Smart infrared controller

Claim 1

A motorized television stand, comprising: a rotatable television stand having means in the form of an electric motor for driving the stand in a clockwise direction and in a counterclockwise direction and means in the form of an infrared controller device for controlling the motor according to infrared signals emitted by an infrared transmitter; the infrared controller device including means in the form of an infrared detector for detecting infrared signals from the infrared transmitter; the infrared controller device including means in the form of microprocessor circuitry responsive to the infrared detector for producing first and second outputs, for switching the first output from an OFF state to an ON state if a detected infrared signal has a first predetermined waveform, and for switching the second output from an OFF state to an ON state if a detected infrared signal has a second predetermined waveform; the infrared controller device being connected to the motor so that the first output causes the motor to drive the rotatable stand in one of the clockwise and counterclockwise directions and the second output causes the motor to drive the rotatable stand in the other one of the clockwise and counterclockwise directions; the microprocessor circuitry being configured to operate in a first LEARNING MODE in which the microprocessor circuitry produces and stores a first set of LEARNED DATA indicative of the waveform of any infrared signal detected while the microprocessor circuitry is in the first LEARNING MODE; the microprocessor circuitry being configured to operate in a second LEARNING MODE in which the microprocessor circuitry produces and stores a second set of LEARNED DATA indicative of the waveform of any infrared signal detected while the microprocessor circuitry is in the second LEARNING MODE; and the microprocessor circuitry also being configured to operate in a WORKING MODE in which the microprocessor circuitry (a) produces a set of WORKING DATA for any detected infrared signal detected while the microprocessor circuitry is in the WORKING MODE such that the WORKING DATA is indicative of the waveform of any such detected infrared signal, (b) switches the first output from an OFF state to an ON state if the set of WORKING DATA matches the first set of LEARNED DATA, and (c) switches the second output from an OFF state to an ON state if the set of WORKING DATA matches the second set of LEARNED DATA.