Apparatus and method of controlling a consumer product

The apparatus and method of controlling a consumer product includes the step of connecting an input device to the consumer product. Also, an input event of the input device is translated into at least one key code, where the key code is recognized by a middleware of the consumer product. Furthermore, the at least one key code is transmitted to the consumer product. In addition, the at least one key code is executed by an application program of the middleware so as to control the consumer product.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method of controlling a consumer product, and more particularly to an apparatus and method which need not add or modify the original hardware of the consumer product when a new input device is connected to the consumer product.

2. Description of the Related Art

Currently a consumer product, such as a set-top-box, provides a middleware to let a software programmer develop a program in the set-top-box. The middleware like DVB-MHP (Digital Video Broadcast-Multimedia Home Platform), DCAP (Distributed Control Application Platform) or ARIB (Association of Radio Industries and Business) acts as a software platform or application program interface, in which a program is executed to control the set-top-box.

However, the DVB-MHP limits its recognized input device only to a remote controller (RC) and a keyboard. In most cases, the remote controller is most popularly used. In addition, the applicable software of the DVB-MHP defines only a few specific key events. If a user wants to use input devices other than the limited applicable input devices, such as a joystick, a steering wheel, a mouse, etc., some hardware expansions, such as USB port and XBOX port, will be unavoidable. In addition, the DVB-MHP is required to add new definition for events of these input devices. Therefore, providing a new apparatus and method to support and be compatible with the original set-top-box under a low-cost consideration is a very important issue.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The apparatus of controlling a consumer product according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an input event receiver, an input event translator and a signal transmitter. The input event receiver receives an input event. The input event translator associates the input event of the input event receiver with a plurality of key codes defined by a middleware of the consumer product. The signal transmitter is configured to send each of the key codes within a predetermined period to the consumer product.

The apparatus of controlling a consumer product according to another embodiment of the present invention includes an input device, a remote controller and a connector. The input device includes an input event receiver receiving an input event and an input event translator associating the input event of the input event receiver with a plurality of key codes defined by a middleware of the consumer product. The remote controller is configured to send each of the key codes within a predetermined period to the consumer product. The connector is configured to connect the input event translator to the remote controller.

The method of controlling a consumer product according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises the step of connecting an input device to the consumer product. Also, an input event of the input device is translated into at least one key code, where the key code is recognized by a middleware of the consumer product. Furthermore, the at least one key code is transmitted to the consumer product. In addition, the at least one key code is executed by an application program of the middleware so as to control the consumer product.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention can be implemented in consumer products, which might have limited applicable input devices. The consumer products could be a TV, DVD player, set-top-box, TV with an embedded set-top-box therein, etc. The limited applicable input devices could be a remote controller, keyboard, USB ports, 1394 ports, etc. The following embodiments use a set-top-box as an example to illustrate the invention, but the present invention does not limit its claim scope only for the set-top-box.

Normally, the middleware like DVB-MHP defines a minimum set of key codes to control the set-top-box. The key codes, for example, includes VK_UP, VK_DOWN, VK_LEFT, VK_RIGHT, VK_ENTER, VK_TELETEXT, VK_0, VK_1, VK_2, VK_3, VK_4, VK_5, VK_6, VK_7, VK_8, VK_9, VK_COLORED_KEY_0, VK_COLORED_KEY_1, VK_COLORED_KEY_2and VK_COLORED_KEY_3. Besides, the key type is limited to KEY_PRESSED only. An application program, which is programmed based on the middleware and set up in advance to correspond to the apparatus of the present invention other than the limited existing input devices, interprets the meanings of the key codes and then drives the set-top-box to do what the apparatus of the present invention wants.

FIG. 1shows an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus10is not any one of the limited applicable input devices, such as a remote controller, of the set-top-box11. The apparatus10, such as an input device with buttons only, a steering wheel, a joystick or a mouse, includes an input event receiver101, an input event translator102and a signal transmitter103. The input event receiver101receives an input event, which is caused by a user. The input event translator102associates the input event of the input event receiver101with a plurality of key codes defined by a middleware111of the set-top-box11. The signal transmitter103, such as an infrared transmitter, is configured to send each of the key codes within a predetermined period to the set-top-box11. In the other hand, the set-top-box11has a signal receiver110, a middleware111and an application program112. The signal receiver110, such as an infrared receiver, is used to receive the signals transmitted from the signal transmitter103. The received data includes key codes, which are sent to the middleware111for further interpretation. The application program112, which is programmed based on the middleware and is set up in advance to correspond to the input device, interprets their meanings and drives the set-top-box to do what the input device wants.

