Television receiver with remote control system capable of controlling associated peripheral devices manufactured by different companies

US5081534A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Deutsche Thomson-Brandt GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Erich Geiger · St. Georgen im Schwarzwald, DE
• Rolf Schiering · Hemmingen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 4, 1989
• Grant date: Jan 14, 1992
• Expiry date: Aug 4, 2009

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04B1/202
• WIPO field: Audio-visual technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A control arrangement for a home entertainment unit, including a television receiver and one or more peripheral devices, such as a video recorder, coupled to the television receiver, includes a single remote control transmitter for transmitting a remote control signal to the television receiver, which, in turn, passes on control instructions to the peripheral devices. To allow such a remote control operation, even when one or more of the peripheral devices is produced by a manufacturer different than that of the television receiver and which therefore requires a different remote control code, the television receiver has a memory in which, under the control of a microprocessor, the remote control codes allocated to respective function control keys of the remote control transmitter supplied with a peripheral device are stored during a learning process. During the learning process, the screen of the television receiver displays messages for instructing the user which function control key of the remote control transmitter associated with the peripheral device to press. Thereafter, when a device function control key of the remote control transmitter supplied with the television receiver…