Abstract:
A transceiver for remote control, the transceiver includes an amplifier configured to receive an audio signal from a first electronic device and amplify the audio signal; a transmission module electrically connected to the amplifier to receive the amplified audio signal and generating a first carrier signal; a power supply connected to the transmission module; and a receiver module connected to the first electronic device and the power supply, wherein the amplified audio signal is configured to modulate the first carrier signal generated by the transmission module, and the audio signal is one of a left channel audio signal and a right channel audio signal from the first electronic device.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention generally relates to a transceiver and, more particularly, to a radio frequency identification (RFID) transceiver having a matching function for remote control. 
         [0002]    RFID technology has been widely used various products such as be used to remotely control various consumer electronic products, for example, stereo systems, digital video disc (DVD) players and game consoles, etc. An RFID control may have to verify an electronic product via antenna matching to establish a communication channel. 
         [0003]    However, an RFID remote control may sometimes inevitably match unintended electronic products.  FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram illustrating an RFID remote control and a plurality of electronic devices. Referring to  FIG. 1 , electronic devices  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24  and  25  may be located at different distances from the RFID remote control  1 . The transmitter (not shown) resided in the RFID remote control  1  may have enough emitting power so that each the electronic devices  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24  and  25  may be able to receive RF signals from the RFID remote control  1 . Accordingly, not only the target electronic device, for example, product  23  but the other devices  21 ,  22 ,  24  and  25  may receive the RF signal. 
         [0004]    It may therefore be desirable to have a remote control which is equipped with a transceiver to acquire an identification (ID) code of a target device so as to achieve the matching with the target device. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    Examples of the present invention may provide a transceiver for remote control, the transceiver includes an amplifier configured to receive an audio signal from a first electronic device and amplify the audio signal; a transmission module electrically connected to the amplifier to receive the amplified audio signal and generating a first carrier signal; a power supply connected to the transmission module; and a receiver module connected to the first electronic device and the power supply, wherein the amplified audio signal is configured to modulate the first carrier signal generated by the transmission module, and the audio signal is one of a left channel audio signal and a right channel audio signal from the first electronic device. 
         [0006]    Some examples of the present invention may provide a transceiver for remote control, the transceiver includes an amplifier connected to a first electronic device; a transmission module electrically connected to the amplifier; and a receiver module electrically connected to the first electronic device; wherein the amplifier receives an audio signal from the first electronic device and the audio signal is one of a left channel audio signal and a right channel audio signal. 
         [0007]    Some examples of the present invention may provide a transceiver for remote control, the transceiver comprising: an amplifier connected to a first electronic device; a transmission module electrically connected to the amplifier; an attenuation circuit electrically connected to the transmission module; and a receiver module electrically connected to the first electronic device; wherein the receiver module receives a carrier signal from a second electronic device and the carrier signal comprises identification information of the second electronic device. 
         [0008]    Additional features and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The features and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. 
         [0009]    It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of the invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there are shown in the drawings examples which are presently preferred. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. 
           [0011]    In the drawings: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of consumer electronics in an RFID remote control system which employs a portable electronic device; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a transceiver of the remote control in accordance with an example of the present invention; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a transceiver of the remote control in accordance with another example of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    Reference will now be made in detail to the present examples of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. 
         [0016]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a transceiver  30  of a remote control  3  in accordance with an example of the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 2 , the remote control  3  may include an electronic device  11   a  and a transceiver  30 , and the transceiver  30  may be connected to the electronic device  11   a  via an audio connector (not shown), such as a phone connector, microphone jack, phone plug, etc. The electronic device  11   a  may include a smart phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer or the like. Furthermore, the transceiver  30  may include an amplifier  31  such as an operational amplifier (OP AMP), a power supply  32 , a transmission module  33  and a receiver module  34 . The amplifier  31  may be connected to the transmission module  33 , and the power supply  32  may provide power to the transmission module  33 . The receiver module  34  may be connected to the electronic device  11  a via the audio connector and receive a modulated carrier signal from an external electronic device (not shown). 
         [0017]    The AMP  31  may receive a left channel audio signal L from an electronic device  11   a  and amplify the left channel audio signal L. The transmission module  33  may then receive the amplified left channel audio signal L and generate a carrier signal. The amplified left channel audio signal L may be configured to modulate the carrier signal generated by the transmission module  33 . In other words, the transmission module  33  may be configured to generate the carrier signal in accordance with the amplified left channel audio signal L. The carrier signal may contain the information of interests. An antenna  35  may be configured to convert the carrier signal to an RF signal. The RF signal may then be transmitted via the antenna  35  to an external electronic device (not shown). In the present example, the antenna  35  may be placed external to the transceiver  30 , however, the antenna  35  may be incorporated into the transceiver  30  in another examples. 
         [0018]    The transmission module  33  may need no extra modulator to modulate the carrier signal generated by the transmission module  33 . The left channel audio signal L from the electronic device  11   a , which may be received and amplified by the AMP  31 , may be used to modulate the carrier signal generated by the transmission module  33 . 
         [0019]    The receiver module  34  may be configured to receive a carrier signal from an external electronic device (not shown) via the antenna  35 . The carrier signal received by the receiver module  34  may then be converted to an audio signal, such as a microphone (MIC) channel audio signal. The received carrier signal by the receiver module  34  may contain information, such as an identification code (ID code), to verify the external electronic device and establish a communication channel between the remote control  3  and the external electronic device. The electronic device  11   a  may then receive the audio signal via the aforesaid audio connector and process the audio signal to retrieve the ID code. 
