North American Philips Consumer Electronics Corp.

Bobby J Smith

A method for compressing formatted code is disclosed. According to the method, the code is scanned so that all different burst and pause lengths of the code are found. The lengths are then arranged as elements of an array, with each element having a representative element number. Then, the formatted code is scanned for all possible burst-pause length couples found together. Using the 'couple' information as well as the element numbers of the first array, a second array is provided with each element having two nibbles. Both nibbles of the second array element are used to point to an element number of the first array. Finally, a third array which represents the compressed formatted code is generated. The third array is also formed with elements having two nibbles. However, the nibbles of the third array point to the second array element numbers and can properly represent the entire formatted code therewith. Preferably, the formatted code is further comrpessed by recognizing repeat code of the repeat of an entire key code in the formatted code. Indications that an entire key code or just a particular repeat code are to be repeated after the full key code is completed may be stored in another array. Thus, repeat information need not be included in the compressed third array.

Data compression technique for reconfigurable remote control apparatus

A reconfigurable remote control apparatus and method for capturing the signals of transmission devices of at least two different protocols are provided. Because transmission devices either output signal bursts of different lengths at a carrier frequency followed by pauses of different lengths, or pulses of a relatively constant length followed by pauses of different lengths, a first determination is made as to the type of system being captured. After the system type is determined, the carrier frequency and the burst and pause lengths are determined for a burst type system, while only the pause lengths are determined for a pulse-pause type system. The captured information is preferably compressed according to a preferred compression scheme which finds and stores all possible signal lengths and all permitted adjacent signal length combinations for a particular apparatus, and composes and stores a compressed code which acts as a pointer to the stored signal length combinations. A further aspect of the invention is that a user need only press the keys of the remote unit to be captured during the capturing sequence and is prompted to do so by the apparatus of the invention.

Growing community of inventors

Knoxville, TN, United States of America

Bobby J Smith