Patent ID: 8018325

Claim:
A remote control system comprising: an information processing apparatus; and a remote controller that remotely controls the information processing apparatus and includes a button for receiving an input from a user, wherein the remote controller includes a start notification transmitter that transmits, to the information processing apparatus, a start notification for causing the information processing apparatus to start recording an inter-device distance, which is the distance from the information processing apparatus to the remote controller, when the remote controller receives the input from the user at the button, and wherein the information processing apparatus includes a storage unit which stores a conversion table showing at least one association between a threshold time-dependent distance change, which is a minimum change in the inter-device distance, a threshold time condition which indicates a state of being within or after a predetermined time elapsed from receipt of the start notification from the remote controller, and an operation which will be performed when the time-dependent distance change is reached at the threshold time condition, a start notification receiver that receives the start notification from the remote controller, a distance measurement unit that measures the inter-device distance periodically at a predetermined time interval upon receipt of the start notification, a measured distance storage unit that stores a measured value of the inter-device distance at each predetermined time interval, which is measured by the distance measurement unit, to generate a sequence of measurements, a determination unit that determines whether a predetermined period of time has elapsed from the start of the measurement of the inter-device distance and when it is determined that the predetermined period of time has elapsed, the distance measurement unit stops measuring the inter-device distance periodically at the predetermined time interval and the determination unit determines whether a measured change in the inter-device distance, which is determined from two or more measured values stored in the measured distance storage unit, and the length of time elapsed from the receipt of the start notification from the remote controller during which the measured change in the inter-device distance has occurred, match an associated threshold time-dependent distance change and threshold time condition, which is set in the conversion table, and an operation executor that executes, when the match is obtained by the determination unit, the operation associated with the threshold time-dependent distance change and threshold time condition set in the conversion table.