Control device, control method, electric apparatus, control method of an ...

CONTROL DEVICE, CONTROL METHOD,
ELECTRIC APPARATUS, CONTROL
METHOD OF AN ELECTRIC APPARATUS,
ELECTRIC APPARATUS SYSTEM,
CONTROL METHOD OF AN ELECTRIC
APPARATUS SYSTEM, AND TRANSMISSION
MEDIUM

Inventors: Tomoko Terakado, Kanagawa (JP);
Yukio Furudate, Kanagawa (JP);
Tomoyuki Hanai, Kanagawa (JP);
Tatsushi Nashida, Kanagawa (JP)

Assignee: Sony Corporation, Tokyo (JP)

Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term ol this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 690 days.

Appl. No.: 09/751,113

Filed: Dec. 29, 2000

Prior Publication Data

US 2002/0001042 Al Jan. 3, 2002

Related U.S. Application Data

Continuation of application No. 09/114,390, filed on Jul. 13, 1998, now Pat. No. 6,246,441.

Foreign Application Priority Data

18, 1997 (JP) P09-193588

(58) Field of Classification Search 348/552-553,

348/725, 731, 580, 583, 10, 416, 574, 461, 348/564, 569, 906, 735; 386/46, 83, 95; 725/38-40, 42, 48, 49, 51, 54-56, 79, 82-83, 725/88, 91-92,102-103, 112, 114-118,153;

709/225,229; 707/14; 345/547 See application file for complete search history.

(56) References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

5,287,181 A * 2/1994 Holman 348/473

(Continued)

FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS

JP 411041566 A * 2/1999

(Continued)

Primary Examiner—Matthew C. Bella

Assistant Examiner—Wesner Sajous

(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Obion, Spivak, McClelland,

Maier & Neustadt, PC.

Radio waves transmitted from the antenna of a broadcasting station are received by the antenna of a television receiver. The television receiver extracts an EPG from the received radio waves and transmits it to a remote controller via an infrared transmission/reception section. The remote controller displays the received EPG on a LCD and is then rendered in a state of waiting for selection of a program. If some program is selected and then a reserve button is manipulated, the remote controller transmits a control command for a recording reservation to a video tape recorder. The video tape recorder receives the control command with an infrared transmission/reception section, whereby the recording reservation of the designated program is set.

73 Claims, 14 Drawing Sheets

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

5,410,326 A * 4/1995 Goldstein 348/734

5,523,794 A * 6/1996 Mankovitz et al 705/14

5,625,608 A * 4/1997 Grewe et al 369/24.01

5,635,978 A 6/1997 Alten et al 348/7

5,710,605 A * 1/1998 Nelson 348/734

5,737,029 A 4/1998 Ohkura et al 348/564

5,801,787 A * 9/1998 Schein et al 348/469

5,818,935 A * 10/1998 Maa 380/200

RE35,952 E * 11/1998 Beery 348/731

5,848,352 A 12/1998 Dougherty et al 455/5.1

5,867,226 A 2/1999 Wehmeyer et al 348/563

5,886,691 A 3/1999 Furuya et al 345/327

5,886,995 A 3/1999 Aisenault et al 370/477

5,900,905 A 5/1999 Shoff et al 348/12

5,903,314 A 5/1999 Niijima et al 348/564

5,903,871 A * 5/1999 Terui et al 704/500

5,905,246 A * 5/1999 Fajkowski 235/375

5,907,323 A 5/1999 Lawler et al 45/327

5,926,179 A 7/1999 Matsuda et al 345/355

5,926,230 A 7/1999 Niijima et al 348/564

5,931,908 A 8/1999 Gerba et al 709/219

5,961,603 A * 10/1999 Kunkel et al 709/229

5,978,013 A * 11/1999 Jones et al 725/23

5,996,028 A * 11/1999 Niimi et al 710/13

6,002,394 A * 12/1999 Schein et al 345/327

6,005,562 A 12/1999 Shiga et al 345/327

6,037,998 A * 3/2000 Usui et al 345/569

6,057,856 A 5/2000 Miyashita et al 345/435

6,075,570 A * 6/2000 Usui et al 348/469

6,084,643 A * 7/2000 Kishtaka et al 348/725

6,091,884 A * 7/2000 Yuen et al 386/83

6,130,726 A * 10/2000 Darbee et al 348/734

6,154,211 A 11/2000 Kamachi et al 345/355

6,177,931 Bl * 1/2001 Alexander et al 345/327

6,246,441 Bl * 6/2001 Terakado et al 348/552

6,252,630 Bl * 6/2001 Kusumi et al 348/460

6,305,018 Bl * 10/2001 Usui et al 725/49

6,532,592 Bl * 3/2003 Shintani et al 725/141

FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS

JP 02000244833 A * 9/2000

WO WO 00/60517 * 10/2000

* cited by examiner