Patent Publication Number: US-2011068909-A1

Title: Battery-free remote controller

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The present invention relates to a remote control device, and more particularly to a battery-free remote controller that does not need an external power supply. 
     2. Related Art 
     Generally, household electronic devices, such as televisions, audio devices, and air conditioners, are all equipped with a matching remote controller. The remote controller facilitates the operation of the household electronic devices. 
     In a conventional remote controller, an external power supply such as a dry battery or a rechargeable battery is used to drive internal circuits of the remote controller. The battery provides a power supply to enable the remote controller to transmit a control signal to control a household electronic device. 
     The dry battery can only store limited electric power and is not reusable. Waste dry batteries may cause contamination and damage to the ecological environment. Also, the replacement of the dry battery increases the long-term operating cost of a user. Although the rechargeable battery can be recharged, the recharging process takes time and the price is higher. 
     Moreover, the size and weight of the battery also limit the design of the remote controller, causing ordinary remote controllers to have a large size and a heavy weight. 
     Furthermore, most conventional remote controllers use infrared signals. However, since the infrared signals are directional, in use, the remote controller cannot control the household electronic device to be operated unless the remote controller is pointed at the household electronic device, thereby causing operational inconvenience to the user. 
     In addition, different household electronic devices need to be equipped with different remote controllers for remote control. With the development of technologies, almost every household has many household electronic devices that can be remotely operated. Therefore, when the user wants to use a particular household electronic device, he/she often needs to find the corresponding remote controller from a number of remote controllers, which is rather inconvenient. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the above problems, the present invention is directed to a battery-free remote controller, so as to solve the problems that the remote controller in the prior art can only store limited electric power, is not environment friendly, requires a high operating cost, has limited design options, and is inconvenient to use. 
     A battery-free remote controller according to an embodiment of the present invention utilizes a radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to provide a desired power supply, such that it is unnecessary to additionally dispose an energy storage unit to provide the power supply required for operation. 
     A battery-free remote controller according to an embodiment of the present invention can transmit a non-directional carrier signal for remote control, so as to solve the problem that the remote controller cannot control a household electronic device to be operated unless the remote controller is pointed at the household electronic device. 
     A battery-free remote controller according to an embodiment of the present invention utilizes a multi-stage switch to remotely control a plurality of electronic devices, thereby achieving functions of a multi-purpose remote controller. 
     The present invention provides a battery-free remote controller, which comprises an antenna, a plurality of key switches, and at least one electronic tag. The antenna is electrically connected to the key switches, and the electronic tag is electrically connected to the antenna through the key switches. Each electronic tag is corresponding to a device classification code, and each key switch is corresponding to an operation code. When one of the key switches is turned on, the electronic tag connected to the key switch is electrically connected to the antenna. At this time, the electronic tag uses a radio frequency signal received by the antenna as a power supply to output a remote control code containing the device classification code corresponding to the electronic tag and the operation code corresponding to the key switch, and the antenna transmits the remote control code. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, each electronic tag has a memory for storing the device classification code corresponding to the electronic tag and the operation codes corresponding to the key switches, in which each device classification code represents an electronic device. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, the battery-free remote controller further comprises a multi-stage switch, and each stage of the multi-stage switch is electrically connected to a corresponding electronic tag. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of electronic tags is integrated into an integrated circuit chip. Alternatively, each electronic tag is an integrated circuit chip. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below for illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a battery-free remote controller according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic view of an internal structure of the battery-free remote controller with a single electronic tag according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic view of a battery-free remote controller according to a second embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic view of an internal structure of the battery-free remote controller with a plurality of electronic tags according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a battery-free remote controller  200  according to a first embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 2  is a schematic view of an internal structure of the battery-free remote controller  200  with a single electronic tag according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the battery-free remote controller  200  is used with an electronic device  10 . In other words, the battery-free remote controller  200  is used for remotely controlling the electronic device  10 . The electronic device  10  may be, but is not limited to, a television, an audio device, or an air conditioner. 
     Here, a corresponding reader  100  is disposed on the electronic device  10 . Radio transmission of remote control signals is performed between the battery-free remote controller  200  and the reader  100  by using an RFID technology. In addition, the battery-free remote controller  200  utilizes the RFID technology to provide a desired power supply. 