If classified by a motion range, the input devices include three types. Those are input devices with no motion range, such as devices that have buttons only, with fixed motion range, such as a steering wheel or joystick, and with free motion range, such as a mouse. If classified by dimensions of the motion, the input devices include three types. Those are input devices with zero-dimensional motion, such as devices that have buttons only, with one-dimensional motion, such as a steering wheel, with two-dimensional motion, such as a joystick and mouse, and with three-dimensional motion, such as a motion sensor.

Assuming a remote controller has a minimum time interval IRCbetween two input events and the number of key codes is X, where X is a positive integer. Table 1 as below illustrates the correspondence between the key codes and the input events.

If control means of the input device has buttons only, the input event is translated into the key code according to a one-to-one mapping basis. For example, a button “up” corresponds to VK_UP, and a button “launch” corresponds to VK_COLORED_KEY_0. If control means of the input device has a limited one, two or three-dimensional motion range, the input event will be a point, which is translated into one, two or three corresponding key codes according to the position of the input event relating to the divided regions. For example, (VK_0) represents a one-dimensional coordinate with a leftmost position, (VK_0, VK_9) represents a two-dimensional coordinate with an upper left position, (VK_0, VK_0, VK_0) represents a three-dimensional coordinate with an initial position. If the motion of control means of the input device has an unlimited one, two or three-dimensional range, the input event will be a vector, which is translated into one, two or three corresponding key codes according to the position of the input event relating to the divided vectors. For example, (VK_9) represents an X-axis vector with a fastest speed level of “+5” between the levels “−4” and “+5” goes leftwards, (VK_9, VK_0) represents a two-dimensional vector with a fastest speed level of “+5, −4” goes towards the bottom right direction, (VK_9, VK_9, VK_9) represents a three-dimensional vector with a fastest speed level of “+5, +5, +5” goes towards the top right direction.

The one, two or three-dimensional input device delivers one, two or three signals with respect to one input event to the remote controller, respectively. For example, an input device, which has only buttons, belongs to a zero-dimensional and no-motion-range device. If a button is pressed, only one corresponding remote-controller signal (RC signal) is transmitted. Another example is a joystick, which is two-dimensional and fixed motion range input device. If the joystick is moved to a new position, two corresponding RC signals representing the coordinate of a new position (x, y) are transmitted. For a mouse, which is a two-dimensional and free-motion-range input device, two corresponding RC signals representing a motion vector (x, y) are transmitted in a predetermined period. The zero and one-dimensional input devices need only one RC signal to transmit, and therefore has a fastest speed, which is proportional to

1IRC,
where IRCrepresents the least time needed to transmit a RC signal The two-dimensional input devices needs two RC signals to transmit, and therefore has a medium speed, which is proportional to

12×IRC.
The third-dimensional input devices needs three RC signals to transmit, and therefore has a lowest speed, which is proportional to

FIG. 2shows an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Similarly toFIG. 1, the apparatus20is not any one of the limited applicable input devices. The apparatus20includes an input device10′, a remote controller12and a connector13. The input device10′ includes an input event receiver101, which receives an input event, and an input event translator102, which associates the input event of the input event receiver101with a plurality of key codes defined by a middleware111of the set-top-box11. The remote controller12is configured to send each of the key codes within a predetermined period to the set-top-box11. Commonly speaking, the remote controller12is attached to the package of the set-top-box11when the buyer bought it. The connector13is configured to connect the input event translator102to the remote controller12.

FIG. 3shows a flow chart according to the embodiment of the present invention. In step S1, the model of an input device being not any one of the limited applicable input devices is set in an application program of the set-top-box. Therefore, the set-top-box knows what kind of input devices it is connecting to. In step S2, the input device is connected to the set-top-box. The connection could be wire or wireless. In step S3, an input event of the input device is translated into at least one key code, which is recognized by a middleware of the set-top-box for instructing the set-top-box to do something, and the application program is programmed based on the middleware. The translation could be done by checking a look-up table, which is known by persons skilled in the art. In step S4, the at least one key code is transmitted to the set-top-box. In step S5, the at least one key code is executed by an application program so as to control the set-top-box. Under a low-cost consideration, the present invention provides an apparatus and method of controlling a consumer product with limited applicable input devices, which uses input devices other than the limited applicable input devices but needs not add or modify the original hardware of the consumer product and the structure of middleware. The present invention applies a unique key code mapping to translate a variety of the input events of the input devices into recognized key codes defined in the middleware. After the recognized key codes are transferred to the consumer product, an application program, which is programmed based on the middleware and is set up in advance to correspond to the input device, interprets their meaning and drives the consumer product to do what the input device wants.