Abstract:
A plurality of spaced ceiling mounted fixtures or other controllable electrical appliances have radiation detectors mounted within each fixture and wired internally of the fixture to a dimming circuit or to a ballast. The radiation detectors have sensitivity over a wide angle and have elongated plastic radiation conduction rods which extend to or beyond the plane of the lens of the fixture to be located free of shadow effects of reflections of the fixture lens. A flexible end light fiber optics can be used in place of the acrylic rods. A narrow beam radiation transmitter selectively illuminates one of the rods or end light fiber optics without illuminating the others. The dimming circuits or ballasts within the fixtures can be further controlled by external dimmers, occupancy sensors, timeclocks, photosensors and other types of input devices. The radiation detector and ballast can occupy a common housing and share the same power supply and circuit board. The microcontroller for the radiation detector operates with a 4 of 4 voting mode until a valid signal is detected to switch the system to a 3 of 4 voting mode. A novel mounting adaptor for mounting a visible light fiber optic cable is disclosed with the visible light fiber optic cable conducting infrared radiation for up to 24 inches.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a method of connecting a mobile, electronic control and/or monitoring unit (9) to at least one machine or at least one machine component in a group or a plurality of machines (2) or machine components to be controlled and/or monitored. During a connection or log-on procedure between the control and/or monitoring unit (9) and a co-operating distant point on the respective machine (2), a clear link or log-on connection is set up either by means of interfaces (14, 15) to the selected, wireless direction-finder of the co-operating distant point or alternatively by means of transmitters and/or receivers (16, 17) tuned to a restricted, localized functional or operating range (21). Once the connection has been acknowledged and established, the programmed control and/or monitoring of the machine (2) or the machine component is managed via another, standard data transmission means (22), for example a hard-wired network and/or via a wireless link between the control and/or monitoring unit (9) and the selected machine (2). Also proposed is a control and/or monitoring unit (9) for implementing this method.
Abstract:
A universal remote control unit for changing television channels is shaped like a gun to allow a viewer to point the gun at a television set, and shoot the channel to change the program. The unit is gun shaped having a barrel with a muzzle end containing an infrared beam emitter to produce a signal beam to engage an infrared beam receiver of a television set and provide channel selection. A hand grip portion has a trigger which operates a channel selection switch to produce a signal beam from the infrared emitter to change the channel. A channel direction switch selects whether the channel change should be up or down, and a power source is provided for powering the controls and the light beam emitter. In another embodiment a light beam emitter and a sound effect emitter are included in the gun.
Abstract:
A method for interacting with a graphical user interface (GUI) of a television operating in a step mode in which movement of a cursor among menu items displayed on the GUI is performed stepwise in accordance with a manipulation of a direction key of the remote controller, the method including receiving, by the television, from a remote controller a signal corresponding to spatial movement of the remote controller detected by the remote controller that instructs the television to switch from (i) the step mode to (ii) a position mode of the GUI in which the movement of the cursor among the menu items is performed in accordance with the spatial movement of the remote controller and switching from the step mode of the GUI to the position mode of the GUI based on the signal.
Abstract:
A method for interacting with a graphical user interface (GUI) of a television operating in a step mode in which movement of a cursor among menu items displayed on the GUI is performed stepwise in accordance with a manipulation of a direction key of the remote controller, the method including receiving, by the television, from a remote controller a signal corresponding to spatial movement of the remote controller detected by the remote controller that instructs the television to switch from (i) the step mode to (ii) a position mode of the GUI in which the movement of the cursor among the menu items is performed in accordance with the spatial movement of the remote controller and switching from the step mode of the GUI to the position mode of the GUI based on the signal.
Abstract:
The invention is directed at a remote control device for controlling one or more user devices, comprising a directional optical sensor for receiving one or more optical signals from the user devices and for detecting an incoming direction of said received optical signals, and a processor. For identification of at least one of said user devices, the processor is arranged for analyzing at least one of said received optical signals for associating thereof with the at least one of said user devices and for keeping track of the at least one of said optical signals upon changing of said incoming direction. The one or more optical signals comprise high and low signal states, wherein each optical signal consists of one or more signal fragments. Each signal fragment comprising a leading or trailing low signal state and a high signal state, wherein a duration of the high signal state determines a signal fragment type of the signal fragment and wherein said duration of the high signal state is longer than a duration of the low signal state. The processor is arranged for performing said associating of said at least one received optical signal with the at least one of said user devices by recognition of the one or more signal fragments and associating each signal fragment with its signal fragment type for obtaining therefrom a signal pattern which is uniquely associable with said at least one of said user devices.
Abstract:
A pointing device and a controlling method thereof are provided. The controlling method of the pointing device includes transmitting an identification signal to an external device that is targeted by the pointing device according to a user input, receiving a reflected signal that is generated by reflecting the identification signal from a reflective surface attached to a surface of the external device, and analyzing the reflected signal and identifying the external device.
Abstract:
Various arrangements for presenting contextual menus are presented. A mobile device may be configured to provide contextual menus for control or monitoring of components. Different menus and interfaces are presented based the position of the mobile device or objects being pointed at using the mobile device. Specific objects may be designated as control markers. The objects may be recognized using a camera of the mobile device. When a control marker is recognized a specific menu or interface that is associated with the control marker may be presented to the user.
Abstract:
A method for determining a piece of equipment to be controlled by a transportable control object disposed in a space having at least one positioning unit capable of determining the relative position of the control object relative to the positioning unit, the method including: a step of determining the position and the orientation of the control object in the space from the position of the at least one positioning unit, a step of determining a direction and a sense pointed at by the control object from the position and orientation of the control object determined in this way, and a step of determining a piece of equipment to be controlled in the space from the direction and sense determined in this way.
Abstract:
The embodiments of the present invention provide a method which includes: acquiring, by a control device, a first signal received strength of data that is received by each controlled device of at least one controlled device in a direct path mode, and a second signal received strength of data that is received by each controlled device of the at least one controlled device in a multipath mode; calculating a ratio of the first signal received strength to the second signal received strength of each controlled device, to obtain a signal received strength ratio of each controlled device; determining, according to the signal received strength ratio of each controlled device and a preset signal received strength ratio corresponding to the controlled device, whether the control device directs to the corresponding controlled device; and determining a target controlled device to which the control device directs, and displaying a control interface of the target controlled device.