Background of the Invention Remote controls are well known in the art. In their most common form, they constitute small, hand held units which can be pointed at a television, VCR, stereo or so forth, to control the device's functions from a distance. Each of these devices generally has its own remote control, although some remote control products are currently available on the market which can control several devices. The remote control generates and transmits a signal which is transmitted to its associated device; upon receipt of the signal, the device effects the desired function, such as turning the channel or increasing the volume.

Certain devices, such as television sets, VCRs, etc., are commonly sold with an associated remote control. Other devices, such as lamps, air conditioners, overhead light sockets, and an entire range of other common household electrical devices and appliances, rarely, if ever, are provided with an associated remote control. Presently, to use such devices, the user must get up to and physically activate the switch or switches of the device to activate the device, or to control its functions.

Summary of the Invention In accordance with the present invention, a novel infrared remote control receiver and controller is provided for controlling electronic devices. The receiver/controller receives signals from a standard remote control and can work with any of the standard, commercial remote controls currently available. It dramatically expands the capabilities and functions of that remote control, however, by allowing that remote to control devices other than the device the remote is normally associated with. Thus, the receiver of this invention can be attached to a common household electronic device (even one that is normally not capable of being controlled using a remote control), which allows the user to use the preexisting remote to control the device.

For example, a user may have a television set in his or her living room, and might also have a lamp in that same room. The television's remote control can be pointed at the television set to turn the television on and off, but, of course, if it were pointed at the lamp to turn the lamp on and off, nothing would happen. By using the novel receiver/controller device of the present invention, that television remote can be pointed at the lamp to turn the lamp on and off.

The receiver/controller device is attached to the lamp by the user, and contains an infrared sensor for sensing a remote's infrared signal.

The television remote control is pointed at the receiver/controller, and the receiver "learns" the signals which are normally transmitted by that remote. After the receiver/controller learns that signal, it is ready for subsequent control of the lamp. When the television remote control is pointed at the lamp's receiver/controller, and the user hits the "power on" button is pressed on that television remote, the remote will turn the lamp on. Similarly, the volume up/down button could be used to control the brightness of the bulb (as a dimmer) or so forth.

Although the example of a television remote control and a lamp have been utilized, it will be understood that any combination of a preexisting remote control, and a household or office electronic device can be used. Thus, instead of a television remote control, a VCR remote control, or a stereo or satellite dish remote control, or so forth, can be used as the controlling remote. Likewise, instead of a lamp, a fan, an air conditioner, a light bulb socket (e.g. as in an overhead light), or any other desired electronic device or appliance could be controlled using the receiver.

In its operation, the receiver/controller device receives, learns and recognizes infrared code signals from any pulsed frequency type remote control which uses a range of between approximately 32KHz and 57KHz carrier frequency. It then can be used for the purpose of controlling a connected electrical appliance such as a lamp, light bulb, fan, power supply or so forth, as previously discussed.

As a further embodiment of the present invention, the inventors have recognized that all IR controllers have certain common output characteristics, and that these characteristics can be used to achieve a universal IR controller. These output characteristics can be utilized by the receiver of this invention, when attached to an appliance, such as a lamp, to turn the lamp on or off or to control the quantity of its illumination by merely pointing the controller at the receiver without needing to identify by code the exact receiver to which the controller is pointed.

In particular, the inventors have recognized that by analyzing whether or not there is IR signal activity independent of the specifics of the IR signals, one can detect that the IR controller is being activated. In order to merely determine on/off or power level controls, the inventors have recognized that by designing the receiver to be responsive to at least the last fifteen IR signals emanating from any of substantially all the controllers, such controller can be used to accomplish the desired function without needing to address the specific appliance in a unique way.

The signal which this device receives from the pulsed frequency type infrared remote control has a digital component in that the presence or absence of the carrier frequency is significant. An analog component is also provided by the duration of the presence and absence of the carrier frequency, and such analog component can vary from remote to remote. A quasi analog-to-digital conversion process is performed by recording the duration of the presence of the carrier and the duration of the absence of the carrier. These values are stored for later comparison and validation of incoming signals and the resultant electrical appliance control based on validation of appropriate learned codes.

The device uses these learned signals (and only those learned signals) to determine whether or not to control the connected electrical appliance such as the lamp. The fashion in which it controls the electrical appliances by using a Triac phase control device with a zero crossing input signal and an output signal to run an opto-isolator controlling the gate of the Triac in series with the load. The end result of this is to add gradient control of the amount of current delivered to the electrical appliance being controlled, thus adding on/off and variable speed or intensity (e.g. up and down) functionality to the common household electrical appliances, such as the lamp.

The device learns these codes for the purpose of receiving and recognizing these same codes for controlling electrical appliances attached to the device. These codes are stored in connection with specific functions (e.g. on/off, up and down) and are remembered as associated with those functions.

In a further embodiment, an addressing scheme is implemented in which the first two codes learned are assigned to be interpreted as a two digit identifier for the device. This allows the receiver device to be addressed, at which point the function codes (e.g. on/off, up and down) will actually create the desired effect on the connected electrical appliance. In one alternative, if the device is not addressed, then those same function codes will be ignored and create no effect on the connected electrical appliance. In another alternative, as described above, control of the connected electrical appliance can be achieved without unique address information merely by analyzing whether or not there is IR signal activity, with the receiver already programmed to detect certain universal signals which will emanate from all controllers to achieve the desired on-off or gradient function control.

