Ultrasonic remote control receiver suitable for TV receiver

Claim 2

Remote control receiver for receiving continuous wave command signal pulses of different operating frequencies in individual signal channels within a selected frequency range; said receiver having an individual output for each signal channel; means for dividing the frequency of received command signal pulses by a predetermined factor to produce sequence control pulses; sequence generator means responsive to each sequence control pulse resulting from reception of a command signal within the selected frequency range to initiate a new counting cycle; reference frequency counter means for counting in each of said counting cycles reference frequency pulses having a frequency significantly higher than command signals in said selected frequency range; said command signal pulses in each channel giving rise to a different predetermined count of said reference frequency counter means during a counting cycle; storage means for storing the count of the reference frequency counter reached during a counting cycle; comparator circuit means for comparing at the end of each said counting cycle the count of said reference frequency counter means with the existing count stored by said storage means and for producing a first signal indicating identity between such counts and a second signal indicating non-identity between said counts; second and third counter means; means for applying said first signals as count inputs to said second counter means and as clear inputs to said third counter means; means for applying said second signals as count inputs to said third counter means and as clear inputs to said second counter means; decoder circuit means connected for receiving the count stored by said storage means to generage an output signal at an output of said receiver determined by said count; validation means selectively actuable to transfer the count of said storage means to said decoder circuit means; means responsive to a predetermined count of said second counter means to activate said validation means and means responsive only to a different predetermined count of said third counter means to inactivate said validation means.

Claim 3

A remote control receiver according to claim 1, wherein said means for activating and inactivating said validation means, following response to said predetermined count of said second counter means, is adapted to continue to activate said validation means during sequences of said second signals less than said different predetermined count.

Claim 4

A remote control receiver according to claim 2, wherein said means for activating and inactivating said validation means includes a first flip-flop having an output connected to said validating means, a second flip-flop connected to apply a set input to said first flip-flop and to receive a set input from said second counter means when said predetermined count thereof is reached, and a third flip-flop connected to apply a reset input to said first flip-flop and to receive a set input from said third counter means when said predetermined count thereof is reached.

Claim 5

A remote control receiver according to claim 1, further including up/down counter means having n stages, where n is an integer, means connecting first and second outputs of said decoder circuit means to respective input gating means for controlling application of clock pulses to up and down inputs of said up/down counter; digital word to duty cycle converter means for receiving input pulses at a selected frequency, said converter means having n rate inputs, means connecting said n stages of said up/down counter means to respective ones of said n rate inputs to apply a digit word thereto to control the output duty cycle of said converter means as a function of the count of said up/down counter means.

Claim 6

A remote control receiver as set forth in claim 4, wherein said converter means includes an n-bit counter and a sequence of n multi-input gating means each connected to receive a number of inputs from the bits of said n-bit counter means according to its rank in said sequence, and means connecting the bit output of said up/down counter means as respective inputs to said multi-input gating means having outputs connected as inputs to a single output gating means for producing an output signal in response to an output from any of said multi-input gating means.

Claim 7

A remote control receiver according to claim 5, wherein said n-bit counter additionally forms part of said reference frequency counter.

Claim 8

A remote control receiver according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined count of said second counter is approximately four times that of said third counter.

Claim 9

A remote control receiver according to claim 1, including first and second AND-gating means respectively connected to receive inputs from two of said receiver outputs and to apply inputs to respective first and second flip-flops, a further counter means connected to receive count inputs from said sequence generator outputs, gating means having inputs connected respectively to said two receiver outputs and an output connected to a clear input of said further counter means, said gating means responsive to transients at either one of said two receiver outputs to apply clear inputs to said counter such that said counter commences a count only on termination of said transients, and means responsive to a predetermined count of said counter to apply enabling inputs to said third and second AND-gating means and to apply a clear input to said further counter means.

