Universal Electronics Inc.

Marcus Escobosa

Patrick H Hayes

Thomas M Salsman

Fusheng Frank Chen

James N Conway, Jr

Frank Sacca

William L Brown

Paul V Darbee

Robert A Campbell

Youping Yun

James N Conway

A customizable and an upgradable remote control is provided which may be customized or upgraded via a Web site or through other remote, and preferably interactive, processes. A database is provided which includes a plurality of functions of a consumer electronic device, such as a TV and/or a DVD player. A user selects among the plurality of functions at least one of the desired functions. In response to the user selection a virtual configuration is created to virtually configure the customizable remote control. The virtual configuration may be downloaded to the customizable remote control.

Customizable and upgradable devices and methods related thereto

A remote control is configured by a user specifying a type and brand of a consumer electronic device. A plurality of function code sets that have been identified as being candidates for commanding operations of the specified type and brand of consumer electronic device are selected and at least a subset of each of the plurality of selected function code sets is made available such that a user may determine by experimentation which one of the plurality of function code sets is appropriate for commanding operations of the specified type and brand of consumer electronic device.

Circuitry using infra-red (IR) diodes in remote control units. In one embodiment an IR LED is used both as a transmitter diode and also as a receiver diode responsive to light to thereby develop photocurrents and/or voltages for use by external circuitry. In a second embodiment an improved amplifier circuit is provided for an IR LED and IR photo detector diode which is mounted behind, and receives light through, the transmitter IR LED.

IR receiver using IR transmitting diode

A wireless control and pointer system for controlling electronic equipment. The system generally includes a hand held remote control comprising a first infrared signal emitter for use in transmitting a first infrared signal comprising a plurality of signal components each of which is transmitted at a first frequency but out of phase with respect to the other of the plurality of signal components and a receiver comprising an infrared signal sensor adapted to receive the infrared signal, a circuit connected to the infrared signal sensor for generating an orientation signal indicative of the orientation of the remote control as a function of the amplitude of each of the plurality of signal components of the infrared signal, and an interface circuit for transmitting a command signal indicative of the orientation signal to the electronic equipment.

Wireless control and pointer system

A universal remote control system with bar code activated set up wherein the device to be controlled such as a TV, VCR or other consumer electronic product, and the associated remote control unit are pre-programmed and adapted to automatically reconfigure the remote control unit to communicate with a device to be controlled.

Universal remote control system with bar code setup

A device for providing input information such as the position and movement of a cursor or pointer to a control for a visual display screen having a gravity responsive member mounted in a housing having a plurality of force sensitive resistive elements mounted in spaced relation to one another said gravity responsive member being mounted in position to selectively apply pressure on said resistive elements in response to the orientation of said housing.

Sensing and control devices using pressure sensitive resistive elements

A system for providing wireless pointer control for controlling electronic equipment, including a remote control pointer device capable of generating a signal having multiple signal components with different frequencies and a base station capable of receiving and decoding the signal having multiple signal components. The base station then interprets the multiple signal components to determine the orientation of the remote control pointer device to properly generate a pointer control signal for properly selecting a particular piece of equipment to receive remote commands or data, and where appropriate, properly displaying and positioning a cursor displayed on the electronic equipment.

System for providing wireless pointer control

A system for locating an object. The system includes an electronic device, a wireless transmitter for outputting a transmitted signal, and a receiver wherein one of the receiver or the transmitter is mounted within the electronic device and the other is positioned remote therefrom. The receiver comprises a wake up timer circuit for periodically generating a wake up signal, a wireless signal receiver being activated by the receipt of the wake up signal from the wake up timer circuit for generating a detect signal when the wireless signal receiver circuit receives the transmitted signal from the transmitter; and an audible signal generator circuit for generating an audible signal upon receipt of the detect signal from the wireless signal receiver circuit. The wake up timer circuit and the wireless signal receiver circuit are disabled when the audible signal generator circuit generates the audible signal.

System for locating an object

A system for locating an object, particularly a remote control, has a transmitter and a receiver, wherein the receiver has circuitry implementing power saving features. The receiver includes circuitry for turning off portions of the circuitry not essential for performing the current task. The receiver additionally only activates the wireless signal receiver portion of the circuitry periodically for short periods of time. The time of activation represents a small fraction of the operational time if the wireless signal receiver portion were to remain activated continuously.

A circuit for encoding and decoding key input data from a matrix of switches with a single transmission wire. The circuit for encoding and decoding key input data with a single transmission wire includes a control circuit, a charge storage circuit and a keyboard matrix circuit. The keyboard matrix circuit is composed of a group of resistors connected in series. Each resistor is coupled to ground via a manually actuated switch. When one of the switches is actuated or closed the switch provides an electrical path to ground through the resistors that precede the switch and shorts the resistors that follow the switch. When one of the switches is closed the charge stored on the charge storage circuit dissipates through the electrical path to ground provided by the actuated switch, at a rate related to the sum of the resistance preceding the switch. The control circuit, by monitoring the time for a charge stored on the charge storage circuit to dissipate through an actuated switch coupled to ground, determines which switch was actuated.

Single wire keyboard encode and decode circuit

The remote control comprises a microprocessor including a CPU and memory, a keypad including keys for operating the remote control coupled to the microprocessor, signal outputting circuitry, driver circuitry coupled to the microprocessor for driving the signal outputting circuitry, hardware and software, including the microprocessor, for generating output signal data which is supplied to the driver circuitry, a signal coupling transducer, such as a pick-up coil, in the remote control for picking up electro-magnetic signals from an electro-magnetic signal emitting or transmitting device, such as a telephone handset, coupling circuitry for coupling the signal coupling transducer to the microprocessor and decoding software in the microprocessor for decoding the electro-magnetic signals picked up into bits and/or bytes of output signal data and storing same in the memory.

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Placentia, CA, United States of America

Marcus Escobosa