Brief Description of the Drawing Figure 1 is a schematic of the apparatus and method, in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a view of a representative controller key pad.

Detailed Description of the Invention and the Preferred Embodiments The method and apparatus of the present invention will be further understood by reference to Figures 1 and 2. As shown, the various components of the device are designated as follows: A. Infrared detector diode for receiving input from the user's TV Remote Control.

B. Signal conditioning for isolating the pulsed frequency component of the IR signal coming from the user's TV Remote Control.

C. MCU for processing all input and output signals for the device's learning and operations.

D. Zero Cross Detect is provided for the proper timing reference to facilitate controlling the amount of current delivered to the load.

E. Isolation between the MCU and the Output Triac is preferred.

F. Output Triac is the device of choice for controlling AC Loads.

G. Input Switch allows user to put device in the different modes required for learning and operations.

H. (Optional) External Memory to facilitate remembering a full day's use of the device so that, as a security feature, the device can mimic the daily use of the device to give an unattended home a "lived in" appearance to the external observer.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the central control is an MCU which is a programmable chip. For example, a Samsung KS57C0004 or Microchip PIC 16C84 could be used. Each of these has sufficient memory capability in conjunction with or without the external memory H to accomplish the analysis and system command functions of this invention.

In operation, an IR controller (as illustrated in Fig. 2) has a plurality of numeric and function control buttons specifically shown in Fig.

2. Some examples of function buttons are VCR, CD, AUX, etc. Such function buttons are utilized to select the receiver which is intended to operate with the controller. The receiver of the present invention is attached to an appliance such as a lamp, and by employing the conventional TV IR remote controller, a user can not only control his TV, he can also control his lamp or any other associated auxiliary device.

Further details will be identified below as illustrative of the manner of utilizing this invention.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the functional blocks will be identified either with a reference numeral or letter or both.

The output of controller 20 is directed at an infrared photo-diode 10 which, for example, could be a telefunken TFMS 5238. The photo- diode receives the IR signals and supplies them to a signal conditioner B or 12. Such a signal conditioner 12 is included in the telefunken TFMS photo diode system and is a conventional filter-amplifier to filter and amplify the IR signals received by infrared photo-diode 10. These signals are supplied to the MCU 14 which is programmed to recognize signals and to generate commands to operate the related electrical appliance. In essence, each receiver of this invention will have its own MCU microcontroller 14 which will be programmed or instructed by the user with his controller to cause certain IR signals to effect the resulting operations in the controlled appliance. The microcontroller 14 or C is connected to an LED indicator 16 which provides certain visible indications. Input switch G or 18 is connected to microcontroller 14 to control different modes of operation of the microcontroller as to it is in a learning or operational mode. The microcontroller chip 14 is connected through a power supply 22 to a standard AC line input 24 in order to power the microcontroller chip. The AC line input could either be American or European with a different frequency applicable in each environment. The AC input line 24 is also connected to a zero cross detect circuit 26 which detects when the AC power crosses zero voltage level. This is used as part with the microcontroller to control the amount of power supplied to the appliance in order to serve as a gradient control, The microcontroller generates signals which either turn the appliance on or off or control the amount of power being supplied thereto. This is accomplished by connecting the output of microcontroller 14 through an isolation circuit 28 to a load controller illustratively shown as triax F or 30. Any load control device such as a triax or relay could be used to control the function of the associated appliance.

As described above, the microcontroller, through the infrared detector diode A and signal conditioning device B, receives a plurality of coded analog IR signals to control the operation of a related appliance.

The related appliance can be controlled as to its on-off or power gradient functions and may be controlled in a slavish way by merely receiving certain signals from the controller without having to uniquely identify the receiver at which the controller is pointed. If necessary,auxiliary external memory 15 may be needed and connected to MCU14. Thus, after the appliance is connected to the receiver illustrated in Fig. 1, it is necessary that the receiver is then programmed to receive certain control signals to learn the operation which will be effected by the controller producing certain IR control signals.

The following is an illustrative sequence of steps which are employed with the illustrative controller 20 of Fig. 2 to program the receiver of Fig. 1 in a learning mode. Such learning mode is established by controlling input switch G to set the microcontroller C into a learning mode.

After the controller has been set to be in a learning mode, the following steps are accomplished: 1. The user selects and presses a function button. The depression of any such function button will restrict the controller from producing certain IR control signals. The inventors have determined that substantially all controllers issue some common IR signals in the function mode, and the receiver merely determines that there is certain IR signal activity in order to be programmed or to learn its responsive activity.

2. Next the remote control of Fig. 2 is pointed at the receiver and any repeating key, such as channel up, channel down, volume up or volume down, is depressed until the LED 16 pulses. This indicates that the IR signals being generated by the repeating key have been received through signal conditioner B at microcontroller C to cause the microcontroller to enter in its learn mode which is indicated by the LED.

