Abstract:
A remote controller is disclosed to include a housing, a control unit mounted in the housing, a communication unit mounted in the housing and electrically coupled to the control unit and controllable by the control unit to communicate with an external host and to download a control content from the external host, and a display unit, which is installed in housing and electrically coupled to the control unit, having a display zone for displaying the control content downloaded by the communication unit and a control zone for inputting instructions for enabling inputted instructions to be sent to a controlled device by the communication unit to drive the controlled device to execute the instructions.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a remote controller and more particularly, to such a remote controller, which downloads control contents from an apparatus or host through an infrared radio or bluetooth device for controlling the operation of a controlled device. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Regular electric appliances such as TV, stereo system, DVD player, CD player, MP3 player and etc., are commonly controlled to operate by a remote controller. In case the remote controller is lost or damaged and the user cannot purchase the same model of remote controller from the market, the electric appliance will become useless or the control of the electronic appliance will be inconvenient. 
     In order to eliminate the aforesaid problem, various universal remote controllers have been created and have appeared on the market. These universal remote controllers have built therein a set of key codes corresponding to different commercial electric appliances. When in use, the user must press a specific key (for example, power key) to send the storage key codes to the controlled device codes in proper order for comparison. When the controlled device gives a respond to one specific key code sent by the remote controller, this specific key code is stored in the remote controller for further operation. 
     Taiwan Patent M264753, entitled “Universal Remote Controller” (filed on Aug. 3, 2004 by Inventec Appliances Corporation and issued on May 11, 2005) shows an exemplar. According to this design, the universal remote controller provides a personal remote control configuration, and uses an editing module to set different remote control programs corresponding to different models of electric appliances and a touch control interface to run editing, remote control inputting and display functions. This design must use an editing module to edit personal remote control configuration. The use of such an editing module greatly increases the manufacturing cost of the remote controller. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is one object of the present invention to provide a remote controller control content downloading and executing method, which downloads control contents from an apparatus or host through an infrared radio or bluetooth device for controlling the operation of a controlled device. It is another object of the present invention to provide a remote controller control content downloading and executing method, which can download control contents from a host to control the operation of a controlled device without an editing module, thereby saving the manufacturing cost of the remote controller. 
     To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, the remote controller comprises a housing; a control unit mounted inside the housing; a communication unit mounted inside the housing and electrically coupled to the control unit and controllable by the control unit to communicate with an external host and to download a control content from the external host; and a display unit installed in the housing and electrically coupled to the control unit, the display unit comprising a display zone adapted to display the control content downloaded by the communication unit, and a control zone for inputting instructions for enabling inputted instructions to be sent to a controlled device by the communication unit to drive the controlled device to execute the instructions. 
     Further, the remote controller control content downloading and executing method comprises (a): providing a remote controller, which comprises a control unit, a communication unit, and a display unit, which has a display zone and a control zone; (b): providing a host, which has at least one control content; (c): using the communication unit to download one of the at least one control content from the host; (d): enabling the control unit to display the downloaded control content on the display zone of the display unit ; (e): clicking the control zone to select an instruction from the downloaded control content; and (f): enabling the control unit to send the selected instruction to a controlled device through the communication unit so as to drive the controlled device to execute the instruction. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an elevational view of a remote controller according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a system block diagram of the remote controller according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic drawing showing communication between the remote controller and the host and the controlled device according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is schematic drawing showing the control form of the control content of a TV displayed on the display zone of the display unit of the remote controller according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic drawing showing the control form of the control content of a CD player displayed on the display zone of the display unit of the remote controller according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic drawing showing the control form of the control content of a DVD player displayed on the display zone of the display unit of the remote controller according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a flowchart showing the procedure of the control content downloading and executing method according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a remote controller  1  is shown comprising a housing  10 , a control unit  20 , a communication unit  30 , and a display unit  40 . 
     The housing  10  houses the control unit  20 , the communication unit  30  and the display unit  40 , having a printed circuit board (not shown) mounted on the inside to carry the control unit  20 , the communication unit  30  and the display unit  40 , and to provide them with connection circuit means. 
     The control unit  20  is mounted inside the housing  10 , and adapted to control the operation of the remote controller  1 . 
     The communication unit  30  can be, for example, an infrared radio or bluetooth device for communication with a host  50  (see  FIG. 3 ). The host  50  can be a PC (Personal Computer), home server, or media center. The host  50  has at least one control content, which is the control form of a controlled device  60  and its remote control program. The controlled device  60  can be a TV, DVD player, CD player, KaraOK system, MP3 multimedia player connectable to and controllable by the host  50 . The control form and its remote control program can be downloaded from the attached CD provided by the manufacturer or the website of the manufacturer through the Internet. 
     The display unit  40  can be a touch panel or LCD display panel electrically coupled to the control unit  20  for displaying the downloaded control form. The display unit  40  has a display zone  41  and a control zone  42 . The display zone  41  is adapted to display status or executing result. The control zone  42  comprises a plurality of buttons  421  through which the user operates the control form. 
