JPH04271595A - Signal selection function adaptor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To add a selection function of a remote control signal to plural devices able to be controlled remotely without the modification of the substantial software and hardware of the devices so that the devices are controlled by one remote controller. CONSTITUTION:A remote control signal from a remote control signal input terminal 1 is decoded by a remote control signal decoder 3 and a CPU 4 reads a code relating to index setting. The CPU 4 compares the code with an index number set by a rotary encoder 5 for each device and outputs a remote control signal to a connected device from a remote control signal output terminal 7 through a remote control signal encoder 6 only when they are coincident. A through-out terminal 2 to which a remote control signal of the remote control signal input terminal 1 is directly connected is provided for cascade connection of plural sets of devices.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a signal selection function addition device that allows a single remote controller to operate a large number of remotely controllable devices.

0002

[Prior Art] Controlling multiple electrical devices with one remote controller (hereinafter abbreviated as remote control) is
Development of learning remote control and VTR (video tape recorder)
It has become more common these days due to the spread of. For example, category codes are different for TVs (television receivers) and VTRs, for VTRs from different manufacturers, for LDs (laser discs) and for CDs (compact discs), etc. You can easily select and control each. Furthermore, it is known that up to three types of VTRs from the same manufacturer can be controlled separately with one remote control.

0003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the remote control of electrical equipment using the above-mentioned conventional technology,
The required number of indexes must be created in advance for the software or hardware of the electrical equipment so that the index identification function can be added to the existing electrical equipment later, and multiple electrical equipment can be combined into one. It is very difficult to control with one remote control. For this reason, for example, when performing multi-screen display on multiple monitor displays or projecting from multiple projectors onto one screen, normal monitor displays and projectors do not include an indexing function. When controlling these remotely, you had to connect the remote control separately by wire. Of course, in the case of wireless communication, all you have to do is make sure that the infrared light from the remote control hits only one desired device, but this may not be possible depending on the arrangement of the devices, so the general method It can not be said.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a single remote controller to a remotely controllable device without changing the original software or hardware of the device. An object of the present invention is to provide a signal selection function adding device capable of adding a remote control signal selection function to each device so that a plurality of devices can be controlled with a remote control signal.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the signal selection function addition device of the present invention includes means for inputting a signal and extracting an identification code of a device from the signal;
means for individually setting an identification code for the device; means for comparing the identification code in the signal with the individually set identification code to detect a match; and when the match is detected, the signal is transmitted to the device. The invention is characterized by comprising a means for transmitting the information to.

[0006]

[Operation] The signal selection function adding device of the present invention extracts the identification code of the device from the input signal, compares this identification code with the identification code set for each device, and selects the signal only when they match. Output to the connected device. Due to the difference in identification codes, when a signal is commonly distributed from one remote controller to a plurality of devices, that signal can be selected and output only to a specific device. By connecting this additional device, multiple devices can be individually controlled with one remote controller or the like without changing the hardware or software inherent in the devices.

[0007]

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration of a first embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment takes as an example a case where a wired remote controller (hereinafter abbreviated as remote control) is used. As a part constituting this embodiment,
1 is a remote control signal input terminal for connecting a remote control signal (not shown), 2 is a through-out terminal, 3 is a remote control signal decoder, 4 is a microcomputer (CPU), 5 is a rotary encoder, 6 is a remote control signal encoder, and 7 is a remote control signal It is an output terminal.

Through-out terminal 2 is remote control input terminal 1
This is to enable a plurality of additional devices of this embodiment to be connected in cascade. A remote control signal input from a remote controller (not shown) is input to the remote control signal decoder 3, identified, and input to the CPU 4. On the other hand, the rotary encoder 5 is for setting an index number, and the set index number is read by the CPU 4 by scanning or whenever necessary. Of course, each time you set an index number, it is written to the memory in CPU4 and
U4 may read the index number from its memory each time it is needed. If the decoded and input remote control signal is a signal related to index setting, the CPU 4 compares it with the index number set by the rotary encoder 5 and determines enable/disable depending on whether it matches or does not match. Here, if it is in the enabled state, the decoded and input remote control signal is sent as is to the remote control signal encoder 6. The remote control signal encoder 6 re-encodes the signal into a remote control signal that can be received by the electrical device to be connected, and outputs it through the remote control signal output terminal 7. If the CPU 4 is in the disabled state in the above, the CPU 4 does not output any signal to the remote control signal encoder 6. A dip switch or the like can be used instead of the rotary encoder 5.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration. This embodiment is an example in which the CPU 4 is not used in the first embodiment and is configured only by hardware. The parts constituting this embodiment include a remote control signal input terminal 1, a through-out terminal 2, a rotary encoder 5, and a remote control signal output terminal 7, which have the same functions as the components with the same symbols in FIG. ing. Also, 8 is S-P
(serial-parallel) converter, 9 is a category comparator, 10 is an index comparator, 11 is a delay circuit, and 12 is a switch that can be controlled on/off from the outside.

