Remote control signal reception controller

Details Remote control signal reception controller Remote control signal reception controller

1998-07-31

2001-05-01

Holloway, III, Edwin C. (Department: 2635)

Communications: electrical

Continuously variable indicating

With meter reading

C340S870030

Reexamination Certificate

active

06225916

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a remote control signal reception controller, and especially relates to a remote control signal reception controller that receives remote control signals output from a remote control signal sender and transfers data included in the received signals to a master control device.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
These days a variety of electric appliances that may be controlled by remote control signals are produced and sold.
A remote control signal is explained below.
FIG. 1
shows the format of a remote control signal.
In this specification, a remote control signal refers to a signal output from a remote control signal sender.
A remote control signal includes three parts that are leader part
101
, data part
102
, and trailer part
103
.
Data part
102
includes manufacturer code
104
, parity
105
, appliance code
106
, and data code
107
, each of which is represented by a combination of bit data whose values are “0” or “1”. Hereinafter, the data represented by data part
102
will be called “control data”.
The format adopted in
FIG. 1
is the format recommended by “Electric Appliance Association (Kaden Seihin Kyokai)” in Japan. In Japan, electric appliance manufacturers may use this format or use an original format. In other countries, electric appliance manufactures use a standardized format.
FIG. 2
shows the timing structures of the signals in leader part
101
, data part
102
, and trailer part
103
.
A conventional remote control signal reception controller that receives a remote control signal, the format of which is described above, is explained with reference to
FIGS. 3 and 4
.
FIG. 3
shows the construction of a conventional remote control signal reception controller.
A remote control signal reception system includes remote control signal reception controller
2500
and CPU
2517
.
Remote control signal reception controller
2500
includes edge detection unit
2501
, edge interval measurement counter
2502
, remote control signal identification unit
2503
, received data shift register
2507
, data reception counter
2508
, received data storage unit
2515
, and interrupt control unit
2516
. Edge detection unit
2501
detects that the level of an input signal changes between low and high. Edge interval measurement counter
2502
measures the intervals between the edges detected by edge detection unit
2501
. Remote control signal identification unit
2503
identifies the leader that represents the beginning of a remote control signal in the adopted format, the trailer that represents the end of the remote control signal, and the bit data values “0” and “1” in the data part, from the values measured by edge interval measurement counter
2502
when edge detection unit
2501
detects an edge. Received data shift register
2507
shifts and stores the bit data whose value has been identified as “0” or “1” by remote control signal identification unit
2503
. Data reception counter
2508
counts the number of bits of the bit data that received data shift register
2507
stores. Received data storage unit
2515
stores the data transferred from received data shift register
2507
and outputs data when accessed by from CPU
2517
. Interrupt control unit
2516
generates an interrupt signal for CPU
2517
.
Remote control signal identification unit
2503
includes leader detection unit
2504
for detecting a leader, data judgement unit
2505
for judging the value of bit data as “0” or “1”, and trailer detection unit
2506
for detecting a trailer.
CPU
2517
is the master control device that obtains received data from remote control signal reception controller
2500
and controls devices to which the remote control signal reception system is connected and the components in the devices.
FIG. 4
is a flowchart showing the procedure for processing a remote control code that a conventional remote control signal reception controller receives.
A remote control code refers to the parts of a remote control signal from the leader part to the trailer part.
Data reception counter
2508
and edge interval measurement counter
2502
are initialized to “0” (Step S
2601
). Remote control signal reception controller
2500
waits for a signal to be input from a remote control signal sender (Step S
2602
).
Edge interval measurement counter
2502
continues to increment the counter value until edge detection unit
2501
detects an edge of an input signal (Step S
2603
).
When edge detection unit
2501
detects an edge, edge interval measurement counter
2502
outputs the counter values to remote control signal identification unit
2503
(Step S
2604
). Then edge interval measurement counter
2502
is initialized (Step S
2605
).
Remote control signal identification unit
2503
selects the next process according to the input counter values (Step S
2606
).
When the counter values show that a leader is detected, remote control signal identification unit
2503
informs interrupt control unit
2516
of the leader detection, and interrupt control unit
2516
interrupts CPU
2517
in order to inform CPU
2517
of the leader detection (Step S
2607
). Remote control signal identification unit
2503
waits for the next edge to be detected (Step S
2602
).
When the counter values show bit data whose value is “0” or “1” is detected (Step S
2606
), data judgement unit
2505
judges whether the value is “0” or “1”. Remote control signal identification unit
2503
transfers the received bit data to received data shift register
2507
(Step S
2608
), and has data reception counter
2508
start to incrementing the counter value (Step S
2609
).
When the value of data reception counter
2508
reaches “n”, that is, the capacity of received data shift register
2507
(Step S
2610
), data reception counter
2508
transfers the bit data stored in received data shift register
2507
to received data storage unit
2515
(Step S
2611
). Data reception counter
2508
is initialized to “0” (Step S
2612
). Data reception counter
2508
informs interrupt control unit
2516
that “n” bits of bit data have been received, and interrupt control unit
2516
interrupts CPU
2517
in order to inform CPU
2517
that “n” bits of bit data is received (Step S
2613
). Remote control signal identification unit
2503
waits for the next edge to be detected (Step S
2602
).
When the value of data reception counter
2508
does not reach “n” (Step S
2610
), no operations at Steps S
2611
to
2613
is performed. Remote control signal identification unit
2503
waits for the next edge to be detected (Step S
2602
).
When the counter values input into remote control signal identification unit
2503
show that a trailer is detected (Step S
2606
), remote control signal identification unit
2503
informs interrupt control unit
2516
of the trailer detection, and interrupt control unit
2516
interrupts CPU
2517
in order to inform CPU
2517
of the trailer detection (Step S
2614
).
When interrupted and informed of the reception of “n” bits of bit data, CPU
2517
obtains the “n” bits of received bit data from received data storage unit
2515
, and stores the obtained data in a memory connected to CPU
2517
.
CPU
2517
regards the process from a leader detection interrupt to a trailer detection interrupt as the reception of one piece of remote control signal data. In other words, CPU
2517
controls devices to which the remote control signal reception system is connected and the components in the devices according to the value of the control data, that is, the received bit data stored in the memory.
A leader detection interrupt, a trailer detection interrupt, and an “n” bits of bit data reception interrupt are all necessary for CPU
2517
to obtain control data.
As described above, a conventional remote control signal reception controller transfers all of the received bit data to the CPU.
Generally speaking, when the user presses a remote control signal sender button, the remote control signal sender transmits the same remote control signal code repeatedly.

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