US 6,720,904 B1 · Remote control with LED capabilities

Abstract

A universal remote control comprising a keyboard having a plurality of pushbuttons including a macro pushbutton and a library of codes and data for use in transmitting operating commands to a plurality of different home appliances of different manufacturers. Instructions within the remote control are used to match the universal remote control to a plurality of different home appliances of different manufacturers such that selected codes and data from the library are used to transmit operating commands to the matched home appliances in response to activation of selected pushbuttons of the keyboard. The instructions are also used to assign to the macro pushbutton a subset of the selected codes and data from the library whereafter activation of the macro pushbutton causes the universal remote control to use the subset of selected codes and data from the library to transmit operating commands to one or more of the matched home appliances.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A remote control comprising:

a central processing unit;
a plurality of command keys coupled to the central processing unit;
a transmitter coupled to the central processing unit for transmitting commands to a remotely controllable device in response to activation of one or more of the command keys;
a first light emitting diode coupled to the central processing unit which emits a visible light having a first color;
and
a second light emitting diode coupled to the central processing unit which emits a visible light having a second color;
wherein the first light emitting diode and the second light emitting diode are individually operable to emit light in either the first color or the second color and wherein the first light emitting diode and the second light emitting diode are operable in combination to emit light in a third color to thereby allow the remote control to communicate state information to a user by way of color.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

10/223,261Filed 19 Aug 2002 · division

Priority

14 Oct 1987

Granted

13 Apr 2004

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification22 codes

H04B 10/114
Arrangements specific to free-space transmission, i.e. transmission through air or vacuum: indoor or close-range type systems
G08C 19/28
In which transmission is by pulses: using pulse code
G08C 23/04
Non-electrical signal transmission systems, e.g. optical systems: using light waves, e.g. infrared
H03J 1/0025
Using a central processing unit, e.g. a microprocessor: in a remote control unit

Family

Application07/109,336Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 14 Oct 1987

Application07/127,999Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 2 Dec 1987

Application07/586,957Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 24 Sep 1990

Application07/913,523Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 14 Jul 1992

Application07/990,854Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 11 Dec 1992

Application09/408,729Parent of this continuation · filed 29 Sep 1999

Application09/791,354Parent of this continuation · filed 23 Feb 2001

Application09/871,872Parent of this division · filed 1 Jun 2001

US 6,496,135 B1Parent of this division

Application09/871,872Parent of this continuation

US 6,587,067 B2Parent of this continuation

US 6,195,033 B1Parent of this continuation

Application09/408,729Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 6,014,092 AParent of this continuation-in-part

US 4,959,810 AParent of this continuation-in-part

US 2001/0010503 A1Published application

US 6,720,904 B1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Remote control with LED capabilities

Life of this patent

Remote control with LED capabilities

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims7