Electronic device and controlling method of electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11227485-B2
Application number	US-202016801929-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2020
Priority date	Feb 27, 2019
Publication date	Jan 18, 2022
Grant date	Jan 18, 2022

Abstract

An electronic device according to the disclosure includes an infrared signal receiver, an infrared signal transmitter, a memory that stores computer instruction code, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to: receive a first infrared signal output from a remote control device according to a user input for controlling an external device connected with the electronic device through the infrared signal receiver, identify a second infrared signal corresponding to one of control commands for controlling the operation of the external device based on control information included in the received first infrared signal, identify the output timing of the second infrared signal based on the type of the first infrared signal, and control the infrared signal transmitter to output the determined second infrared signal based on the identified output timing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
an infrared signal receiver;
an infrared signal transmitter;
a memory that stores computer instruction code; and
a processor that executes the computer instruction code, which causes the processor to:
receive a first infrared signal output from a remote control device according to a user input for controlling an external device connected with the electronic device through the infrared signal receiver,
identify a second infrared signal corresponding to one of control commands for controlling an operation of the external device based on control information included in the received first infrared signal,
identify an output timing of the second infrared signal for outputting the second infrared signal at different time from the first infrared signal based on a type of the first infrared signal, and
control the infrared signal transmitter to output the identified second infrared signal based on the identified output timing.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computer instruction code to:
identify the type of the first infrared signal based on at least one of a length, a cycle, or a pattern of the first infrared signal.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computer instruction code to:
based on the received first infrared signal being an infrared signal of a first type output according to a user input of pushing one of a plurality of control buttons included in the remote control device for a time period shorter than a predetermined time period, identify the output timing of the second infrared signal as a first output timing corresponding to the first type, and
based on the received first infrared signal being an infrared signal of a second type output according to a user input of pushing one of the plurality of control buttons included in the remote control device for a time period longer than or equal to the predetermined time period, identify the output timing of the second infrared signal as a second output timing corresponding to the second type and different from the first output timing.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computer instruction code to:
receive a plurality of first infrared signals repetitively output according to the user input of pushing one of the plurality of control buttons included in the remote control device for the time period longer than or equal to the predetermined time period from the remote control device through the infrared signal receiver, and
based on receiving each of the plurality of first infrared signals, control the infrared signal transmitter to repetitively output the identified second infrared signal.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computer instruction code to:
identify the output timing of the second infrared signal such that each output timing of the plurality of second infrared signals repetitively output does not overlap with each receiving timing of the plurality of received first infrared signals.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computer instruction code to:
identify the output timing of the second infrared signal such that each output section of the plurality of second infrared signals has a time interval in a predetermined range with each receiving section of the plurality of first infrared signals.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computer instruction code to:
based on receiving the plurality of first infrared signals by a predetermined cycle through the infrared signal receiver, identify the output timing of the second infrared signal such that the plurality of second infrared signals are output through the infrared signal transmitter by a same cycle as the predetermined cycle by which the plurality of first infrared signals are received.

8. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the time interval in the predetermined range is from 15 milliseconds (ms) to 37 milliseconds.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising: a display, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computer instruction code to:
blast the second infrared signal to a front surface of the electronic device through a waveguide included in the display.

10. A method of controlling an electronic device, the method comprising:
receiving a first infrared signal output from a remote control device according to a user input for controlling an external device connected with the electronic device;
identifying a second infrared signal corresponding to one of control commands for controlling an operation of the external device based on control information included in the received first infrared signal;
identifying an output timing of the second infrared signal for outputting the second infrared signal at different time from the first infrared signal based on a type of the first infrared signal; and
outputting the identified second infrared signal based on the identified output timing.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the identifying the output timing of the second infrared signal further comprises:
identifying the type of the first infrared signal based on at least one of a length, a cycle, or a pattern of the first infrared signal.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the identifying the output timing of the second infrared signal further comprises:
based on the received first infrared signal being an infrared signal of a first type output according to a user input of pushing one of a plurality of control buttons included in the remote control device for a time period shorter than a predetermined time period, identifying the output timing of the second infrared signal as a first output timing corresponding to the first type; and
based on the received first infrared signal being an infrared signal of a second type output according to a user input of pushing one of the plurality of control buttons included in the remote control device for a time period longer than or equal to the predetermined time period, identifying the output timing of the second infrared signal as a second output timing corresponding to the second type and different from the first output timing.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein
the receiving a first infrared signal further comprises: receiving a plurality of first infrared signals repetitively output according to the user input of pushing one of the plurality of control buttons included in the remote control device for the time period longer than or equal to the predetermined time period from the remote control device; and
the outputting the second infrared signal further comprises: based on receiving each of the plurality of first infrared signals, repetitively outputting the identified second infrared signal.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the identifying the output timing of the second infrared signal comprises: identifying the output timing of the second infrared signal such that each output timing of the plurality of second infrared signals repetitively output does not overlap with each receiving timing of the plurality of received first infrared signals.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the identifying the output timing of the second infrared signal comprises: identifying the output timing of the second infrared signal such that each output section of the plurality of second

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jang Duhe

Classifications

• H04N21/411

  having similar hardware or software capabilities as the client device itself, e.g. a first STB connected to a second STB · CPC title

• H04N21/42221 Primary

  Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF] · CPC title

• H04N21/42208

  Display device provided on the remote control · CPC title

• G08C23/04 Primary

  using light waves, e.g. infrared · CPC title

• H04Q9/00

  Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom · CPC title