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US 8,508,345 B2Granted
Remote control accessory for a wireless communication system
AssigneeAT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
InventorsDavid Mornhineway, Mark Hubscher
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a remote control accessory for a wireless communication system, including a radio frequency (RF) to infrared (IR) converter for receiving RF signals transmitted thereto and converting the RF signals to IR commands, a plurality of IR transmitters for transmitting the IR commands, and a housing assembly for carrying the RF to IR converter and the plurality of IR transmitters. The plurality of IR transmitters are integrated into the housing assembly with no exposed wires. Other embodiments are disclosed.
Claims14
A remote control accessory for a wireless communication system, the remote control accessory comprising:
- a radio frequency to infrared converter that receives transmitted radio frequency signals and that converts the radio frequency signals to infrared commands;
- a plurality of infrared transmitters that wirelessly transmit the infrared commands to an infrared sensor eye of a media processor;
- a housing assembly that houses the radio frequency to infrared converter and the plurality of infrared transmitters, wherein the plurality of infrared transmitters are integrated into the housing assembly with no exposed wires, and wherein the remote control accessory does not include a user interface for directly inputting the infrared commands at the remote control accessory;
- a universal serial bus connector adjacent to and connected to the housing assembly, wherein the universal serial bus connector removably connects the remote control accessory with a universal serial bus port of the media processor, wherein the remote control accessory receives power only via the universal serial bus connector, and wherein the universal serial bus connector receives power via the universal serial bus port of the media processor without providing the infrared commands to the media processor via the universal serial bus port of the media processor;
- and
- a tethered infrared transmitter that is tethered via a wire to the housing assembly, the wire being connected to the housing assembly at a connection point proximate to the universal serial bus connector, the tethered infrared transmitter operative to be connected in proximity to the infrared sensor eye for providing the infrared commands to the infrared sensor eye of the media processor.
3 more elements
A wireless communication system, comprising:
- a radio frequency remote control and a remote control accessory,
- wherein the radio frequency remote control comprises:
- a processor for processing information;
- a user interface for entering the information;
- a radio frequency transmitter which transmits radio frequency signals;
- and
- a housing for carrying the processor, the user interface, and the radio frequency transmitter, wherein the radio frequency transmitter transmits the radio frequency signals to the remote control accessory,
- wherein the remote control accessory comprises:
- a dongle having a radio frequency to infrared converter for generating infrared commands based on the radio frequency signals and a plurality of infrared transmitters which are integrated into the dongle with no exposed wires, wherein the remote control accessory does not include a user interface for directly inputting the information at the remote control accessory, wherein the dongle includes a universal serial bus connector that removably connects the dongle with a universal serial bus port of a media processor, wherein the dongle receives power only via the universal serial bus connector, and wherein the universal serial bus connector receives power via the universal serial bus port of the media processor without providing the infrared commands to the media processor via the universal serial bus port of the media processor;
- and
- a tethered infrared transmitter that is tethered via a wire to the dongle, the wire being connected to the dongle at a connection point proximate to the universal serial bus connector, the tethered infrared transmitter operative to be connected in proximity to an infrared sensor eye of the media processor for providing the infrared commands to the infrared sensor eye of the media processor.
8 more elements
A remote control accessory comprising:
- a radio frequency to infrared converter that receives transmitted radio frequency signals and that converts the radio frequency signals to infrared commands;
- an infrared transmitter that transmits the infrared commands;
- a housing assembly that houses the radio frequency to infrared converter and the infrared transmitter, wherein the infrared transmitter is integrated into the housing assembly with no exposed wires, and wherein the remote control accessory does not include a user interface for directly inputting the infrared commands at the remote control accessory;
- a coupling member which is coupleable to a media processor via a port of the media processor, wherein the coupling member is pivotably mounted to the housing assembly to allow the housing assembly to pivot with respect to the media processor when the coupling member is inserted into the port, wherein the remote control accessory receives power only via the coupling member, and wherein the coupling member receives power via the port of the media processor without providing the infrared commands to the media processor via the port of the media processor;
- and
- a tethered infrared transmitter that is tethered via a wire to the housing assembly, the wire being connected to the housing assembly at a connection point proximate to the coupling member, the tethered infrared transmitter operative to be connected in proximity to an infrared sensor eye of the media processor, wherein the housing assembly has a compartment that enables storage of the wire within the housing assembly when the tethered infrared transmitter is not in use.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.