초록 ▼

A method and apparatus for allowing or disrupting passage of power in electrical appliances includes a portable wireless remote control device and a device in the form of an electronic circuit contained within one particular electrical appliance that is adapted for allowing or disrupting passage of

A method and apparatus for allowing or disrupting passage of power in electrical appliances includes a portable wireless remote control device and a device in the form of an electronic circuit contained within one particular electrical appliance that is adapted for allowing or disrupting passage of power in the electrical appliance based upon wireless signals received from the wireless remote control device. The electrical appliance may be any of a variety of electrical appliance, such as a television, a video cassette recorder, a computer, a washer, a dryer, and the like. The wireless remote control device includes a housing. The housing includes mounted therein a display, thirteen input keys each representing two letters of the alphabet, and ten input keys respectively representing the numbers zero through nine. The housing also includes a DELETE input key, an ENTER input key, a left cursor input key, a right cursor input key, a down cursor input key, and an up cursor input key. The housing also includes a power cord which leads to a connector adapted for electrically connecting to an AC or DC power source external of the remote control device. An electrical appliance configured in accordance with the invention is equipped with a device in the form of an electronic circuit including an antenna, a wireless transceiver, a discriminator, an analog to digital and digital to analog converter, a digital logic controller, a memory, and a relay.

대표청구항 ▼

[ I claim:] [1.]1. A system for selectively allowing or disrupting passage of power between an electrical appliance and a power source external of the electrical appliance, said system comprising:a wireless remote control (RC) device comprising:(a) an RC antenna;(b) an RC digital logic controller fo

[ I claim:] [1.]1. A system for selectively allowing or disrupting passage of power between an electrical appliance and a power source external of the electrical appliance, said system comprising:a wireless remote control (RC) device comprising:(a) an RC antenna;(b) an RC digital logic controller for generating a plurality of control signals used to operate said wireless remote control device;(c) an RC memory device coupled to said RC digital logic controller;(d) an RC wireless transceiver coupled to said RC digital logic controller that transmits and receives wireless signals;(e) an RC discriminator coupled to said RC digital logic controller that evaluates received wireless signals; and,(f) an RC analog to digital and digital to analog converter coupled to said RC digital logic controller that provides digital to analog and analog to digital signal conversion for signal processing and communication in both analog and digital form;an electronic circuit (EC) adapted for being electrically connected between the electrical appliance and the power source external of the electrical appliance, said electronic circuit comprising:(a) an EC antenna;(b) an EC digital logic controller for generating a plurality of control signals used to operate said electronic circuit;(c) an EC memory device coupled to said EC digital logic controller;(d) an EC wireless transceiver coupled to said EC digital logic controller that transmits and receives wireless signals;(e) an EC discriminator coupled to said EC digital logic controller that evaluates received wireless signals;(f) an EC analog to digital and digital to analog converter coupled to said EC digital logic controller that provides digital to analog and analog to digital signal conversion for signal processing and communication in both analog and digital form;(g) a relay coupled to said EC digital logic controller that selectively allows or disrupts passage of power between an electrical appliance and a power source external of the electrical appliance; and(h) means for responding to a transmission from the wireless remote control device by indicating the operational status of the electrical appliance; andan appliance code identifying the electrical appliance, the appliance code being stored in the memory device of said electronic circuit, said EC digital logical controller being programmed to respond only to a signal encoded with the appliance code.