Television receiver with remote control system capable of controlling associated peripheral devices manufactured by different companies

Claim 2

In a system including a main video or audio signal processing device capable of generating and transmitting first function control signals having a first code format to at least one peripheral video or audio signal processing device of a given type that may be coupled to said main device to control various functions of said peripheral device in response to remote control signals corresponding to said first code format received from a remote control transmitter, apparatus included in said main device for allowing another peripheral video or audio signal processing device of said given type that also may be coupled to said main video or audio signal processing device but which responds to second function control signals having a second code format, different from said first code format, to be controlled by said remote control transmitter in response to said remote control signals corresponding to said first code format, said apparatus comprising: memory means for storing said second function control signals corresponding to said second code format; converting means coupled to said memory means and operating in conjunction therewith for generating said second function control signals having said second code format in response to respective ones of said remote control signals corresponding to said first code format during a normal mode of operation; and coupling means for coupling said second function control signals to said other peripheral device from said main device during said normal mode of operation; said other peripheral device having associated with it another remote control transmitter for generating remote control signals allocated to various functions of said other peripheral device and corresponding to said second code format; said main device responding to said remote control signals corresponding to said second code format for storing said second function control signals in said memory means in a manner allocated to respective ones of said remote control signals corresponding to said first code format during a learning mode of operation.

Claim 3

The system define in claim 1, wherein: said main device is a television receiver and said one and said other peripheral devices are video recorders.

Claim 4

The system defined in claim 1, wherein: said television receiver includes display means for displaying an image in response to a video signal during said normal mode of operation; and said display means displays messages for instructing a user to operate said remote control transmitter associated with said other peripheral device to allocate said first function control signals to various functions of said other peripheral device during said learning mode of operation.

Claim 5

The system defined in claim 3, wherein: said instructions instruct the user to press function keys of said remote control transmitter of said other peripheral device to allocate said first function control signals to various functions of said other peripheral device one after another during said learning mode of operation.

Claim 6

The system defined in claim 3, wherein: said massages include lettered characters.

Claim 7

The system defined in claim 3, wherein: said instructions instruct the user as to which function keys of said remote control transmitter of said other peripheral device to press to allocate said first function control signals to various functions of said other peripheral device during said learning mode.

Claim 8

The system defined in claim 1, wherein: said main device generates remote control signals corresponding to said second code format in response to remote control signals of said first code format during said normal mode of operation; and said coupling means includes remote control transmitter means for coupling said remote control signals corresponding to said second code format to said other peripheral device.

Claim 9

In a system including a main video or audio signal processing device capable of generating and transmitting first function control signals having a first code format to at least one peripheral video of audio signal processing device of a given type that may be coupled to said main device to control various functions of said peripheral device in response to remote control signals corresponding to said first code format received from a remote control transmitter, apparatus included in said main device for allowing another peripheral video or audio signal processing device of said given type that also may be coupled to said main video or audio signal processing device but which responds to second function control signals having a second code format, different from said first code format, to be controlled by said remote control transmitter in response to said remote control signals corresponding to said first code format, said apparatus comprising: memory means for storing said second function control signals corresponding to said second code format; converting means coupled to said memory means and operating in conjunction therewith for generating said second function control signals having said second code format in response to respective ones of said remote control signals corresponding to said first code format during a normal mode of operation; and coupling means for coupling said second function control signals to said other peripheral device from said main device during said normal mode of operation; said other peripheral device having associated with it another remote control transmitter for generating remote control signals allocated to various functions of said other peripheral device and corresponding to said second code format; said main device responding to said remote control signals corresponding to said second code format for storing said second function control signals in said memory means in a manner allocated to respective ones of said remote control signals corresponding to said first code format during a learning mode of operation; said main device further including display means for displaying an image in response to a video signal during said normal mode of operation; said display means displaying messages for instructing a user to operate said remote control transmitter associated with said other peripheral device to allocate said first function control signals to various functions of said other peripheral device during said learning mode of operation; said instructions instructing the user as to which function keys of said remote control transmitter of said other peripheral device to press to allocate said first function control signals to various functions of said other peripheral device during said learning mode.

