present information derived from the data set, and a transmitter coupled to the presentation device and operable to transmit a signal operable to control an electronic device.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     Remote controls for televisions, stereo systems and other electronic devices are well known in the art. Also well known is the universal remote control that is capable of controlling multiple devices of different types and makes.  
         [0002]     Many universal remote controls in use today include both a microprocessor and some type of display, such as a liquid-crystal display (LCD), which may provide information such as, for example, the type of device controlled. However, notwithstanding the inclusion of these versatile components, these remote controls generally serve only to control devices.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0003]     In an embodiment of the invention, a remote control comprises a receiver operable to receive a data set, a presentation device coupled to the receiver and operable to present information derived from the data set, and a transmitter coupled to the presentation device and operable to transmit a signal operable to control an electronic device. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0004]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a system according to an embodiment of the invention.  
         [0005]      FIG. 2  is a front plan view of an electronic system according to an embodiment of the invention.  
         [0006]      FIG. 3  is a functional block diagram of the system illustrated in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0007]      FIG. 4  is a flow diagram of a method according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of an electronic device such as a general-purpose computer  10  coupled to a display  15  and a remote control  20 , according to an embodiment of the invention. As discussed more fully with reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the remote control  20  is operable to control operation of the computer  10 , display  15 , and one or more electronic devices  30 . The devices  30  may include, for example, televisions, stereo receivers, multimedia recording devices, and any other electronic device controllable by remote-control signals. In addition, the remote control  20  may be operable to exchange data, such as digital content, with the computer  10 .  
         [0009]     Referring to  FIG. 2 , according to an embodiment of the invention, the remote control  20  includes a camera module  40  having a camera lens  50 , and a set of camera controls  60  (e.g., zoom/pan, shoot, etc.). A presentation device, such as a display  65 , which may include a LCD screen, may allow a user of the remote control  20  to see saved and/or real-time images captured by the camera module  40 . As discussed below, the display  65  may further allow a user of the remote control  20  to view still and/or streaming images transmitted by the computer  10 .  
         [0010]     The remote control  20  may further include a microphone  70  that records sound to accompany images captured by the camera module  40  or that otherwise allows the remote control  20  to serve as a digital sound recorder.  
         [0011]     The remote control  20  may further include a set of device controls  80 , such as, for example, left/right, up/down, volume-control and channel-selection buttons, which are typical of known universal remote controls and allow communication with the computer  10 , control over an electronic device  30 , and navigation through items, such as, for example, a graphical user interface (not shown), displayed on the display  65 .  
         [0012]     The remote control  20  may further include a removable storage device (RSD) port  90  and a transmitter interface  100 , such as an infrared lens, located on the camera module  40 .  
         [0013]     The remote control  20  may further include a presentation device, such as an audio jack  105 . When used in conjunction with headphones or other types of speakers (not shown), the audio jack  105  allows a user of the remote control  20  to hear, for example, audio files transmitted to the remote control  20  by the computer  10 . In addition or alternatively to the audio jack  105 , the remote control  20  may include a presentation device, such as an audio speaker  106  that also enables a user of the remote control  20  to hear audio files.  
         [0014]     Referring to  FIG. 3 , according to an embodiment of the invention, the computer  10  includes the following components: a receiver  110 , a storage device  120  (such as a hard disk drive), a processor such as a central processing unit (CPU)  130 , a transmitter  140 , and a network interface  150 . A bus  155  couples these computer components to one another. In an alternative embodiment, the receiver  110  and/or transmitter  140  may be peripheral devices coupled to the computer  10 .  
         [0015]     The remote control  20  further includes the following components: a processor such as a CPU  160 , a transmitter  170 , a decoder  180 , a receiver  190 , a storage device  200 , and an audio/video (AN) controller  205  according to an embodiment of the invention. A bus  210  couples these remote-control components to one another. Alternatively, these remote-control components may be coupled by conventional wired or wireless connection(s) other than the bus  210 .  
         [0016]     The decoder  180  serves to decode data received, as discussed in further detail below, from the computer  10 . As depicted, the decoder  180  may be implemented as a hardware component. Alternatively, or in addition, software decoding may be used. The decoder  180  may use various algorithms, such as Moving Pictures Experts Group (MPEG) or Voice over IP (VolP), for decoding.  
         [0017]     The A/V controller  205  is provided to convert digital audio/video signals into analog signals for display/playback on the display  65 , speaker  106 , and/or headphones via the jack  105 . The A/V controller  205  may be implemented using one or more physical devices, such as separate graphics and sound hardware.  
         [0018]     According to an embodiment of the invention, the computer  10  is operable to transmit data sets to the receiver  190  of the remote control  20  via signals  220  emitted by the transmitter  140 . These data sets may include, for example, software application data, television-channel guide, stored audio/video files, CD/DVD cover artwork and/or information; lyrics, video previews, previews of television channels, closed-caption information, subtitle information, alternate language/soundtracks that may be heard via headphone (not shown) or the like, stored playlists, downloaded menus of selectable media files, information including sports scores/headlines/stock prices/weather, and/or other media files including audio, video or text files. Additionally, these data sets may be stored in the storage device  120  or otherwise may be retrieved by the computer  10 , via the network interface  150 , from a server or other computer on or coupled to a network  225 , such as a local-area network, wide-area network or the Internet. The signals  220  may be infrared (IR) signals, radio frequency (RF) signals, or any other wireless signals. Alternatively, a physical connection (e.g. cable) may carry the signals  220 .  
