1. Field of the Invention
The present invention provides a communication system, and more particularly, a communication system capable of remotely controlling a multimedia device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As multimedia and digital storing technologies have become more highly developed, multimedia devices provide more and more functions. For recording video, a digital multimedia device transforms a video program into digital signals to store the digital signals in a hard drive or other non-volatile storage devices, such as a CD, a DVD, etc, so that the video program can be saved. In addition, a user can schedule to record a TV program, such as a ball game live broadcast, a soap opera, etc., so that the user can enjoy the program at his leisure.
By scheduling the recording of a TV program, the user need not stay in front of a TV set to control start and end of the TV program. However, if the user is not home but wants to set or amend a schedule of the TV program occasionally, the user cannot change settings of a prior art multimedia device.
It is therefore a primary objective of the claimed invention to provide a communication system capable of remotely controlling a multimedia device.
An exemplary embodiment of a communication system capable of remotely controlling a multimedia device comprises a remote control device and a local device. The remote control device comprises a first transceiver for outputting or receiving signals, a first decoding unit coupled to the first transceiver for interpreting signals received by the first transceiver as output commands, an output unit coupled to the first decoding unit for outputting signals corresponding to the output commands, a control signal reception unit for receiving control signals, and a first coding unit coupled to the first transceiver and the control signal reception unit for transforming the control signals received by the control signal reception unit into a plurality of packets sent to the first transceiver according to a specified format. The local device comprises a second transceiver for exchanging signals with the first transceiver, a second decoding unit coupled to the second transceiver for interpreting signals received by the second transceiver as control commands according to the specified format, a memory unit coupled to the second decoding unit for storing the control commands generated by the second decoding unit, a second coding unit coupled to the second transceiver and the memory unit for generating a plurality of packets sent to the second transceiver according to a storing status of the memory unit, and a control unit coupled to the memory unit for controlling the multimedia device according to the control commands stored in the memory unit.
An exemplary embodiment of a system capable of remotely controlling a multimedia device through the Internet comprises a remote control device comprising a first network module electrically connected to the Internet, a local device comprising a second network module electrically connected to the Internet, a database for storing settings data of the local device, and a software installed in the remote control device comprising a transformation code for interpreting commands outputted from the first network module to the second network module into a plurality of command contents to update the database.
An exemplary embodiment of a communication system capable of remotely controlling a multimedia device comprises a remote control device and a local device. The remote control device comprises a first transceiver for outputting or receiving signals, a control signal reception unit for receiving control signals, an output unit for outputting signals corresponding to the output commands, and a chipset comprising a first decoding unit coupled to the first transceiver for interpreting signal received by the first transceiver as output commands and a first coding unit couple to the first transceiver unit and the control signal reception unit for transforming the control signals reception unit into a plurality of packets sent to the first transceiver according to the specified format. The local device comprises a second transceiver for exchanging signals with the first transceiver, a memory unit for storing the control commands generated by the second decoding unit, a control unit coupled to the memory unit for controlling the multimedia device according to the control commands stored in the memory unit, and a second chipset comprising a second decoding unit couple to the second transceiver for interpreting signals received by the second transceiver as control commands according to the specified format and a second coding unite coupled to the second transceiver and the memory unit for generating a plurality of packets sent to the second transceiver according to a storing status of the memory unit.
These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.
Please refer to
In the communication system 10, when a user wants to control operations of the local device 200, the control signal reception unit 110 receives the control signals from the user, the first coding unit 108 interprets the control signals received by the control signal reception unit 110 into a plurality of packets conformed to the specified format, and the first transceiver 102 transmits the packets sent to the second transceiver 202. After the second transceiver 202 receives signals from the first transceiver 102, the second decoding unit 204 outputs and stores the control commands in the memory unit 206. The control unit 210 controls the multimedia device according to the control commands stored in the memory unit 206. Meanwhile, the second coding unit 208 transmits the storing status of the memory unit 206 to the remote control device 100 through the second transceiver 202. The remote control device 100 decodes signals reported by the local device 200 for outputting corresponding signals by the output unit 106. In other words, the local device 200 controls the multimedia device according the commands sent by the remote control device 100. A channel for exchanging signals between the first transceiver 102 and the second transceiver 202 can be a mobile communication network, the Internet, etc. Packet coding and decoding methods between the first coding unit 108 and the second decoding unit 204, and between the first decoding unit 104 and the second coding unit 208 can be implemented according to an electrical mail protocol, a short messaging protocol, or an instant messaging protocol. Therefore, the first coding unit 108 is capable of transforming the controls signals received by the control signal reception unit 110 into an e-mail, and transmitting to the local device 200 through the first transceiver 102. In this case, after the local device 200 receives the e-mail, the second decoding unit 204 can decode the control signals and stores corresponding commands in the memory unit 206.
As those skilled in the art recognize, when sending an e-mail, the e-mail is stored in a mail server temporarily. When receiving the e-mail, a receiving end connects to the mail server to download the e-mail. Therefore, the receiving end need not connect to a network all of the time, but only connect to the network to receive the e-mail as necessary. In addition, it is possible for cost-effective reason that the first decoding unit 104 and the second decoding unit 204 are integrated into a chip or chipset that deliver the same capability as the two independent units.
Please refer to
Of course, other than adding a schedule, the user can query, amend, or delete exist schedules. When the user queries the schedules, the digital multimedia device 40 can sort data stored in the database 44 first, and the user designates data to be queried with the mobile communication device 30. Or, the user designates data to be queried with the mobile communication device 30, and the digital multimedia device 40 reports corresponding data. Therefore, the user can use the mobile communication device 30 to send an e-mail describing a schedule to be queried to the digital multimedia device 40. After the digital multimedia device 40 receives the e-mail, the software 42 interprets the e-mail. If the software 42 cannot interpret the e-mail successfully, then the digital multimedia device 40 reports an error message to the mobile communication device 30. After interpreting the e-mail successfully, the software 42 queries the schedule from the database 44, and sends an e-mail to the user for informing user of the result of querying the schedule.
When amending a schedule in the database 44, the user can query the schedule first, and designate data of the schedule to be amended. Then, the user uses the mobile communication device 30 to send an e-mail describing the schedule to be amended to the digital multimedia device 40. After the digital multimedia device 40 receives the e-mail, the software 42 interprets the e-mail. If the software 42 cannot interpret the e-mail successfully, then the digital multimedia device 40 reports an error message to the mobile communication device 30. After interpreting the e-mail successfully, the software 42 amends the schedule in the database 44, receives a report from the database 44, and sends an e-mail to the user to inform the user of the result of amending the schedule.
When deleting a schedule in the database 44, the user can query the schedule first, and designate the schedule to be deleted. Then, the user uses the mobile communication device 30 to send an e-mail describing the schedule to be deleted to the digital multimedia device 40. After the digital multimedia device 40 receives the e-mail, the software 42 interprets the e-mail. If the software 42 cannot interpret the e-mail successfully, then the digital multimedia device 40 reports an error message to the mobile communication device 30. After interpreting the e-mail successfully, the software 42 deletes the schedule in the database 44, receives a report from the database 44, and sends an e-mail to the user to inform the user of the result of deleting the schedule.
In summary, the present invention drafts an e-mail describing the control commands of the user and sends the email to the local device. The local device interprets and stores the control commands into the database. Therefore, using the present invention, if the user is not home but wants to set or amend a schedule of a TV program occasionally, the user can change settings of the multimedia device remotely.
Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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095103539 | Jan 2006 | TW | national |