Coded data generation or conversion – Bodily actuated code generator – Including keyboard or keypad
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-04
2001-03-27
Horabik, Michael (Department: 2735)
Coded data generation or conversion
Bodily actuated code generator
Including keyboard or keypad
C341S022000, C341S176000, C345S159000, C345S169000, C200S511000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06208271
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hand-held electronic remote controller or remote commander devices such as are used to control host devices such as televisions, video players, audio players and cable boxes, and the like.
2. Description of the Related Prior Art
Prior art hand-holdable remote controllers for remotely controlling host devices such as televisions, cable boxes and satellite receivers therefor, video and audio players and the like have been used for many years. A typical prior art remote controller comprises a housing usually small enough to hold in a single hand. With wireless hand-held remote controllers, by far the most common today, a battery power source is contained within the housing. Wireless remote controllers are most commonly used directly or indirectly for controlling televisions, video and audio players due to the added convenience and safety of not having an electrical cord extending from the remote controller to the host device and one which a person could trip over. Within the typical remote controller housing is an electrical power source connected to electronic circuitry. The circuitry is for generating specific function-control signals for instructing the host device to perform a desired function. A radiation emitter, most commonly an infrared light emitter, is supported by the housing and connected to the circuitry to be controlled thereby. The radiation emitter, from one viewpoint, is typically considered a part of the circuitry. The radiation emitter emits radiation representative of or carrying a function-control signal from the circuitry of the remote controller to the host device. Exposed on the exterior of the housing is a plurality of finger depressible buttons which interface with momentary-On sensors of the controller. The momentary-On sensors are simple On/Off switches which assume a normally off or open position, and which interface between the exposed buttons and the circuitry of the remote controller. The momentary-On sensors typically are positioned between the exposed button portions and the circuitry which is typically on a circuit board. As will be detailed, the exposed portions of the buttons are often integral components of the sensors, or at least can be viewed as such particularly when elastomeric dome-caps sensors are employed. The exposed buttons allow interfacing of a human digit such as a finger or thumb with the electrical switches to close the switches in order to control the circuitry to actuate (or deactuate) a function of the host device via a function-control signal released electronically in the circuitry and sent via the radiation emitter to the host device. Typically each push button is associated with the circuitry such that each button is associated with only one of many function-control signals which the remote controller can output, and this explains the many buttons commonly on prior art remote controllers.
As those skilled in the art understand, host devices structured for remote control include a control-function signal receiver and circuitry for reading and processing the received control-function signals from the remote control, and for acting upon a received signal.
Host devices such as televisions, satellite receiver tuners or cable boxes for televisions and VCRs and DVDs which include tuners for selecting channels and which are structured for remote control, typically function with remote controllers which include a depressible channel-up button for scrolling or tuning upward through the channels at a predetermined rate for as long as the button is depressed, and a separate channel-down button for scrolling or tuning downward through the available channels at a predetermined rate as long as the button is depressed. When the channel-up or channel-down button is depressed, a function-control signal is sent from the remote controller to the host device, and is repeated at a predetermined rate until the depression of the button is released. The specific function-control signal, typically being a repeating digital bit stream, is such that it contains information which informs the host device as to which button is depressed, i.e., channel up or down, and the host device initiates the requested action. If the requested action is to move upward through the available channels, scrolling upward through the channels occurs for as long as the button is depressed, and the rate of scrolling is a predetermined rate. If the channel scroll down button is depressed by the user, the scrolling downward through the channel occurs for as long as the button is depressed, and the rate of downward scrolling is also a predetermined rate.
Due to the predetermined rate channel scrolling, it can require an excessive amount of time to scroll from one end of the available channels to the other end, for example, from channel 100 up to channel 555. Also, if the predetermined rate of scrolling through the channels is excessively high, it becomes difficult to stop at a particular desired channel. Therefore, many remote controllers of the type allowing channel selection, particularly those for control of televisions and associated equipment, include a keypad comprising a plurality of depressible buttons, the buttons each having an assigned number usually printed on the button, with ten buttons typically being used and each button assigned a number from 0 up to 9. A button assigned 1 can be pressed to call for channel 1, or pressed, and followed within a pre-determined brief time frame by the pressing of a 0 button to in effect call for channel 10. The 2 button pushed by itself calls for channel 2, while the 9 button calls for channel 9, and the 8 button pressed and followed by pressing the 7 button within a brief time frame calls for channel 87 as those skilled in the art as well as users of such remotes understand. With some remote controllers, pressing three channel buttons in a short interval can be used to select channels in the 100s, e.g. pressing 2 and then 3 and then 6 within an alloted time interval calls for channel 236. This procedure is at best awkward to many users.
In some prior art remote controllers associated with television channel selection, particularly modern high channel count receivers, the channel scrolling buttons when depressed to close the switch provide more than one predetermined rate scrolling speeds, i.e., when the button is first depressed, channel changing is slow, and with continued depression of the button over time, high scrolling speeds are obtained. Such multiple predetermined rate scrolling speeds are selected based on how long the normally open momentary-On switch associated with the channel up or down scrolling button has been closed. For example, if a user depresses and holds down the channel scroll up button, scrolling begins at a first predetermined rate which is relatively slow, and within a pre-determined period, a counter in the electronics of the host device initiates the electronics to utilize a second and faster predetermined rate of scrolling through the channels. Upon the scroll up button being released, the associated system stops scrolling and resets. Subsequent depression and holding of the scroll up button again requires the first predetermined rate to first be initiated and be held for a period of time, after which the second and faster predetermined rate of scrolling is automatically initiated. While this multi-speed predetermined rate scrolling arrangement might be considered an improvement over a single predetermined rate channel scroller, there are still shortcomings. One clear problem is that there is no ability to gradually slow down the predetermined high scroll rate. The resulting excessive scrolling speed near a desired channel renders it difficult to stop scrolling on the desired channel. Additionally, while the user can scroll through many channels quickly, and then release the scroll button prior to reaching the desired channel, the scroll button will again need to be depressed to advance further toward (or backwar
Edwards, Jr. Timothy
Horabik Michael
LandOfFree
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