Auxiliary device control for a subscriber terminal
US5657414A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 1, 1992 |
| Grant date | Aug 12, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 1, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N2007/1739
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An auxiliary device control for a subscriber terminal includes a four wire ribbon cable defining a bidirectional communication and data interface from the terminal to one or more auxiliary devices. A communication and data protocol for the bidirectional transfer of instructions, status, and data over the interface includes an address field, command or reply field, data length field, and checksum field transmitted at 9600 baud. In a preferred implementation, the auxiliary device to be controlled is an IR peripheral controller which can tune a VCR, and switch it on and off. Several transactions in the communications and data protocol are used to effect the operation where a control VCR command and reply transaction cause the control of the tuning and recording of the VCR. A set-up VCR command and a brand reply transaction is used to provide information to configure the controller with brands and model of the VCRs. A program event code command and a program event timer reply transaction provide for the automatic recording of a program event based on an event code listed in a television schedule. A channel map command and a reply transaction provide for the downloading of the local cab…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.