Computer control of a video cassette recorder using wireless communication and a vertical blanking interval triggering
US6195501A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 28, 1996 |
| Grant date | Feb 27, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 28, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N7/0887
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system that allows a personal computer to remotely control the operation of a video cassette recorder (VCR). The system includes a radio frequency (RF) transmitter connected to a personal computer. The personal computer is programmed to generate a first VCR control signal that is transmitted by the RF transmitter to a RF receiver located within a transceiver base unit. The transceiver base unit transmits a second VCR control signal, using an infrared transmitter, to the VCR in response to the first VCR control signal. The VCR control signals include commands to record, stop, play, etc. the video cassette recorder. The first VCR control signal can be transmitted in response to a control data signal that is inserted into the vertical blanking interval of a publicly broadcasted video signal that is received and decoded by the computer. The control data signal may contain program information which is used to trigger the transmission of the first VCR control signal.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.