     The battery-free remote controller  200  comprises an antenna  310 , a printed circuit board (PCB)  320 , an electronic tag  330 , and a plurality of key switches  210 . The electronic tag  330  has a memory  340  therein. In this embodiment, the memory  340  may be a non-volatile memory such as an electrically-erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM). The electronic tag  330  is a passive electronic tag. The memory  340  in the electronic tag  330  stores a device classification code and a plurality of operation codes. Different device classification codes are corresponding to different electronic devices  10 . In addition, each key switch  210  is corresponding to an operation code, and each operation code represents a control operation, such as turn-on, turn-off, or volume adjustment. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , in this embodiment, the antenna  310  and the plurality of key switches  210  are electrically connected to a circuit on the PCB  320 . The electronic tag  330  is disposed on the PCB  320 , and electrically connected to the circuit on the PCB. The electronic tag  330  is electrically connected to the antenna  310  through the circuit on the PCB  320 . When one of the key switches  210  is triggered, the electronic tag  330  is electrically connected to the key switch  210  through the circuit on the PCB  320 . 
     When one of the key switches  210  is triggered, the triggered key switch  210  enables the antenna  310  to be electrically connected to the electronic tag  330  through the circuit on the PCB  320 . At this time, the electronic tag  330  receives a radio frequency signal transmitted by the reader  100  disposed on the electronic device  10  through the antenna  310 . Meanwhile, an induced current is generated in the electronic tag  330  to drive the electronic tag  330 , such that the battery-free remote controller  200  can operate without using an external power supply or battery. 
     After obtaining the power supply, the electronic tag  330  transmits a remote control code through the antenna  310 . The remote control code is formed by the device classification code and an operation code stored in the memory  340 . The operation code is corresponding to the triggered key switch. The reader  100  of the electronic device  10  receives the remote control code transmitted by the battery-free remote controller  200 , demodulates and decodes the remote control code, and then transmits the remote control code to a control system (not shown) disposed in the electronic device  10 . The control system firstly determines whether the device classification code is consistent with a device classification code of the electronic device  10 . If the control system determines that the device classification code is the device classification code of the electronic device  10 , the electronic device  10  operates according to the operation code corresponding to the key switch. If the control system determines that the device classification code is not the device classification code of the electronic device  10 , the electronic device  10  does not operate. 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic view of a battery-free remote controller  200  according to a second embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 4  is a schematic view of an internal structure of the battery-free remote controller  200  with a plurality of electronic tags according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the battery-free remote controller  200  is used with a plurality of electronic devices  10 . Here, three electronic devices  10 , namely, an electronic device  10   a , an electronic device  10   b , and an electronic device  10   c , are taken as an example for the convenience of description. The battery-free remote controller  200  further comprises a multi-stage switch  220 . The multi-stage switch  220  is electrically connected to a circuit on a PCB  320 . In this embodiment, three electronic tags  330  are disposed on the PCB  320  of the battery-free remote controller  200 , and each electronic tag  330  is electrically connected to the circuit on the PCB. However, persons skilled in the art may also dispose one or more electronic tags  330  on the PCB  320 . Each electronic tag  330  controls an electronic device, and the number of the electronic tags  330  is determined by the number of electronic devices to be controlled. Therefore, the number of the electronic tags  330  is not limited to that disclosed in this embodiment. 
     Each electronic tag  330  has a memory  340  therein. Each memory  340  stores a device classification code and a plurality of operation codes. Different device classification codes are corresponding to different electronic devices. In this embodiment, three device classification codes of the three electronic tags  330  (which are respectively marked as  330   a ,  330   b , and  330   c  below for the convenience of description) are corresponding to the electronic devices  10   a ,  10   b , and  10   c , respectively. In other words, the electronic device  10   a  is controlled by a remote control code generated by the electronic tag  330   a  by identifying the device classification code corresponding to the electronic tag  330   a , the electronic device  10   b  is controlled by a remote control code generated by the electronic tag  330   b  by identifying the device classification code corresponding to the electronic tag  330   b , and the electronic device  10   c  is controlled by a remote control code generated by the electronic tag  330   c  by identifying the device classification code corresponding to the electronic tag  330   c . Each key switch  210  is corresponding to an operation code, and each operation code represents a control operation. Furthermore, each electronic device  10  has a reader  100 . In this embodiment, the electronic device  10   a  has a reader  100   a , the electronic device  10   b  has a reader  100   b , and the electronic device  10   c  has a reader  100   c.    
