Universal Electronics Inc.

Avram S Grossman

Paul V Darbee

Richard E Ellis

Louis Steven Jansky

A universal remote control comprising a keyboard having a plurality of pushbuttons including a macro pushbutton and a library of codes and data for use in transmitting operating commands to a plurality of different home appliances of different manufacturers. Instructions within the remote control are used to match the universal remote control to a plurality of different home appliances of different manufacturers such that selected codes and data from the library are used to transmit operating commands to the matched home appliances in response to activation of selected pushbuttons of the keyboard. The instructions are also used to assign to the macro pushbutton a subset of the selected codes and data from the library whereafter activation of the macro pushbutton causes the universal remote control to use the subset of selected codes and data from the library to transmit operating commands to one or more of the matched home appliances.

Universal remote control with macro command capabilities

The universal remote control system includes input means, signal output means for supplying a signal to a controlled device and a central processing unit coupled to the input means and the signal output means, no ROM, and a single non-volatile, read-write RAM coupled to said central processing unit. The RAM in the ROM-less microprocessor system is loaded by carryout out the following steps: (a) disabling the central processing unit; (b) connecting a separate microprocessor system to said RAM; (c) transferring instructions and/or data to said RAM; (d) re-enabling the central processing unit to enable the central processing unit to execute the instructions so transferred. The control codes of any of a diverse plurality of remote control transmitters are learned, stored and reproduced by carrying out the following steps: (a) receiving a transmission of a train of pulses from a remote control transmitter; (b) recording the point-in-time of an edge of each pulse in a train of said pulses; (c) transforming the recorded point-in-time data into a list of instructions for generating a replica of said train of pulses; (d) timing the duration of a train of said pulses; (e) timing the period between trains of pulses; (f) associating a function key of a universal remote control device with said time duration of said train of pulses and said list of instructions for generating a replica of said train of pulses; (g) determining whether or not repetitions of the transmission of train of pulses is present; (h) ignoring repetitions of the train of pulses; (i) noting that repetitions are present; and (j) storing for use in a universal remote control device, the information acquired in steps (c), (d), (e), (f) and (i).

Universal remote control device

The universal remote control system includes input means, signal output means for supplying a signal to a controlled device and a central processing unit coupled to the input means and the signal output means, no ROM, and a single non-volatile, read-write RAM coupled to said central processing unit. The RAM in the ROM-less microprocessor system is loaded by carrying out the following steps: (a) disabling the central processing unit; (b) connecting a separate microprocessor system to said RAM; (c) transferring instructions and/or data to said RAM; (d) re-enabling the central processing unit to enable the central processing unit to execute the instructions so transferred.

Upgradeable remote control device

A remote control for use in connection with a consumer electronics device and a computer. The remote control comprises a central processing unit, a set of buttons linked to the central processing unit, a circuit linked to the central processing unit for use in transmitting an infrared signal to the consumer electronic device in response to activation of at least one of the set of buttons, and a two-way circuit linked to the central processing unit for enabling two-way communication between the remote control and the computer.

Remote control with two-way data coupling

The remote control comprises: input circuitry and structure including a set of keys or pushbuttons for inputting commands to the remote control; infrared signal output circuitry for supplying an infrared signal to a controlled device including IR lamp driver circuitry; a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to the input circuitry and structure and to said signal output circuitry means; a memory coupled to the CPU; code data for generating infrared codes stored in the memory; and data coupling circuitry and structure coupled to the CPU for enabling at least one of instruction codes or of infrared code data for generating infrared codes to be supplied from outside the remote control through the data coupling circuitry and structure directly to the CPU for entry into the memory to enable a user of the remote control to operate a selected controlled device upon inputting commands to the remote control by depressing selected keys of the remote control.

Remote control

The universal remote control system comprises data processor, input device including a keyboard and a keyboard circuit connected to the data processor, signal output device including circuitry for generating infrared light codes connected to the data processor means, a memory including a battery backed, non-volatile RAM only and no ROM for storing (a) a set of instructions and (b) a library of code data for enabling the infrared light generating circuitry to generate specific infrared codes, the RAM being coupled to the data processor, and a data coupling device including terminals coupled to the CPU for enabling new code data to be supplied from outside the system to, or retrieved from, the RAM through the terminals and the CPU. The RAM in the ROM-less data processing means is loaded by carrying out the following steps: (a) disabling the central processing unit; (b) connecting a separate microprocessor system to said RAM; (c) transferring instructions and/or data to said RAM; and (d) re-enabling the central processing unit to enable the central processing unit to execute the instructions so transferred.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Ana, CA, United States of America

Avram S Grossman