The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 13, 1984
Filed:
Apr. 12, 1982
Thomas J Zato, Palatine, IL (US);
Peter C Skerlos, Arlington Heights, IL (US);
Zenith Electronics Corporation, Glenview, IL (US);
Abstract
A system for remotely controlling several devices in which both the indicia identifying the controlled device as well as the function indicia are generated by means of the selection of a single input control. A keyboard is bi-directionally scanned in detecting the user-selected input control signal. The control signal is then decoded to provide an indication of the function input signal as well as an indication of the particular device being addressed. The thus decoded signals are then used to generate a predetermined output pulse code for remotely controlling one of a plurality of functions in one of the plurality of controlled devices. The output pulse code includes a start bit (or bits) and various numbers and combinations of data bits depending upon the device addressed. The indicia identifying the controlled device are generated either by hard-wiring an address decoder to the user-operated input signal generator, i.e., a keyboard, or by storing address information in a programmable memory and recalling this information in response to the control input selected. The various devices controlled are responsive to unique start bit and data bit combinations in the form of ternary digital signals having three possible states which provide an increased number of available codes. The use of a single input control for generating device addresses as well as control function information eliminates the need for multiple control signal entries, a mode switch for selecting a particular device or for sequentially transmitting address and function control signals.