Claim 10

In a system including a main video or audio signal processing device capable of generating and transmitting first function control signals having a first code format to at least one peripheral video of audio signal processing device of a given type that may be coupled to said main device to control various functions of said peripheral device in response to remote control signals corresponding to said first code format received from a remote control transmitter, apparatus included in said main device for allowing another peripheral video or audio signal processing device of said given type that also may be coupled to said main video or audio signal processing device but which responds to second function control signals having a second code format, different from said first code format, to be controlled by said remote control transmitter in response to said remote control signals corresponding to said first code format, said apparatus comprising: memory means for storing said second function control signals corresponding to said second code format; converting means coupled to said memory means and operating in conjunction therewith for generating said second function control signals having said second code format in response to respective ones of said remote control signals corresponding to said first code format during a normal mode of operation; and coupling means for coupling said second function control signals to said other peripheral device from said main device during said normal mode of operation; said other peripheral device having associated with it another remote control transmitter for generating remote control signals allocated to various functions of said other peripheral device and corresponding to said second code format; said main device responding to said remote control signals corresponding to said second code format for storing said second function control signals in said memory means in a manner allocated to respective ones of said remote control signals corresponding to said first code format during a learning mode of operation; said main device further including display means for displaying an image in response to a video signal during said normal mode of operation; said display means displaying messages for instructing a user to operate said remote control transmitter associated with said other peripheral device to allocate said first function control signals to various functions of said other peripheral device during said learning mode of operation; said instructions instructing the user as to which function keys of said remote control transmitter of said other peripheral device to press to allocate said first function control signals to various functions of said other peripheral device during said learning mode.

Claim 11

In a system including a main video or audio signal processing device capable of generating and transmitting first function control signals having a first code format to at least one peripheral video or audio signal processing device of a given type that may be coupled to said main device to control various functions of said peripheral device in response to remote control signal corresponding to said first code format received form a remote control transmitter, apparatus included in said main device for allowing another peripheral video or audio signal processing device of said given type that also may be coupled to said main video or audio signal processing device but which responds to second function control signals having a second code format, different from said first code format, to be controlled by said remote control transmitter in response to said remote control signals corresponding to said first code format, said apparatus comprising: memory means for storing said second function control signals corresponding to said second code format; converting means coupled to said memory means and operating in conjunction therewith for generating said second function control signals having said second code format in response to respective ones of said remote control signals corresponding to said first code format during a normal mode of operation; and coupling means for coupling said second function control signals to said other peripheral device from said main device during said normal mode of operation; said other peripheral device having associated with it another remote control transmitter for generating remote control signals allocated to various functions of said other peripheral device and corresponding to said second code format; said main device responding to said remote control signals corresponding to said second code format for storing said second function control signals in said memory means in a manner allocated to respective ones of said remote control signals corresponding to said first code format during a learning mode of operation; said main device generating remote control signals corresponding to said second code format in response to remote control signals of said first code format during said normal mode of operation; said coupling means including remote control transmitter means for coupling said remote control signals corresponding to said second code format to said other peripheral device.

Claim 12

In a system including a main video or audio signal processing device capable of generating and transmitting first function control signals having a first code format to at least one peripheral video or audio signal processing device of a given type that may be coupled to said main device to control various functions of said peripheral device in response to remote control signal corresponding to said first code format received form a remote control transmitter, apparatus included in said main device for allowing another peripheral video or audio signal processing device of said given type that also may be coupled to said main video or audio signal processing device but which responds to second function control signals having a second code format, different from said first code format, to be controlled by said remote control transmitter in response to said remote control signals corresponding to said first code format, said apparatus comprising: memory means for storing said second function control signals corresponding to said second code format; converting means coupled to said memory means and operating in conjunction therewith for generating said second function control signals having said second code format in response to respective ones of said remote control signals corresponding to said first code format during a normal mode of operation; and coupling means for coupling said second function control signals to said other peripheral device from said main device during said normal mode of operation; said other peripheral device having associated with it another remote control transmitter for generating remote control signals allocated to various functions of said other peripheral device and corresponding to said second code format; said main device responding to said remote control signals corresponding to said second code format for storing said second function control signals in said memory means in a manner allocated to respective ones of said remote control signals corresponding to said first code format during a learning mode of operation; said main device generating remote control signals corresponding to said second code format in response to remote control signals of said first code format during said normal mode of operation; said coupling means including remote control transmitter means for coupling said remote control signals corresponding to said second code format to said other peripheral device.