Patent Publication Number: US-2005140521-A1

Title: Method for controlling an electronic device from a distance via a command controller

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to a method for controlling an electronic device, more particularly to a method for controlling an electronic device from a distance by means of a command controller via the internet.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      The rapid advent of multimedia technology brings lots of improvement to the electronic products with multimedia functions which are widely used in the living rooms of some families. The electronic products include TV sets, DVD players, and audio systems. Generally, each electronic product includes an IR receiver, and is provided with an infrared remote controller. A user can send an infrared signal with a predetermined carrier frequency and a specific coding to the electronic product by pressing a button on the remote controller. A built-in signal decoder in the electronic product decodes the infrared signal such that the electronic product can conduct a task.  
      The remote controllers in different brands are provided by different suppliers with different coding and different carrier frequency. Since the remote controllers in different brands are produced without a standard that a remote controller for controlling an electronic product in a first brand cannot be used to control the same type electronic products in a second brand. Presently, there is a universal remote controller, which is recorded with a plurality set of command signals for controlling different brand electronic products. In order to control a TV set of a specific brand by using the universal remote control, the model number of the TV set must be inputted into the universal remote controller. Only then, the TV set can be activated by the use of the aforesaid universal remote controller. Loss of or unable to memorize the TV model number may render the universal remote controller useless. There is another type of universal remote controller, namely learning type remote controller, which is not recorded with particular signal commands. The controller records the commands of the original remote controller. With the assistance of the original remote controller such that the- learning remote controller possesses the commands of the original remote control in order to control the assigned TV set. However, it is noted that the learning remote controller has a limited storage space and since there are many types of electronic products of complicated constructions, utility of the learning remote controller is relatively inconvenient.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The object of the present invention is to provide a method, for controlling an electronic device from a distance by means of a command controller via the internet.  
      A method is proposed according to the present invention to control an electronic device from a distance by means of a command controller via the internet. The electronic device has an identifying number corresponding to a set of commands for controlling the electronic device. The electronic device is further communicated with a command server via the network. The method for controlling the electronic device from a distance comprises the steps of: ( 1 ) storing a set of commands in the command server; ( 2 ) transmitting a first command to the command server by the command controller; ( 3 ) transmitting the first command to the command server by the command controller; and ( 4 ) selecting a second command corresponding to the first command from the set of commands by the command server and transmitting the second command to the command controller.  
      The aforesaid electronic device may be a TV set or a DVD player or a multimedia electronic device, such as an audio system. The electronic device is provided with an IR remote controller. A built-in infrared receiver is provided in the respective electronic device so as to receive an IR command with a specific carrier frequency transmitted by the remote controller to perform a task, such as playing a song or adjusting the sound volume or changing the channel in the TV set.  
      Preferably, the command controller includes an IR receiver for receiving a command transmitted by the IR remote controller. The command controller is adapted to be switched to a learning mode. When the command controller is switched to the learning mode, a learning remote controller is used for conducting a learning operation between the learning remote controller and the command controller such that the learning remote controller possesses the characteristics of the remote controller. The learning remote controller is capable of controlling the respective electronic device. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram, illustrating interconnection among a display, electronic devices, and a command controller via the internet for controlling the electronic devices from a distance according to the method of the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram, illustrating the steps for controlling the electronic devices from a distance according the of the present invention;  
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram, illustrating the steps how a command sever of the present invention conducts a learning operation with the assistance of a learning remote controller; and  
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram, illustrating interconnection between a command controller and one electronic device according to the method of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      Referring to  FIG. 1 , an architecture according to the present invention is shown to include a first electronic device  10 , a second electronic device  12 , a command controller  14 , an internet  16 , a command server  18  and a display  20 .  
      The first or second electronic device  10 ,  12  can be a multimedia device, such as a TV set or a DVD player or an audio system. Each electronic device is provided with an IR remote control. Each of the electronic devices  10 ,  12  is provided with different identifying numbers that corresponds to different sets of commands. Each command may contain different frequency or specific coding for converting to an IR signal to control the respective electronic device. The first electronic device  10  is provided with a first identifying number and a first IR remote controller  11 . The second electronic device  12  is provided with a second identifying number.  
