AU617003B2 - Remote controller - Google Patents

Description

I.0 1 S F Ref: 106974 FORM COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE. SPECIFICATI 17 0

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE: Class Int Class o ~o 4 r 0 I 4 Complete Spec Priority: Related Art: ification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Name and Address of Applicant: Address for Service: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha 2-3, Marunouchi 2-chome Chiyoda-ku Tokyo 100

JAPAN

Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys Level 33 St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia Complete Specification for the invention entitled: Remote Controller 4(44 The following statement is a best method of performing it full description of this invention, including the known to me/us 5845/3 Ii 2 Abstract REMOTE CONTROLLER A remote controller which includes a unit body; a lid hinged to the unit body and having a plurality of outside operation switches thereon; a lid detector for detecting open and closed conditions of the lid; and a plurality of operation switches which are directly usable when the lid is opened but through the outside operation switches when the lid is closed.

The operation switches have different functions depending on the open and closed conditions of the lid.

0 0 0 0 0 e 1 T <t I KRS/167D -3- Background of the Invention REMOTE CONTROLLER The present invention relates to remote controllers for air conditions or the like.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a conventional remote controller such as shown in Japanese U.M. Patent Application Kokai No. 62-31237. The remote controller includes a unit body 1, a display 2, a lid 3, a compartment 4, operation switches 5, and outside operation switches 6.

FIG. 3 shows the functional units of the remote controller which consists of an operation unit 11, a control unit 13, a transmission unit 14, and a display unit In operation, when the air conditioner is operated, the lid 3 of the remote controller is opened (hereinafter referred to as "open condition") to use the operation switches 5 for controlling the operation of the air conditioner. For some of the operation switches 5 which are frequently o used, the outside operation switches 6 are provided so that they are used ,o with the lid 3 closed (hereinafter referred to as "closed condition") to thereby not only eliminate the operation of opening the lid 3 but also to permit only a few operation switches to appear on the remote controller for better appearance.

In FIG. 3, a signal of the desired operation selected with the operation switch 5 of the operation unit 11 is sent to the control unit 13.

The control unit 13 displays the selected operation on the display 2 of the display unit 15 and transmits the signal to the air conditioner via the transmission unit 14.

FIG. 4 shows another conventional remote controller such as shown in Japanese U.M. Patent Application Kokai No. 62-177187. The remote controller includes a unit body 1, displays 2 for indicating respective functions of a machine (air conditioner), a lid 3, a compartment 4, and operation switches 5. the block diagram of this controller is substantially the same as that of Fig. 3. To operate the air conditioner, the lid 3 is opened to operate operation switches 5 for selecting the operational conditions of the air conditioner, and the operation conditions are displayed in the corresponding display areas.

Nith the conventional remote controllers, as the number of operation switches 5 is increased to provide more comfortable air conditioning, the operability of the remote controller is lowered. In addition, a large number of displays gives an impression that the operation of the remote KRS/167D 4'It L.!i "Fi7~_ -4controller is very complicated.

Japanese U.M. Patent Application Kokai No. 61-136336 discloses a remote controller with a slidable lid for video tape recorders. By sliding the lid, the main control switches (for playback, recording, fast forward, fast rewind, and stop) and the auxiliary control switches (for program reservation and setting date and day) are automatically selected.

Consequently, either the main or auxiliary control switches are seen at a time depending on the lid position. However, the total number of switches remains the same.

Summary of the Invention Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a remote controller capable of having additional switches for providing more comfortable air conditioning without impairing the operability and appearance of the remote controller.

According to an aspect of the invention there is provided a remote controller which includes a unit body; a lid hinged to the body and having S a pluraiity of outside operation switches thereon; a lid detector for e ,s°o detecting open and closed conditions of the lid; and a plurality of operation switches which are directly usable when the lid is opened but usable only through the outside operation switches when the lid is closed.

The operation switches have different functions depending on the open and closed conditions of the lid.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a remote controller which has a liquid crystal display unit with its display switched in response to the selected operation.

According to still another aspect of the invention there is provided o a remote controller which has a liquid crystal display unit consisting of 0.*i two layers each having a different set of displays which are switched in response to the selected operation.

According to the invention, the function of an operation switch in the compartment is switched depending on the open or closed condition of o the lid so that more functions of air conditioning are selected without increasing the number of operation switches or displays to be operated by the user, thus providing an easy-to-use remote controller.