Claim 10

In a television broadcast receiver, a remote control receiver for receiving continuous wave command signal pulses of different operating frequencies in individual signal channels within a selected frequency range; said receiver having an individual output for each signal channel; means for dividing the frequency of received command signal pulses by predetermined factor to produce sequence control pulses; sequence generator means responsive to each sequence control pulse resulting from reception of a command signal within the selected frequency range to initiate a new counting cycle; reference frequency counter means for counting in each of said counting cycles reference frequency pulses having a frequency significantly higher than command signals in said selected frequency range; said command signal pulses in each channel giving rise to a different predetermined count of said reference frequency counter means during a counting cycle; storage means for storing the count of the reference frequency counter reached during a counting cycle; comparator circuit means for comparing at the end of each said counting cycle the count of said reference frequency counter means with the existing count stored by said storage means and for producing a first signal indicating identity between such counts and a second indicating non-identity between such counts; second and third counter means; means for applying said first signals as count inputs to said second counter means and as clear inputs to said third counter means; means for applying said second signals as count inputs to said third counter means and as clear inputs to said second counter means; decoder circuit means connected for receiving the count stored by said storage means to generate an output signal at an output of said receiver determined by said count; validation means selectively actuable to transfer the count of said storage means to said decoder circuit means; means responsive to a predetermined count of said second counter means to activate said validation means and means responsive only to a different predetermined count of said third counter means to inactivate said validation means; said broadcast receiver further including manually operable switch means connected in parallel with individual ones of said remote control receiver outputs for operation to produce an output signal thereat.

Claim 11

In a television broadcast receiver, a remote control receiver for receiving continuous wave command signal pulses of different operating frequencies in individual signal channels within a selected frequency range; said receiver having an individual output for each signal channel; means for dividing the frequency of received command signal pulses by predetermined factor to produce sequence control pulses; sequence generator means responsive to each sequence control pulse resulting from reception of a command signal within the selected frequency range to initiate a new counting cycle; reference frequency counter means for counting in each of said counting cycles reference frequency pulses having a frequency significantly higher than command signals in said selected frequency range; said command signal pulses in each channel giving rise to a different predetermined count of said reference frequency counter means during a counting cycle; storage means for storing the count of the reference frequency counter reached during a counting cycle; comparator circuit means for comparing at the end of each said counting cycle the count of said reference frequency counter means with the existing count stored by said storage means and for producing a first signal indicating identity between such counts and a second indicating non-identity between such counts; second and third counter means; means for applying said first signals as count inputs to said second counter means and as clear inputs to said third counter means; means for applying said second signals as count inputs to said third counter means and as clear inputs to said second counter means; decoder circuit means connected for receiving the count stored by said storage means to generate an output signal at an output of said receiver determined by said count; validation means selectively actuable to transfer the count of said storage means to said decoder circuit means; means responsive to a predetermined count of said second counter means to activate said validation means and means responsive only to a different predetermined count of said third counter means to inactivate said validation means; said broadcast receiver further including manually operable switch means connected in parallel with individual ones of said remote control receiver outputs for operation to produce an output signal thereat.

Claim 12

The combination according to claim 9, wherein said remote control receiver includes anti-bounce circuit means connected to at least some of said remote control receiver outputs for response to transient conditions of said output signals to prevent propagation thereof while said transients are present.

Claim 13

The combination according to claim 10, wherein said anti-bounce circuit means includes first and second AND-gating means respectively connected to receive inputs from two of said remote control receiver outputs and to apply inputs to respective first and second flip-flops; a further counter means connected to receive count inputs from said requence generator outputs; gating means having inputs connected respectively tosaid two remote control receiver outputs and an output connected to a clear input of said further means; said gating means responsive to transients at either one of said two receiver outputs to apply clear inputs to said counter such that said counter commences a count only on termination of said transients; and means responsive to a predetermined count of said counter to apply enabling inputs to said third and second AND-gating means and to apply a clear input to said further counting means.

Claim 14

The combination according to claim 10, wherein said broadcast receiver further includes means for integrating the variable duty cycle output of said converter means to provide a variable d.c. voltage for controlling electronic sound attenuator means of said broadcast receiver.

Claim 15

The combination according to claim 12, wherein said remote control receiver includes gating means operable in response to an output signal from one of said remote control receiver outputs for preventing application to said variable duty cycle output from said converter means to said integrator means, to mute sound output from said television broadcast receiver.

Claim 16

The combination according to claim 9, wherein said broadcast receiver further includes semiconductor switching means for connecting and disconnecting a d.c. supply to said television receiver, and toggle means connecting one of said outputs of said remote control receiver to said semiconductor switching means for operation thereof.

Claim 17

The combination according to claim 14, wherein said remote control receiver includes power-on reset means responsive to initial connection, and connection after disconnection, of an a.c. power supply to said broadcast receiver to activate said toggle means to operate said semiconductor switching means to disconnect said d.c. supply to said broadcast receiver.

Claim 18

The combination according to claim 15, wherein said power-on reset means includes R-S flip-flop means formed as part of said remote-control receiver.