         [0019]     In operation, the computer  10  may transmit to the remote control  20  a software-application data set that, when executed by the CPU  160 , is output to the display  65  in the form of a menu or other graphical user interface (not shown). Such a menu may list data sets (e.g., photographs, songs, movies, etc.) that can be received from the computer  10  and be presented by the display  65 , speaker  106  and/or headphones (not shown) via the jack  105  of the remote control  20 . By employing the device controls  80  ( FIG. 2 ), the user may make one or more selections from the menu using a cursor. The transmitter  170  of the remote control  20  may then transmit, via the transmitter interface  100 , the selection as signals  230  to the receiver  110  of the computer  10 . The signals  230  may likewise be IR signals, RF signals, or any other wireless signals. Alternatively, a physical connection may carry the signals  230 .  
         [0020]     In response to receiving the selection from the remote control  20 , the CPU  130  of the computer  10  may retrieve the data set corresponding to the selection and cause the data set to be transmitted to the receiver  190  of the remote control  20 .  
         [0021]     The data set may be processed by the decoder  180  and/or ANV controller  205  to produce a medium (e.g., audio, visual, textual, etc.) or multimedia output that can be presented by the display  65 , speaker  106 , and/or headphones (not shown) via the jack  105  as appropriate.  
         [0022]     According to an embodiment of the invention, and referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the camera module  40 , in combination with the CPU  160 , provides a fully functional digital still-image and movie camera employing an image sensor (not shown) including, for example, a charge coupled device (CCD) or complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. It should be noted that, as used herein, the term “photograph” refers to either a still image or video movie. In operation, according to an embodiment of the invention, a user of the remote control  20  takes photographs by orienting the camera lens  50  ( FIG. 2 ) toward a target object and using the camera controls  60  ( FIG. 2 ). Each photograph taken by the camera module  40  may be stored in a RSD  240 , such as a solid-state compact flash device, coupled to the RSD port  90 . Each such photograph may also be viewed on the LCD screen  65 .  
         [0023]     Alternatively, after taking photographs with the remote control  20 , the user may wish to upload the photographs to the computer  10  for storage and/or viewing purposes. According to an embodiment, the user wirelessly transmits photographs, via the signals  230 , from the transmitter  170  of the remote control  20  to the receiver  110  of the computer  10 . Alternatively, the user may transmit photographs to the computer  10  over a physical connection, such as a cable (not shown).  
         [0024]     According to an embodiment, the remote control  20  may function as a universal remote control in a manner known in the art. Accordingly, the remote control  20  may control operation of a device  30  by emitting wireless control signals  260 , via the transmitter  170 , to a device  30 . Alternatively, a physical connection may carry the signals  260 .  
         [0025]     Still referring to  FIG. 3 , the network interface  150  may include an interface device, such as, for example, a public switched telephone network (PSTN) interface card, which allows the computer  10  to communicate over a telephone network known in the art, which may be included by the network  225 . Accordingly, the transmitter  140  may transmit to the receiver  190  signals received from the telephone network that a user can ultimately hear as sound via the speaker  106  or headphones (not shown) via the jack  105 . In addition, the transmitter  170  may transmit to the receiver  110  signals received from the microphone  70  that the computer  10  may then transmit over the telephone network. As such, the remote control  20  may serve the user as a cordless-telephone handset with the computer  10  serving as the corresponding cordless-telephone base.  
         [0026]     According to an embodiment, the remote control  20  may execute a voice recognition program that allows a user of the remote control  20  to control the computer  110 , a device  30 , or functions of the remote control  20 , itself, with minimal user keystrokes to the device controls  80  ( FIG. 2 ). For example, the storage device  200  may store audio files, such as, for example, .wav files, associated with verbal commands that correspond to keypad commands (e.g., ¢channel up,” “volume down,” ”power off,” etc.) that a user may employ to control a device  30 . The user may then initiate the voice-recognition feature by, for example, activating one of the controls  80  and speaking a verbal command into the microphone  70 . The CPU  160  may then compare the spoken command to the stored audio files, identify the audio file associated with the spoken command, and cause the transmitter  170  to issue the corresponding command to the device  30 .  
         [0027]     Other embodiments of the arrangement shown in  FIGS. 1, 2  and  3  are contemplated. For example, the remote control  20  and computer  10  may respectively include more or fewer than all of the components illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 .  
         [0028]      FIG. 4  illustrates a process of operating the remote control  20  of  FIGS. 1, 2  and  3  according to an embodiment of the invention. Beginning at a step  400 , the computer  10  accesses a data set selected by the remote control  20 . At a step  410 , the computer  10  transmits the data set to the remote control  20 . Subsequently, at a step  420 , the remote control  20  presents output, such as, for example, video and/or audio, produced from the data set, via the display  65 , speaker  106  and/or headphones (not shown) via the jack  105  of the remote control  20 . At a step  430 , the remote control  20  emits command signals  260  to which the computer  10  and/or device  30  responds.  
         [0029]     The preceding discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the invention. Various modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, it should be recognized that all operations described herein as applying to photographs at least similarly apply to digital sound recordings captured by the remote control  20  using the microphone  70 . Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.