Control system and instrument

Abstract

There is provided a control system capable of being installed easily and controlling rapidly and sufficiently. The control system includes a remote controller and a plurality of remote-control adapters. The remote controller includes a light-emitting unit performing signal communication. The remote-control adapter includes a reception unit and a processing unit. The reception unit receives a control signal from the light-emitting unit of the remote controller. When the reception unit receives a broadcast signal as a kind of control signal, the processing unit performs an action according to a combination of the broadcast signal and the remote-control adapter.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a room in which electronic instruments equipped with remote-control adapters are arranged;

FIG. 2 shows a mode in which a remote-control adapter is attached to a television;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the remote-control adapter;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the remote-control adapter;

FIG. 5 shows a mode in which data is stored in a flash memory;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a process performed by a control circuit;

FIG. 7 conceptually shows a configuration of an optical ID signal;

FIG. 8 shows an appearance of a remote controller;

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the remote controller;

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a specific configuration of a drive circuit;

FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the control circuit;

FIG. 12 shows data stored in a memory when the remote controller authenticates an air conditioner as a control target;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a process performed to authenticate a controlled instrument by the control circuit;

FIG. 14 shows an image displayed on a display when the remote controller performs a process of authenticating the air conditioner;

FIG. 15 conceptually shows data stored in the memory of the remote controller after the remote controller authenticates an HDD recorder;

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a process performed to authenticate another controlled instrument by the remote controller which has already authenticated the controlled instrument;

FIG. 17 shows an image displayed when the remote controller authenticates the HDD recorder;

FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a process performed to control the controlled instrument by the remote controller;

FIG. 19 shows an image displayed when the remote controller does not authenticate the controlled instrument;

FIG. 20 shows an image displayed when the remote controller authenticates the controlled instrument;

FIG. 21 shows a format of a remote-control code transmitted by the remote controller;

FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a broadcast command performing process;

FIG. 23 is a flowchart showing a procedure operated by the remote controller when a telephone call is received; and

FIG. 24 is a flowchart showing a procedure of operation by the remote-control adapter when the telephone call is received.

Claims

1. A control system comprising: a remote controller; anda plurality of remote-control adapters, whereinsaid remote controller includes a communication unit performing signal communication so as to transmit a broadcast signal as a kind of control signal to said plurality of remote-control adapters until receiving an off-hook signal since receiving a ringing signal, andsaid remote-control adapter includes:a reception unit receiving said broadcast signal from the communication unit of said remote controller; anda performing unit performing an action according to a combination of said broadcast signal and said remote-control adapter when said reception unit receives said broadcast signal.

2. A control system comprising: a communication apparatus; anda plurality of instruments, whereinsaid communication apparatus includes a communication unit performing signal communication, andsaid instrument includes:a reception unit receiving a control signal from the communication unit of said communication apparatus, anda performing unit performing an action according to a combination of a broadcast signal as a kind of control signal and said instrument when said reception unit receives said broadcast signal.

3. The control system according to claim 2, wherein the communication unit of said communication apparatus performs signal communication so as to transmit said broadcast signal to said plurality of instruments when receiving a ringing signal.

4. The control system according to claim 3, wherein said communication unit performs said signal communication so as to transmit said broadcast signal to said plurality of instruments until receiving an off-hook signal since receiving said ringing signal.

5. The control system according to claim 2, wherein said communication apparatus further includes an operation unit accepting an operation to said communication apparatus, andthe communication unit of said communication apparatus transmits said control signal corresponding to contents of said operation to said plurality of instruments when said operation is accepted.

6. An instrument comprising: a reception unit receiving a control signal;a storage unit storing information indicating contents of said control signal such that at least a part of contents of a broadcast signal as a kind of said control signal overlaps one of the contents of said control signal;a generation unit generating a control signal corresponding to the information stored in said storage unit when said reception unit receives said control signal; anda transmission unit transmitting the control signal generated by said generation unit using an infrared ray.

7. The instrument according to claim 6, wherein said reception unit receives said control signal through wireless communication.

8. The instrument according to claim 7, wherein said reception unit receives said control signal through communication using the infrared ray.