Generally such action takes approximately 7 seconds.

3. Next, one would press the zero on the numeric pad which allows the receiver to receive and sample the remote control unit code unique to that remote controller. When this occurs, the LED will pulse once indicating that such remote control unit code has been received.

4. Next the user can press a single digit address button by pressing any of the numeric buttons on the key pad between 1 and 9 to address the specific receiver at which the controller is being directed.

Once such information has been received by the receiver, the LED will again be pulsed once indicating such information has been received.

5. Next the user presses the power on/off button and the LED will be pulsed once, the channel up button and the LED will be pulsed once more and the channel down button, and the LED will be pulsed twice to indicate completion of the learning mode.

Use of a microchip to detect the IR signals so identified above can be accomplished by one of ordinary skill in the art, and the identification of the LED providing an indication as to the fact that functions have been received and stored is conventional by those who use remote control devices.

In order to use the controller and receiver of this invention, one enters the engage command mode for the receiver. The user first presses a function button, and as described above, almost any function could be employed, although preferably the same function button which was employed in the learning mode should be employed in the command mode. Next, the user presses the address button from the numeric key pad which should comport with the address of the receiver at which the controller is pointed. The user needs to know or remember which receiver has which address in order to address the appropriate receiver.

In a further embodiment, if the user does not remember the address of the specific receiver at which the controller is pointed, the microchip unit 14 or C can be provided with a sequencing means to step through each of the addresses 1 through 9 in a fairly rapid pattern, and when the address which identifies the receiver and/or LED 16 at which the controller is pointed is reached, the lamp or appliance will activate. The user then presses the desired command button such as channel up, channel down, power on or off to either adjust the power level or to control the lamp going on or off.

As described above, the inventors also have discovered that merely the identification of IR signal activity can be enough to activate the receiver and control its on/off or power level functions. This does not require specifically providing an address for a receiver and can override and control addressable or non-addressable receivers. This means that it can override and control a receiver which has a specific address or a receiver for which no address has been provided. This mode will be called the "non-address programmed mode".

The receiver recognizes a pattem of IR activity whether or not the IR signal is within the range of 28 to 57 KHz. The inventors, as described above have recognized that by analyzing the last fifteen IR signals emitted from substantially all IR controllers, an intelligent pattern of IR activity can be determined to control the receiver of this invention in the non-address program mode.

The following illustrates one manner in which such receiver can be programmed or be taught to receive control functions. For on/off control, the user can press any key on the controller pad until the LED 16 is lighted. This will normally take about 2 seconds. After that occurs, the key can be released. Some receivers may also include a piezo buzzer which will emit a "beep" sound once the LED is turned on in a steady mode. The same key is then pressed once again and released quickly to cause the MCU microcontroller C to generate an on/off control signal through isolation circuit E and load control circuit F.

Dimming control may be accomplished as follows: The user will press and hold any key until the LED comes on steady (about 2 seconds) after which the key will be released. The same function key will quickly be pressed and held down causing either a dimming or gradual increasing function to be generated by the receiver of this invention. Since the device works relatively rapidly, the single function key depression described above with relation to controlling the dimming control will allow the user to relatively quickly reach the desired output level. As an alternative, the microcontroller C can be programmed to allow the use of a second function key such as channel up or channel down or volume up or volume down to indicate the direction of the dimming control sought to be achieved with the dimming control function as described above.

As described above, the controller provides control signals by directing IR signals through the IR input signal conditioning circuitry to control the microcontroller chip C which causes command signals to be generated through isolation circuit E and load controller circuit F. The inventors have discovered a system whereby substantially any remote controller generating IR signals can be used to control not only the appliance with which it is normally associated (i.e., a TV or VCR), but also can be used to control related appliances such as lights, fans or the like to which the receiver of this invention is attached.

The microcontroller chip can also be configured in a conventional manner to gradually turn off the appliance after the off command is received by employing a timer within the MCU 14. This is similar to the type of function achieved by PC users in which shut down mode is effected by slowly reducing the voltage to the unit which is controlled.

Further, the microcontroller C can be configured to turn the load off after any set time period after it has been turned on also by utilizing the timer in the MCU 14 in a conventional manner. Such controlled operation may be useful in many environments. The automatic turn off can be set to any desired length.

While the above addressing of individual receivers was described by pressing a single numeric key on the keypad, one could also address a plurality of receivers using two or more digits depending upon the number of receivers to be controlled by the single control unit.

It is intended that the receiver be connected to the appliance in a manner so that it can easily receive transmitted IR signals. The inventors also have provided a specialized design for light bulb sockets.

A small housing separated from the main receiver with the housing merely needed to receive the IR signals. Such separate enclosure or housing can be attached to a lampshade or other surface away from the light to facilitate line of sight control.

The receiver may be applied to a wall dimmer switch so that all power controlled by the wall dimmer can be remotely controlled by a controller having line of sight accessibility to the wall dimmer location.

Having described this invention with regard to specific embodiments, it is to be understood that the description is not meant as a limitation since further variations or modifications may be apparent or may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. It is intended that the present application cover such variations and modifications, which are considered to fall within the scope of the present invention.