Brief Description of the Drawings FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a conventional remote controller with the lid closed; KRS/167D I li FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the remote controller with the lid opened; FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the remote controller; FIG. 4 is a plan view of another conventional remote controller; FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a remote controller according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the remote controller of FIG. 5, with the lid opened; FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the remote controller of FIG. 5, with the lid closed; FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the remote controller of FIG. FIG. 9 shows an example of display under the open condition; FIG. 10 shows an example of display under the closed condition; FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a remote controller according to another embodiment of the invention; FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a remote controller, with the lid closed, according to still another embodiment of the invention; and FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the remote 'ontroller of FIG. 12, with the lid opened.

00 0 t 0 0 o 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ao 0 Description of the Preferred Embodiment In FIGS. 5-i, the remote controller includes a unit body 1, a liquid crystal display 2, a lid 3, a compartment 4, operation switches 5, outside operation switches 6, and a sensor 7 for sensing the open or closed a00 condition of the lid.

6' tO0 In FIG. 8, the remote controller includes an operation unit 11 having the operation switches 5, a detector 12 for detecting the open or closed 0 0o 0,0 condition of the lid in response to a signal from the sensor 7, a control unit or microcomputer 13 mounted within the body 1, a transmission unit 14 mounted within the body 1, and a display unit 15 having the liquid crystal display 2.

4 a, 0 o In operation, the function A which is determined by the control unit 13 when an operation switch 5 is depressed under open conditions of the lid 3 and the function B which is determined by the control unit 13 when an outside operation switch 6 is depressed under closed conditions of the lid 3 are selected by the control unit 13 in response to a signal from the detector 12 having the sensor 7 which is brought into contact with the lid 3 under the closed condition. A signal of the selected function is transmitted to the air conditioner via the transmission unit 14. At the KRS/l 670 T r ;113 sF-- llmlul~rif -6same time, the corresponding display C such as shown in FIG. 9 or display D such as shown in FIG. 10 is provided on the liquid crystal display 2.

The function A of an air conditioner includes switching between cooling and heating operations while the function B includes setting time or switching between on and off by a timer.

In FIG. 11, the liquid crystal display 2 is composed of two layers of liquid crystal such that the respective displays C and D corresponding to the functions A and B are provided on the upper and lower layers respectively. In response to a signal from the lid detector 12, the control unit 13 selects the upper or lower layer via the display switching unit 16.

With this second embodiment, it is possible to pacK more displays in the limited area. For the same number of displays, it is possible to increase the size of each letter for better readability.

In FIGS. 12 and 13, a window 8 is provided on the lid 3 so that when Sthe lid is closed, the display 2 is viewed through window 8. This is useful when there is a difference in display area between the closed and open conditions of the lid 3. With this third embodiment, it is possible 004oQ0 S to hide the timer display which is seldom used but to permit easy viewing ao0 S through the clear window of the operation mode, set temperature, flow rate, and other displays which are frequently used.

As described above, with the remote controller according to the invention, it is possible to add more operation switches without impairing Soo 4 the operability and appearance. With the display unit which switches a, 0o displays depending on the selected operation or the liquid crystal display which is composed of two layers each having a different set of displays and S switchable in response to the selected operation, it is possible to add more switches without impairing the appearance of the remote controller and cluttering the remote controller with the displays.

In the above embodiments, various remote controllers for air o conditions have been described, but the invention may be applied to other remote controllers such as for VTRs and audio equipment.

KRS/167D

Claims (1)

1. 7- The claims defining the invention are as follows: i. A remote controller comprising: a unit body; a lid hinged to said unit body and having a plurality of outside operation switches thereon; a lid detector for detecting open and closed conditions of said lid; and a plurality of operation switches which are directly usable when said lid is opened but usable only through said outside operation switches when said lid is closed; said operation switches having different functions depending on said open and closed conditions of said lid. 2. The remote controller of claim 1, which further comprises a display unit provided on said unit body to display an operation of a machine to be controlled and having different displays according to a 0,o selected function with said operation switch. 3. The remote controller of claim 1, which further comprises a liquid crystal display unit composed of two layers each capable of providing a different set of displays and selectable in response to a oat selected function with said operation switch. 4. The remote controller of claim 1, wherein said lid is provided with a clear window, an area of said window being smaller than that of said display on said unit body so that part of said display is blocked from 2 viewing through said clear window. DATED this THIRTEENTH day of SEPTEMBER 1989 Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Patent Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON FERGUSON KRS/167D! rI