     The multi-stage switch  220  functions to switch an antenna  310  to be electrically connected to an electronic tag  330  through the circuit on the PCB  320 . The antenna  310  and a plurality of key switches  210  are electrically connected to the circuit on the PCB  320 . In addition, when a key switch  210  of the battery-free remote controller  200  is triggered, the electronic tag  330  is electrically connected to the triggered key switch  210  through the circuit on the PCB  330 . 
     In the second embodiment, the multi-stage switch  220  is switched to the electronic device  10   a . At this time, the electronic tag  330   a  corresponding to the electronic device  10   a  is electrically connected to the antenna  310  through the circuit on the PCB  320 , such that the battery-free remote controller  200  controls the electronic device  10   a.    
     Therefore, when a key switch  210  is triggered, the triggered key switch  210  enables the antenna  310  to be electrically connected to the electronic tag  330   a  connected to the multi-stage switch  220  through the circuit on the PCB  320 . The electronic tag  330   a  receives a radio frequency signal transmitted by the reader  100   a  disposed on the electronic device  10   a  through the antenna  310 . Meanwhile, an induced current is generated in the electronic tag  330   a  to drive the electronic tag  330   a , such that the battery-free remote controller  200  can operate without using an external power supply or battery. 
     After obtaining the power supply, the electronic tag  330   a  transmits a remote control code through the antenna  310 . The remote control code is formed by the device classification code and an operation code stored in the memory  340 . The operation code is corresponding to the triggered key switch. The reader  100   a  of the electronic device  10   a  receives the remote control code transmitted by the battery-free remote controller  200 , demodulates and decodes the remote control code, and then transmits the remote control code to a control system (not shown) disposed in the electronic device  10   a . The control system firstly determines whether the device classification code is consistent with the device classification code of the electronic device  10   a . If the control system determines that the device classification code is the device classification code of the electronic device  10   a , the electronic device  10   a  operates according to the operation code corresponding to the key switch. If the control system determines that the device classification code is not the device classification code of the electronic device  10   a , the electronic device  10   a  does not operate. Therefore, the multi-stage switch  220  can remotely control the electronic device  10   a  when switched to one electronic tag  330 , can remotely control the electronic device  10   b  when switched to another electronic tag  330 , and can remotely control the electronic device  10   c  when switched to the next electronic tag  330 . 
     For example, the electronic device  10   c  is an audio device. When a key switch  210  of the battery-free remote controller  200  that is set to turn on a power supply is triggered, the triggered key switch  210  enables the antenna  310  to be electrically connected to the electronic tag  330   c  through the circuit on the PCB  320 . At this time, the electronic tag  330   c  corresponding to the audio device receives a radio frequency signal transmitted by the reader  100   c  disposed on the audio device through the antenna  310 . Meanwhile, an induced current is generated in the electronic tag  330   c  corresponding to the audio device to drive the electronic tag  330   c , such that the battery-free remote controller  200  can operate without using an external power supply or battery. After obtaining the power supply, the electronic tag  330   c  transmits a remote control code through the antenna  310 . The remote control code is formed by the device classification code and an operation code stored in the memory  340 . In this embodiment, the operation code represents an operation of turning on the power supply, and the device classification code is a classification code representing the audio device. The reader  100   c  of the audio device receives the remote control code transmitted by the battery-free remote controller  200 , demodulates and decodes the remote control code, and then transmits the remote control code to a control system (not shown) disposed in a television. The control system firstly determines whether the device classification code is consistent with a device classification code of the audio device, and turns on the power supply if the device classification code is consistent with the device classification code of the audio device. 
     The battery-free remote controller  200  uses frequencies above the ultrahigh frequency (UHF) band, such that the battery-free remote controller  200  can operate at a distance of more than 4 meters. 
     The three electronic tags  330  are integrated into an integrated circuit chip. Alternatively, each electronic tag may also be an integrated circuit chip respectively. 
     To sum up, as can be seen from the battery-free remote controller according to the above embodiments, in the battery-free remote controller, after an antenna is electrically connected to an electronic tag, the electronic tag receives a radio frequency signal transmitted by a reader disposed on a television device through the antenna. Meanwhile, an induced current is generated in the electronic tag to drive the electronic tag, such that the battery-free remote controller can normally operate without using an external power supply or battery. Thereby, the battery-free remote controller does not need the cost of batteries and avoids the environmental problem caused by waste batteries. In addition, the battery-free remote controller utilizes a multi-stage switch to remotely control a plurality of electronic devices, thereby achieving functions of a multi-purpose remote controller. Furthermore, the battery-free remote controller transmits a non-directional carrier signal, thereby eliminating the problem caused by directional signals.