         [0020]    In another example of the present invention, the left channel audio signal L and the right channel audio signal R may be switched. In other words, the right channel audio signal R may be received and amplified by AMP  31  to serve as the amplified audio signal to modulate the carrier signal generated by the transmission module  33 . 
         [0021]    An application software which is installed or stored in the electronic device  11   a  may change signal pattern of each of the left channel audio signal L and right channel audio signal R. Signals L and R having pattern given by the application software may be used to cooperate with the transceiver  30 . In other words, the application software in the electronic device may control the generation of the left channel audio signal L and the right channel audio signal R. Furthermore, the application software may be used to process the received audio signal to acquire the ID code and store the ID code in the electronic device  11   a . In another example of the present invention, the ID code may also be generated by a random number generator resides in the electronic device  11   a.  Furthermore, the ID code may be associated with a product serial number, personal identification number (PIN) and phone number, etc. 
         [0022]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a transceiver  40  of a remote control  4  in accordance with another example of the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 3 , the transceiver  40  may be similar to the transceiver  30  as described and illustrated with reference to  FIG. 2  except that, transceiver  40  may further include an attenuation circuit  44  and analog-to-digital converter (ADC)  45 . The transmission module  43  and the receiver module  47  of the transceiver  40  may be similar to the transmission module  33  and the receiver module  34  described and illustrated with reference to  FIG. 2 . The AMP  41 , the transmission module  43  and the attenuation circuit  44  may be connected in series. The power supply  42  may provide power to the transmission module  43  and the receiver module  47 , respectively. The AMP  41 , the ADC  45  and the receiver module  47  may be connected to the electronic device  11   a  via the aforesaid audio connector. The receiver module  47  may be configured to receive a carrier signal from an external electronic device (not shown) via the antenna  46 . 
         [0023]    In the present example, The AMP  41  may receive a left channel audio signal L from an electronic device  11   a  and amplify the left channel audio signal L. The transmission module  43  may then receive the amplified left channel audio signal L and generate a carrier signal. The amplified left channel audio signal L may be configured to modulate the carrier signal generated by the transmission module  43 . In other words, the transmission module  43  may be configured to generate the carrier signal in accordance with the amplified left channel audio signal L. The carrier signal may contain information of interests. The ADC  45  may receive a right channel audio signal R from the electronic device  11   a  and convert the right channel audio signal R to a digital signal as an activation signal. The activation signal may be used to activate the attenuation circuit  44  to attenuate the carrier signal generated by the transmission module  43 . The attenuation circuit  44  may be able to generate an attenuated carrier signal. An antenna  46  may be configured to convert the attenuated carrier signal to an RF signal. The RF signal may then be transmitted via the antenna  46  to an external electronic device (not shown). In the present example, the antenna  46  may be placed external to the transceiver  40 , however, the antenna  46  may be incorporated into the transceiver  40  in another examples. 
         [0024]    The transmission module  43  may need no extra modulator to modulate the carrier signal generated by the transmission module  43 . The left channel audio signal L from the electronic device  11   a , which may be received and amplified by the AMP  41 , may be used to modulate the carrier signal generated by the transmission module  43 . Furthermore, the right channel audio signal R from the electronic device  11   a , which may be received and converted to a digital signal by the ADC  45 , and the digital signal may be used to activate the attenuation circuit  44 . In another example, the left channel audio signal L may be used to activate the attenuation circuit  44  and the right channel audio signal R may be used to modulate the carrier signal generated by the transmission module  43 . 
         [0025]    The receiver module  47  may be configured to receive a carrier signal from an external electronic device (not shown) via the antenna  46 . The carrier signal received by the receiver module  47  may then be converted to an audio signal, such as a microphone (MIC) channel audio signal. The received carrier signal by the receiver module  47  may contain information, such as an identification code (ID code), to verify the external electronic device and establish a communication channel between the remote control  4  and the external electronic device. The electronic device  11   a  may then receive the audio signal via the aforesaid audio connector and process the audio signal to retrieve the ID code. In another example of the present invention, the ID code may also be generated by a random number generator resides in the electronic device  11   a . Furthermore, the ID code may be associated with a product serial number, personal identification number (PIN) and phone number, etc. 
         [0026]    In another example of the present invention, the left channel audio signal L and the right channel audio signal R may be switched. In other words, the right channel audio signal R may be received and amplified by AMP  41  to serve as the amplified audio signal to modulate the carrier signal generated by the transmission module  43 . 
         [0027]    An application software which is installed or stored in the electronic device  11   a  may change signal pattern of each of the left channel audio signal L and right channel audio signal R. Signals L and R having pattern given by the application software may be used to cooperate with the transceiver  40 . In other words, the application software in the electronic device may control the generation of the left channel audio signal L and right channel audio signal R. Furthermore, the application software may be used to process the received audio signal to acquire an ID code and store the ID code in the electronic device  11   a . In another example of the present invention, the ID code may also be generated by a random number generator resides in the electronic device  11   a . Furthermore, the ID code may be associated with a product serial number, personal identification number (PIN) and phone number, etc. 
         [0028]    It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the examples described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular examples disclosed, but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. 
         [0029]    Further, in describing representative examples of the present invention, the specification may have presented the method and/or process of the present invention as a particular sequence of steps. However, to the extent that the method or process does not rely on the particular order of steps set forth herein, the method or process should not be limited to the particular sequence of steps described. As one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate, other sequences of steps may be possible. Therefore, the particular order of the steps set forth in the specification should not be construed as limitations on the claims. In addition, the claims directed to the method and/or process of the present invention should not be limited to the performance of their steps in the order written, and one skilled in the art can readily appreciate that the sequences may be varied and still remain within the spirit and scope of the present invention.