Television – Receiver circuitry – Remote control
Reexamination Certificate
1997-11-19
2002-05-28
Miller, John W. (Department: 2614)
Television
Receiver circuitry
Remote control
C348S725000, C348S632000, C340S870030, C340S870030, C455S352000, C455S355000, C455S092000, C381S105000, C381S104000, C381S106000, C381S108000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06396549
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF MY INVENTION
Television receivers (televisors), video cassette recorders (VCR), cable converters, satellite receivers, compact disk music systems, digitally tuned radios and other consumer oriented entertainment apparatus commonly include provision for a remote controlled operation of tuning and other functions to afford an additional level of convenience for the user. Typically, a station channel selection for a television station or a radio is entered using a portable hand-held remote controller. In the usual arrangement, the channel number (or “dial setting”) is keyed into a handheld keypad digit-by-digit while the remote controller is necessarily aimed directly at the remotely controlled televisor.
Remote volume control and mute is another feature which is ordinarily provided in remote controllers for televisors, radios and similar entertainment equipment. Typically, the mute button simply toggles the sound on and off (i.e., between a normal level and a sub-audible level) on the controlled televisor or other device.
Nearly all remote control interfaces of this type utilize encoded infrared light beam coupling, which infers that the remotely controlled televisor, radio or other device must be within a direct line-of-sight of the handheld remote controller device.
The ordinary handheld remote controller must also be aimed at a specific area (or “receptor zone”) of the televisor or radio in order to operate reliably. The location on the face side of the televisor or other device where the usual photoreceptor is sited is obviously the optimal location for aiming. No intervening furniture or decorating accessories may be allowed to block the line-of-sight extension between the controller and the remotely controlled televisor, radio tuner, CD-player or other device in order to obtain consistent operation.
SINGLE CHANNEL NUMBER SELECTION
When a single-digit channel number (e.g., any channel
2
through
9
) is selected for by a television signal receiver for viewing on a televisor, it is necessitous to enter the selection as a two digit value. In other words, a leading zero must be entered before the actual single-digit number value. For example, to tune to channel
7
the user must key in the values
0
and
7
in sequence. Failure to enter the mandatory
0
causes failure of the intended channel change function.
PANIC AND CONFUSION
Often following a pressing of the desired channel number keybutton, such as the mentioned digit key
7
, the user realizes in afterthought that a
0
is also needed and that he/she should have entered
07
. In a sort of subliminal panic, the user often makes the mistake of punching in the
0
in haste. The mistaken result is that the television set switches to channel
70
instead of channel
7
. For elderly, medicated, intoxicated or infirm users this can lead to confusion and an obvious necessity for repeating the whole channel selection process, hopefully without failing to key in the necessary leading zero.
MUTE IS SOUND “ON” AND SOUND “OFF”
When the MUTE button is pressed on an ordinary remote controller, the remotely controlled televisor or radio is typically toggled between a preset sound level and a quiet (i.e., no sound) level. To achieve merely lowering the sound requires use of the “down” volume control button, entering a series of down-steps. This lowering is a desirable condition for any of several reasons, including:
lowering sound level during commercials to reduce annoyance factor while still enabling some viewers to hear the commercial, or to be able to hear when the commercial ends and programming restarts;
lowering sound level during a telephone call or when answering a door;
lowering sound level in deference to a conversation with others; and,
lowering sound level during a particularly annoying, distasteful, or pandemoniacal portion of a movie or other program.
PRIOR-ART EXAMPLE
An “ONE FOR™” model URC-4060 handheld remote controller apparatus manufactured by Universal Electronics, Twinsburg, Ohio is an excellent example of a modern (e.g., current-art) multi-option remote controller device offering numerous features which enhance its usability, convenience and flexibility for a capable user. This particular remote controller device is intended for use with up to four distinctly different types of remote controlled apparatus, such as a televisor, VCR, cable converter, and satellite receiver. As a convenience, this remote controller is provided with “numeral shaped” keys for channel selection. The keytops glow in the dark, and the channel UP/DOWN and volume UP/DOWN control buttons are arranged logically in a circle, with a centric “sound mute” button location.
A RadioShack (Ft. Worth, Tex.) model 15-1911TN (or model 15-1917TN) is another example of a commercially successful “4-in-1 remote control” which electively controls a televisor, VCR, Cable box or an auxiliary device. Looking at the control panel portion of this unit reveals the usual array of keybutton control functions, including volume up/down, channel up/down, numerical keys, power, mute, etc.
TELEVISOR AND TELEVISION SIGNAL RECEIVER
I particularly refer to a televisor as a composite apparatus having a provision for tuning to any one of a plurality of incoming television signals represented as established TV channels (most commonly, at least channels
2
through
82
) and providing display of the incoming television signal on a cathode ray tube or an equivalent viewing device. I further refer to a television signal receiver as any of a variety of devices including cable boxes, video cassette recorders (VCR), satellite receivers and TV channel converters which have a capability for receiving any number of the established TV channels and converting them into an interface channel signal at an output which is usually signal interfaced with the televisor. Usually this interface utilizes channel
3
or channel
4
. The television signal receivers do not necessarily have provision for directly viewing the received television signal, but rather they down-convert to the channel
3
(or channel
4
) for interface feed to the televisor for viewing.
A commonplace hookup using a cable box for example, is to couple the incoming signal cable from the cable company such as Media One, Continental Cablevision, TCI, etc. to an input of the cable box. The typical cable box includes an output jack to which a short length of coaxial cable connects, with the other end connected to a corresponding input jack on the televisor. When the cable box and the televisor are operating in concert, the televisor is ordinarily set to channel
3
or channel
4
. The cable box includes a television signal receiver which can be set to any incoming television channel delivered by the cable company. Typically, the cable box tunes between channel
2
upwards through channel
60
, or more depending upon availability in any given service area. The cable box down converts the selected incoming cable channel to a channel
3
or channel
4
output suitable for the televisor acceptance. The typical cable box may include other functions, such as a descrambler provision for pay-per-view programs, etc. all of which are ultimately made available over the channel
3
or channel
4
output jack interface, therefrom coupling with the televisor.
FIELD OF MY INVENTION
My invention pertains to hand held, portable remote control devices which are frequently utilized to turn primary power “on” and “off”, change television channel or radio station selections, reset volume levels and perform other task options on entertainment apparatus. Such apparatus may broadly include television receivers (televisors), radios, video cassette recorders, video disk players, cable converter boxes, satellite television signal receivers, and similar consumer electronics equipment.
DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART
Existing commercial handheld remote controllers for commanding remote TV channel or radio station selection utilize a keypad into which a succession of individual number digits must be entered, ordinarily in a quick succession. Hesitat
Miller John W.
Natnael Paulos
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