       FIG. 2  is a system block diagram of the remote controller  1 . As illustrated, the control unit  20  comprises a processor  21  and a memory  22 . The processor  21  can be a microcontroller electrically coupled to the communication unit  30 , the display unit  40  and the memory  21  for controlling the communication unit  30  to download the control content from the host  50 , storing the downloaded control content, and display the downloaded control content on the display unit  40 . 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic drawing showing communication between the remote controller and the host and the controlled device. As illustrated, the remote controller  1  can communicate with the host  50  through the communication unit  30  to download and store the control content and to display the control content on the display unit  40 . Thus, the user can select the instruction by means of touch the buttons  421  in the control zone  42  of the display unit  40  to turn on/off power supply or to start playing or stop the play. The communication unit  30  sends the selected to the host  50  for processing, and then the host  50  sends the processed instruction to the controlled device  60 , driving the controlled device  60  to execute the instruction. Therefore, the remote controller  1  can control the operation of the controlled device  60  without through the editing operation of an editing module. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates the control form of the control content of a TV displayed on the display zone of the display unit of the remote controller according to the present invention. As illustrated, when wishing to use the remote controller  1  to control the operation of a TV, operate the communication unit  30  to communication with the host  50  and to download the TV control content, enabling the processor  21  to store the control form of the control content in the memory  22  and at the same time to display the control form of the control content on the display zone  41  of the display unit  40 . At this time, the user can touch the button  421  in the control zone  42  of the display unit  40  to select from the control form the desired item, for example, channel selection, volume up or down, or mute, and then touch ENTER button to send the selected instruction to the host  50  through the communication unit  30 , for enabling the host  50  to process the signal and to send the processed signal to the controlled device (TV)  60 , driving the controlled device (TV)  60  to execute the instruction of channel selection, volume up or down, or mute. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates the control form of the control content of a CD player displayed on the display zone of the display unit according to the present invention. As illustrated, when wishing to use the remote controller  1  to control the operation of the controlled device (CD player)  60 , operate the communication unit  30  to communication with the host  50  and to download the control content of the controlled device (CD player)  60 , enabling the processor  21  to store the control form of the downloaded control content in the memory  22  and at the same time to display the control form of the downloaded control content on the display zone  41  of the display unit  40 . At this time, the user can touch the button  421  in the control zone  42  of the display unit  40  to select from the control form the desired item, for example, replay, last song, next song, pause, volume up, volume down, or the like, and then touch ENTER button to send the selected instruction to the host  50  through the communication unit  30 , for enabling the host  50  to process the signal and to send the processed signal to the controlled device (CD player)  60 , driving the controlled device (CD player)  60  to execute the instruction of replay, last song, next song, pause, volume up, volume down, or the like. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates the control form of the control content of a DVD player displayed on the display zone of the control unit of the remote controller according to the present invention. As illustrated, when wishing to use the remote controller  1  to control the operation of the controlled device (DVD player)  60 , operate the communication unit  30  to communication with the host  50  and to download the control content of the controlled device (DVD player)  60 , enabling the processor  21  to store the control form of the downloaded control content in the memory  22  and at the same time to display the control form of the downloaded control content on the display zone  41  of the display unit  40 . At this time, the user can touch the button  421  in the control zone  42  of the display unit  40  to select from the control form the desired item, for example, replay, last section, next section, pause, volume up, volume down, or the like, and then touch ENTER button to send the selected instruction to the host  50  through the communication unit  30 , for enabling the host  50  to process the signal and to send the processed signal to the controlled device (DVD player)  60 , driving the controlled device (DVD player)  60  to execute the instruction of replay, last paragraph, next paragraph, pause, volume up, volume down, or the like. 
       FIG. 7  is a flowchart showing the procedure of the control content downloading and executing method of the present invention. As illustrated, the control content downloading and executing method includes the steps of: 
     STEP 1: providing a remote controller  1 , which comprises a control unit  20 , a communication unit  30 , and a display unit  40 , which has a display zone  41  and a control zone  42 ; 
     STEP 2: providing a host  50 , which has at least one control content; 
     STEP 3: using the communication unit  30  to download one of the at least one control content from the host  50 ; 
     STEP 4: the control unit  20  displaying the downloaded control content on the display zone  41  of the display unit  40 ; 
     STEP 5: clicking the control zone  42  to select an instruction from the downloaded control content; and 
     STEP 6: the control unit  20  sending the selected instruction to a controlled device through the communication unit  30  for enabling the controlled device to execute the instruction. 
     In STEP 1, the remote controller  1  comprises a control unit  20 , a communication unit  30  and a display unit  40 , and the display unit  40  has a display zone  41  and a control zone  42 . The characteristics and structure of the control unit  20 , communication unit  30  and display unit  40  are same as what previously described. 
     In STEP 2, the host  50  has at least one control content, and the control content is the control form of the controlled device  60  and its remote control program. The controlled device  60  can be a TV, DVD player, CD player, KaraOK system, or multimedia player that is connected to and controllable by the host  50 . The control form and its remote control program can be obtained from the attached CD provided by the manufacturer of the control device  60  or downloaded from the website of the manufacture of the controlled device  60  in the Internet. 
     In STEP 3 and STEP 4, the user uses the communication unit  30  to communicate with the host  50  and to download the control content (of which the control form and its remote control program are subject to the type of the controlled device  60 ), for enabling the control unit  20  to display the downloaded control form on the display zone  41  (please refer to the description related to  FIGS. 4˜7 ). 
     In STEP 5 and STEP 6, the user touches the buttons  421  in the control zone  42  of the display unit  40  to select the desired item from the control content so that the control unit  20  sends the respective instruction through the communication unit  30  to the controlled device  60  (for example, CD player), driving the controlled device  60  to execute the instruction. 
     As stated above, the remote controller of the present invention obtains control contents from an apparatus or host, and uses a communication unit such as an infrared radio, bluetooth device or the like to send control contents. The design of the present invention can download control contents from the host for controlling the operation of the controlled device. Because the invention eliminates the use of an editing module, the invention saves much the manufacturing cost of the remote controller and eliminates the drawbacks of conventional remote controllers. 
     A prototype of remote controller and its content downloading and executing method has been constructed with the features of  FIGS. 1˜7 . The remote controller functions smoothly to provide all of the features disclosed earlier. 
     Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.