Communications: electrical – Continuously variable indicating – With meter reading
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-09
2001-03-06
Horabik, Michael (Department: 2735)
Communications: electrical
Continuously variable indicating
With meter reading
C359S199200, C455S151400, C340S870030
Reexamination Certificate
active
06198408
ABSTRACT:
FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for controlling an electrical appliance by means of a remote control transmitter.
Remote control of electrical appliances, such as television sets, light fixtures, fans, and the like, is well known in the art. Generally, each remote control transmitter is dedicated to control a particular appliance. This means that the user must be equipped with a large number of such remote control transmitters if a large number of appliances are to be remotely controlled. The need to have a remote control transmitter for each appliance to be remotely controlled increases the costs and decreases the convenience, in providing the advantages of remote control for the many types of appliances normally operated by a user.
Providing converter devices for remote control transmitters to adapt them for operating different types of appliances via a Learn Mode has also been proposed, as for example, described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,905,279, 5,081,534, but apparently, such converter devices have not found wide spread use.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a novel method of controlling an electrical appliance by means of a remote control transmitter by using a converter device which can be programmed in a Learn Mode to Learn the command signal of the common types of remote control transmitters, and to produce a code unique to one particular remote control transmitter so that the same remote control transmitter, can be used for operating all electrical appliances equipped with such a converter device and programmed to learn the transmitter's command signal.
Another object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for use in the above method.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling electrical appliances by means of a command signal transmitted by a particular remote control transmitter, comprising: providing a converter device which includes a receiver for receiving the command signal, a microprocessor for converting the command signal according to a predetermined conversion process compatible with various types of command signals, to a code unique to that particular remote control transmitter, and a storage device for storing the unique code; transmitting to the converter device a command signal from the particular remote control transmitter while the microprocessor is programmed in a Learn Mode to convert the command signal according to the predetermined conversion process to the unique code, and to store the unique code in the storage device; and subsequently transmitting to the converter device another command signal from the particular remote control transmitter, while the microprocessor is programmed in an Operational Mode, to convert the latter command signal to a code according to the predetermined conversion process, to compare the latter code with the code produced and stored during the Learn Mode, and to effect the control of the electrical device when a match is found to be present between the code produced and stored during the Learn Mode and the code produced during the Operational Mode.
According to further features in one described preferred embodiment, the microprocessor is programmed to effect a first control if the time duration of another subsequently-transmitted command signal, as received by said converter device, is below a predetermined time duration, and to effect a second control if the time duration of another subsequently-transmitted command signal is equal to or above the predetermined time duration. In the described preferred embodiment, the first control is an On/Off control, and the second control is a Power-Varying control, such as a Dimmer control for a light fixture.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided apparatus for controlling an electrical appliance by means of a command signal transmitted by a particular remote control transmitter, comprising: a converter device including a receiver for receiving the command signal, a microprocessor for converting the command signal, according to a predetermined conversion process compatible with various types of command signals, to a code unique to that particular remote control transmitter, and a storage device for storing the unique code. The microprocessor is programmed to execute a Learn Mode when receiving, during the Learn Mode, a first command signal transmitted by the particular remote control transmitter to convert the first command signal to the unique code according to the predetermined conversion process, and to store the unique code in the storage device. The microprocessor is also programmed to execute an Operational Mode when receiving, during the Operational Mode, a second command signal from a remote control transmitter, to convert the second command signal to a code according to the predetermined conversion process, to compare the latter code with the code produced and stored during the Learn Mode, and to effect the control of the electrical device when a match is found to be present between the code produced and stored during the Learn Mode and the code produced during the Operational Mode.
As will be described more particularly below, the method and apparatus of the present invention permit a wide variety of electrical appliances to be remotely controlled with a minimum of expense and inconvenience to the user. In addition, the remote control may be a mere On/Off control or may involve other controls, such as a Dimmer control for a lighting device.
Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description below.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4905279 (1990-02-01), Nishio
patent: 5081534 (1992-01-01), Geiger et al.
patent: 5099193 (1992-03-01), Moseley et al.
patent: 5386251 (1995-01-01), Movshovic
patent: 5608389 (1997-03-01), Matsuzawa
patent: 6005486 (1999-12-01), Fridley et al.
patent: WO 92/01968 (1992-02-01), None
Asongwed Anthony A
Horabik Michael
Norris McLaughlin & Marcus P.A.
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