Programmable remote control transmitter

A remote control transmitter for controlling various devices each of which may utilize a different one of a plurality of control code transmission formats, comprising:

• keyboard means for entering control data for controlling one of said devices;
• memory means for storing twice compressed data comprising bin pair codes, wherein each of said bin pair codes is a single code corresponding to a pair of bin codes, said pair of bin codes comprising a first code representing a type of pulse burst component of a remote control signal and a second code representing a type of pulse off component of said remove control signal, said signal having a given one of said transmission formats;
• addressing means for addressing an area of said memory means containing said twice compressed data which corresponds to said one of said plurality of control code transmission formats utilized by said devices to be controlled;
• means for expanding said twice compressed data to once compressed data by converting said bin pair codes to pairs of bin codes;
• means for expanding said once compressed data by converting said bin codes to fully expanded data representative of pulse burst and pulse off components of said one of said control code transmission formats;
• and
• transmitting means for receiving said fully expanded data and for transmitting said data in said one of said plurality of transmission formats for controlling said devices to be controlled.

Apparatus for programming a memory for a remote control transmitter with control codes received from various other remote control transmitters which may utilize different ones of a plurality of control code transmission formats, comprising:

• data entry means for entering an indication of a control code to be received;
• detector means for receiving signals having a pulse burst component and a pulse off component from one of said transmitters and converting said signals to data representative of said signals;
• control means for receiving said data from said detector means and for compressing said data by examining said data, classifying said data by type of pulse burst and pulse off components, and by converting said classified data to bin codes representative of said pulse burst type and pulse off type;
• said control means further compressing said data by examining pairs of said bin codes for correspondence to a predetermined pattern and converting bin code pairs having said correspondence to twice compressed data having a code indicative of said bin code pair;
• and wherein
• said control means programs said memory means with said twice compressed data.