      The aforesaid electronic devices  10 ,  12  are in signal communication with the command controller  14  via a wired or wireless network. The command controller  14  can be a wireless access point. The command controller  14  is further communicated with the command server  18  and the display  20  via the network  16 . The command server  18  may be a personal computer.  
       FIG. 2  shows the steps for controlling the first electronic device  10  from a distance according to the present invention and under the architecture of  FIG. 1 . The steps includes ( 21 ) storing the set of commands in the command server  18 ; ( 22 ) transmitting a first command signal to the command server  18  by using the command controller  14 , wherein the command server  18  is also stored with a plurality predetermined commands, including the first command signal, in advance. The predetermined commands are corresponding to the set of commands; ( 23 ) transmitting a second command signal by the command controller  14  to the command server  18 , the second command is corresponding to the first command signal; and finally ( 24 ) controlling the first electronic device from a. distance by the command controller  14  by the second command signal.  
      The command server  18  is preferably in communicating to a specific website via the internet  16  for accessing or downloading the set of first commands corresponding to the first command. When the command controller  14  transmits the first command signal to the command server  18 , the command server will transmit a second command signal in response to the first command signal. Under this condition, the user can control the first electronic device  10  from a distance by the second command signal. The command controller  14  obtains the first identifying number when a communication is established between the command controller  14  and the first electronic device  10 . Alternatively, the first identifying number is transmitted to the command server  18  by the command controller  14  when a communication is established between the command controller  14  and the first electronic device  10 . The first electronic device  10  preferably includes an IR receiver  110  for receiving an IR signal.  
      In addition, in the step ( 21 ), the command server  18  is generally stored with limited commands, such as “open” “play” “adjust sound volume” and “change channels” for the first electronic device  10 . In order to enhance the capability of the command server  18 , the command server  18  of the present invention can be constructed to have a learning ability.  
      Referring to  FIG. 3 , the command server  18  is switched to a learning mode. A second IR remote controller  19  is used for transmitting commands to the command server  18  for command learning. The second IR remote controller  19  may also transmit commands for controlling the first electronic device  10  directly. The command learning method includes: step ( 31 ) switching the command server  18  to the learning mode in order to learn commands corresponding to the first identifying number; step ( 32 ) transmitting a third command to the command server  18  by the second IR remote controller  19 , wherein the first electronic device  10  operates a first function in response to the third command signal; and finally step ( 33 ) the first function and the third command signal corresponding to the first identifying number are stored in the command server  18 .  
      From the above description, the command server  18  is provided with the learning ability such that the second IR remote controller  19  can clone and store lots of commands, thereby permitting the command server  18  to control the electronic device from a distance.  
      The command server  18  of the present invention may also control a second electronic device  12  from a distance. Since the controlling steps are similar to that of the first electronic device  10 . An important point to note is that the command server  18  manually selects the first and second identifying numbers when a signal communication is established between the command server  18  and the first electronic devices  10  and the second electronic device  12 . Alternatively, the first identifying number is transmitted to the command server  18  by the command controller  14  when the signal communication is established between the command server  18  and the first electronic device  10 . Also, the second identifying number is transmitted to the command server  18  by the command controller  14  when the signal communication is established between the command server  18  and the second electronic device  12 . The multimedia signal outputted from one of the first and second electronic devices  10 , 12  is transmitted to a display  20  via the network  16  in order to display an information on the display  20  corresponding to the multimedia signal.  
       FIG. 4  is a diagram, illustrating interconnection between the command controller  14  and the first electronic device  10 . The command controller  14  includes a converter  142  and a network interface device  146 . Upon receipt of the IR signal with the carrier frequency and specific coding, the signal converter  142  decodes the IR pulse into digital data, command, which is send to the command server  18  via the network interface device  146 . The digital data transmitted by the command server  18  is received by the network interface device  146 . The converter  144  converts the digital data and the result is later transmitted to the first electronic device  10  via an IR signal transmitter  148  in order to control the first electronic device  10 .  
      In the above-mentioned preferred embodiment, the command server  18  should not be limited to the personal computer only, it may be a mobile phone or a personal digital assistant so long as to encompass the spirit of the present invention.  
      While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.