A remote control signal input from the remote control signal input terminal 1 is branched to a through-out terminal 2, a remote control signal decoder 3, and a delay circuit 11. The output of the delay circuit 11 is connected to the remote control signal output terminal 7 through a switch 12. The remote control signal decoded by the remote control signal decoder 3 is input to the S-P converter 8 and converted into parallel data. Whether or not the code is related to index setting is determined based on the category code of several upper bits, and this is done by the category comparator 9. If it is determined that the index code is an index code, the index comparator 10 receives a notification from the category comparator 9, and compares the index code of the lower few bits of the parallel data with the index number set by the rotary encoder 5, and determines whether it matches or does not match. The switch 12 is turned on/off. This switch 12
When the input terminal 1 is on, the remote control signal at the input terminal 1 is delayed by the above-mentioned determination period in the delay circuit 11, and then outputted through the remote control signal output terminal 7 as an enabled state.

Next, FIGS. 3 and 4 show an example in which the indexing function addition device shown in the above embodiment is connected to an ordinary device that can be remotely controlled. Figure 3
, 4, 13 indicates a normal device that can be remotely controlled, 14 is a remote control signal input terminal of the device 13, 15 is a remote control signal decoder inside the device 13, and 16 is a remote control signal input terminal of the device 13.
is the indexing function adding device described in the above embodiment, 1
7 is a remote control signal input terminal of the additional device 16, and 7 is a remote control signal output terminal of the additional device 16.

In the connection example shown in FIG. 3, the index function addition device 16 is constructed separately from the device 13, and a remote control signal from a remote controller (not shown) is connected to the remote control signal input terminal 1 of the addition device 16, and the The remote control signal output terminal 7 is connected to the remote control signal input terminal 14 of the device 1.

The connection example shown in FIG. 4 is an example in which the indexing function addition device 16 is integrated into the device 13. Therefore, the index function adding device 16 is
The device 13 is inserted between the remote control signal input terminal 14 and the remote control signal decoder 15 inside the device 3, and the remote control signal from the remote control is connected to the remote control signal input terminal of the device 13.

In the second and subsequent devices, the remote control signal input terminal of the index function addition device for each device is connected to the through-out terminal 2 of the index function addition device 16 of the first device (FIGS. 1 and 2). Connect to cascade. As a result, the remote control signal from the remote control connected to the first unit is input to the additional devices of all devices, and if you set a different index number for each, you can specify it from the remote control with an index code. It becomes possible to control only the device.

[0017] In the above embodiment, the case of wired connection was described as an example, but it goes without saying that the case of wireless connection can be implemented in the same way. In the case of wireless remote control signals, the additional device of the first device receives the remote control's infrared signal, and the additional devices of the second and subsequent devices are connected to this additional device in cascade to distribute the remote control signal. It is also possible to distribute the remote control signal by making it possible for each additional device to receive the infrared signal from the remote control, eliminating the need for cascading the additional devices using through-out terminals. Alternatively, the indexing function adding device and the device may be connected in a manner that prevents reception of infrared signals from other sources, such as by converting the output of the remote control signal into an infrared signal and placing the device in close contact with the infrared receiver of the device. As described above, the present invention can be applied in various ways and can take various embodiments in accordance with the gist thereof.

[0018]

Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above explanation, the signal selection function addition device of the present invention can be used in a system that uses a large number of remote controllable devices that are already commercially available, such as a large number of projectors. Multi-billboards, multi-screen displays using multiple monitor displays, AV systems using multiple VTRs, etc. can be adjusted and controlled individually with a single remote controller, etc. become.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Fig. 3] A diagram showing an example of connection to electronic equipment in the above embodiment.

[Fig. 4] A diagram showing another example of connection to the equipment of the above embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols] 1...Remote control input signal input terminal, 2...Through out terminal,
3...Remote control signal decoder, 4...Microcomputer (CPU), 5...Rotary encoder, 6...Remote control signal encoder, 7...Remote control signal output terminal, 8...S-
P conversion section, 9...Category comparator, 10...Index comparator, 11...Delay circuit, 12...Switch, 13...Device, 14...Remote control signal input terminal of device, 15...Remote control signal decoder, 16...Additional device for index function.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Means for inputting a signal and extracting the identification code of the device in the signal, means for individually setting the identification code of the device, and the identification code in the signal and the individually set identification code. a means for comparing and finding a match;
A device for adding a signal selection function, comprising: means for sending the signal to the device when the coincidence is detected.