Patent Publication Number: US-2015089086-A1

Title: A/v information updating control system, control device and control method

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an A/V (audio and video) information control system, and more particularly to an A/V information updating control system, a control device and a control method of the A/V information updating control system. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A conventional audiovisual entertainment equipment mainly comprises a display, a host, an amplifier, a speaker and a disk player. The host is connected with the display, the amplifier, the speaker and the disk player. For example, when a user wants to watch a movie, the user can insert a DVD in the disk player. The host can control the display to display a setting menu. The user can set up A/V (audio and video) operating information, such as sound effect, sound volume, input selection or equalizer to the host in the setting menu. However, the conventional host has disadvantages as described below. 
     1. When the user only wants to listen to music but does not want to watch a video, the user still has to turn on the display and set up the A/V information in the setting menu. To turn on the display is a redundant step that is very inconvenient. 
     2. The conventional host has a state indicator, such as a vacuum fluorescent display (VFD), for displaying the A/V information of the host. The size of the state indicator is tiny. Due to the tiny size, the A/V information cannot be completely displayed in the state indicator. 
     3. The display, the host, the amplifier and the disk player are each respectively controlled by a dedicated remote controller. The user can remotely control them by using the remote controllers. However, when any one of the remote controllers is lost, the user cannot remotely control the specific display, the host, the amplifier or the disk player, causing trouble in use. 
     4. Any user can update the A/V information of the host. As different users have different habits or preferences, the A/V information set up by the users is frequently updated. When one user updates the A/V information, other users cannot know what information has been changed or set up by the previous user. Before the other users can enjoy the entertainment equipment, they have to review the present A/V information item by item and update the A/V information by demand. Hence, the other users cannot directly use the entertainment equipment until they have updated the A/V information, thereby causing inconvenient in using the entertainment equipment. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the invention is to provide an A/V information updating control system, a control device and a control method. The control system can display complete A/V information for the users in real time, and overcome the disadvantage that the user cannot remotely control the host as long as the dedicated remote controller is lost. 
     The A/V information updating control system is adapted to be connected with multiple user-end apparatuses and comprises: 
     an A/V host storing an A/V information; and 
     a control device comprising:
         a wireless communication unit connected with the user-end apparatuses to receive an A/V adjusting command from any one of the user-end apparatuses;   an output unit connected with the A/V host; and   a control unit connected with the wireless communication unit and the output unit, wherein the control unit receives the A/V adjusting command from the wireless communication unit, updates the A/V information of the A/V host according to the A/V adjusting command, reads the updated A/V information of the A/V host and sends the updated A/V information to the user-end apparatuses.       

