CONTROL ARRANGEMENTS

This invention relates to control arrangements.

Numerous domestic artifacts are remotely controlled using handheld infra-red transmitters. Television sets, video recorders, DVD recorders, CD players are all controlled by infra-red control units. Most often, especially where a mix of units from different manufacturers is involved, each device has its own controller.

Some controllers are available that are capable of controlling a range of devices, which can simplify the problem of finding the correct controller. The controller, or controllers, however, are portable and are moved about and often just left where they were last used, not necessarily readily visible. Even sophisticated multi-device controllers rely on simple menu systems for accessing many tens or hundreds of channels or options. Some systems exist whereby small predetermined numerical codes published in newspapers, magazines and the internet can be used to program a DVD or video recorder.

The present invention provides a control arrangement that is capable of being adapted for use with any appliance or collection of appliances and which will not readily be misplaced in use.

The invention comprises an infra-red remote controller for domestic appliances comprising a USB or similar serial or parallel bus hardware connector for connection to a computer.

Software can be loaded into the computer adapted for each of the appliances to be controlled. The software can be made available for web download, or packaged together with the controller with appliances as sold. The software can display information on the computer's monitor facilitating use of the controller. The software, moreover, can provide facilities not ordinarily found on many appliances, for example, controlling a radio tuner and audio recorder to record a radio program at a certain time.

USB stick devices are already known, such for example as memory sticks and Blue Tooth ® transmitters, and the controller of the present invention would resemble these in appearance.

Infra-red remote controllers according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of controller;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of a laptop computer with a USB controller according to the invention, controlling numerous domestic appliances; and

Figure 3 is a typical screen on the monitor of the laptop computer of Figure 2.

The drawings illustrate an infra-red remote controller 1 1 for domestic appliances 12 comprising

a USB connector 13 for connection to a computer 14.

The computer 14, Figure 2, is a laptop computer, nowadays often found in the same room as the domestic appliances shown in Figure 2. The controller 11 is simply a casing, with the USB connector 13 at one end and an infra-red led source 15 at the other, housing appropriate interconnection facility 16.

The facility 16 could simply be an electrical connection powering the led 15 according to signals sent through the USB connector, but, as illustrated, it is 'smart', with hardware, firmware and/or software 17 capable of pulsing the led 15 appropriately to control various appliances according to instructions generated by the computer 14. A small flash memory 18 is included to facilitate retention of user preferences so that the device can be used on multiple lap-top or desktop computers. This could be used to program a multiple device requirement of codes in one room and then deployed in a different room.

Each of the appliances 12 shown in Figure 2 - a television receiver 12(1), a video recorder 12(2), a DVD player/recorder 12(3), a radio tuner/audio tape deck/CD player/recorder 12(4) and a curtain drawing motor 12(5) ~ has an infra-red receiver that reacts to coded IR pulse trains emitted by a controller and thus controls the appliance. The software associated with the controller 11 generates these coded pulse trains, or at least generates signals that the controller 11 converts to such pulse trains.

The screen shown in Figure 3 lists the appliances under control. It may be arranged that only those available are listed, more being added as software is loaded or downloaded. The appliance to be controlled is selected from the list by a cursor click. The function required is also selected from a list - ON, OFF, TIMER CONTROL, for example. A channel selector panel is provided, and volume/brightness controllers. The controller has many ways of being used; via manual entry of program names or numerical codes, web-enabled database access of program listings, automatic selection of program listings based on previous usage etc. Software could be installed on the laptop that would automatically turn on or off the IR enabled devices in a pre-determined pattern.

Additional appliances/devices that can, with appropriate hardware and software, be controlled by the controller include room light switches and dimmers, curtain and window blind controllers, heating and air-conditioning units and screens for home cinemas.

Of course, use of the controller depends upon the availability of a computer. An inexpensive processor, tailored to carry out just the functions required for operation, through the controller, of the various appliances, could be provided, possibly in a palm-top computer, mobile phone or PDA device, and, of course, an appropriate connector could be substituted for the USB connector or the infra-red led built in to the device, as is, in fact, customary with mobile phones and PDAs.