     The control device of the invention is adapted to be connected with multiple user-end apparatuses and an A/V host and comprises: 
     a wireless communication unit connected with the user-end apparatuses to receive an A/V adjusting command from any one of the user-end apparatuses; 
     an output unit connected with the A/V host; and 
     a control unit connected with the wireless communication unit and the output unit, wherein the control unit receives the A/V adjusting command from the wireless communication unit, updates an A/V information stored in the A/V host according to the A/V adjusting command, reads the updated A/V information of the A/V host and sends the updated A/V information to the user-end apparatuses. 
     The control method of the invention comprises the steps of: 
     connecting a control device to an A/V host and multiple user-end apparatuses; 
     receiving an A/V adjusting command by the control device from any one of the user-end apparatuses; 
     updating an A/V information stored in the A/V host by the control device according to the A/V adjusting command; 
     reading the updated A/V information of the A/V host by the control device; and 
     sending the updated A/V information to the user-end apparatuses by the control device. 
     In conclusion, the user-end apparatuses can display the complete A/V information. The user who has the user-end apparatus can review the updated A/V information in real time. The user can always rapidly set up and update the A/V information to the A/V host by demand for the purpose of listening to music or watching a movie. Compared with the conventional host, the user can directly set up and review the A/V information of the A/V host without turning on the display. The conventional dedicated remote controllers are replaced with the user-end apparatuses. It is convenient to use the user-end apparatus to remotely control the A/V host. 
     In addition, when any user updates the A/V information to the A/V host, the A/V host sends the updated A/V information to all of the user-end apparatuses. All of the user-end apparatuses thus display the updated A/V information to the users. The users do not have to review the AV/information item by item, but can promptly update the present A/V information by demand. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a circuit block diagram of an embodiment of the control system of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a circuit block diagram of an embodiment of the AN host of the invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a circuit block diagram of an embodiment of the control device and the infrared device of the invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a flow chart of an embodiment of the control method of the invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a detailed circuit diagram of a part of the control unit of the invention; 
         FIGS. 5A-5E  are partial circuit diagrams in  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a detailed circuit diagram of a part of the control unit of the invention; 
         FIGS. 6A-6E  are partial circuit diagrams in  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a detailed circuit diagram of a part of the control unit of the invention; 
         FIGS. 7A-7E  are partial circuit diagrams in  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a detailed circuit diagram of the storing unit of the invention; 
         FIGS. 8A-8E  are partial circuit diagrams in  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a detailed circuit diagram of the output unit of the invention; 
         FIGS. 9A-9E  are partial circuit diagrams in  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a detailed circuit diagram of the infrared device of the invention; and 
         FIGS. 10A-10F  are partial circuit diagrams in  FIG. 10 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the A/V (audio and video) information updating control system of the invention comprises an A/V host  10  and a control device  20 . 
     In this embodiment, the A/V host  10  can be, but is not limited to, an audiovisual entertainment host. The A/V host  10  is wiredly or wirelessly connected with an amplifier  11  and multiple peripheral devices, such that the A/V host  10  can wiredly or wirelessly control the amplifier  11 . The peripheral devices include a display  12  and a disk player  13  as an example. The A/V host  10  stores an A/V information and controls a sound effect of the amplifier  11  according to the A/V information. For example, the A/V information includes sound tune, sound volume, equalization, etc. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the control device  20  comprises a wireless communication unit  21 , an output unit  22 , a control unit  23  and a storing unit  24 . With reference to  FIGS. 5 ,  5 A- 5 E,  6 ,  6 A- 6 E,  7  and  7 A- 7 E, the control unit  23  can be a S 3 C 2416  chip module. A detailed circuit diagram of the storing unit  24  is disclosed in FIGS.  8  and  8 A- 8 E. 
     The wireless communication unit  21  is connected with multiple user-end apparatuses  30 . The wireless communication unit  21  can be, but is not limited to, a Wi-Fi unit. The user-end apparatuses  30  can be smart phones, tablets, personal computers, laptops, displays, etc, wherein such user-end apparatuses  30  have Wi-Fi communication function. The user-end apparatus  30  executes an application (APP) to act as a remote controller, such that the user-end apparatus  30  can send a wireless signal containing an A/V adjusting command to the wireless communication unit  21 . 
     The output unit  22  is connected with the A/V host  10 . The output unit  22  can be, but is not limited to, a serial port for being wiredly connected with the A/V host  10 . A detailed circuit diagram of the output unit  22  is disclosed in FIGS.  9  and  9 A- 9 E. 
     The control unit  23  is connected with the wireless communication unit  21 , the output unit  22  and the storing unit  24 . The control unit  23  receives the wireless signal from any one of the user-end apparatuses  30 . When the control unit  23  receives the wireless signal, the control unit  23  updates the A/V information according to the A/V adjusting command of the wireless signal. The A/V host  10  thus controls the sound effect of the amplifier  11  according to the updated A/V information. Meanwhile, the control unit  23  reads the updated A/V information from the A/V host  10  and sends the updated A/V information to all of the user-end apparatuses  30 . 
     Afterwards, when the user-end apparatus  30  executes the application, the user-end apparatus  30  thus displays the updated AN information of the A/V host  10 . The user-end apparatuses  30  may be owned by different users. When any user updates the A/V information to the A/V host  10 , all of the user-end apparatuses  30  correspondingly display the updated A/V information of the A/V host  10 . Hence, all of the users can review the present A/V information of the A/V host  10  in real time. 
     In conclusion, with reference to  FIG. 4 , an A/V information updating control method of the invention mainly comprises the steps of: 
     connecting the control device  20  to the A/V host  10  and the user-end apparatuses  30  (step  101 ); 
     receiving the A/V adjusting command by the control device  20  from any one of the user-end apparatuses (step  102 ); 
     updating the A/V information of the A/V host  10  by the control device  20  according to the A/V adjusting command (step  103 ); and 
     reading the updated A/V information of the A/V host  10  by the control device  20  and sending the updated A/V information to the user-end apparatuses  30  (step  104 ). 
     In addition, with reference to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the control system of the invention can further comprise an infrared device  40 . A detailed circuit diagram of the infrared device  40  is disclosed in FIGS.  10  and  10 A- 10 F. The infrared device  40  is preset with a learning mode, such that each user-end apparatus  30  can control the amplifier  11 , the display  12  and the disk player  13  through the infrared device  40 . The infrared device  40  is connected with the control device  20  and has an infrared receiving unit  41 , an infrared control unit  42  and an infrared emitting unit  43 . The infrared control unit  42  is connected with the infrared receiving unit  41 , the infrared emitting unit  43 , and the control unit  23  of the control device  20 . 
     The user can use the remote controller of the amplifier  11 , the display  12  or the disk player  13  to send an infrared control command to the infrared receiving unit  41 , such that the infrared control unit  42  receives the infrared control command from the remote controller through the infrared receiving unit  41 . The infrared control unit  42  then sends the infrared control command to the control unit  23  of the control device  20  through the infrared emitting unit  43 . When the control unit  23  receives the infrared control command, the control unit  23  stores the infrared control command in the storing unit  24 . 
     Hence, the storing unit  24  of the control device  20  stores the infrared control command. When the user operates the user-end apparatus  30  to control the display  12  or the disk player  13 , the user-end apparatus  30  sends an operating command to the control unit  23  of the control device  20 , wherein the operating command is adapted to control the peripheral devices. When the control unit  23  receives the operating command, the control unit  23  selects the infrared control command from the storing unit  24  according to the operating command and sends the infrared control command to the infrared control unit  42 . When the infrared control unit  42  receives the infrared control command from the control device  20 , the infrared control unit  42  sends the infrared control command to the display  12  or the disk player  13  through the infrared emitting unit  43  to control the display  12  or the disk player  13 . 
     Hence, the user can use the smart phone or the tablet to control the display  12  or the disk player  13  by using the infrared control commands, instead of using the dedicated remote controllers. It is convenient to control peripheral devices by using the control device  20  of the invention.