Remote control device using telephone circuit of electric apparatus

Abstract

A remote control device using a telephone circuit of an electric apparatus to remote-control the electric apparatus from a remote location. The electric apparatus is held operative by a loop means for automatically engaging a telephone set with the telephone circuit and a means for enabling the electric apparatus (VTR) when a specific signal or a password is supplied thereto. A remote control signal is supplied to operate means (IC-2) for selecting a desired channel of channels (1CH-12CH) and means (IC-3, 8) for presetting an operation time interval of the electric apparatus, so that the desired channel of the electric apparatus can be selected and the operation time interval can be preset from the remote location. Furthermore, the start time of the electric apparatus can be preset by the remote control signal from the remote location.

I claim: 
     
       1. An electric apparatus, connected to a telephone circuit and incorporating means for operation of the electric apparatus in response to reception of a code over the telephone line consisting of "dialed" or "push button-entered" numbers, said means comprising: loop means for automatically engaging a telephone set with the telephone circuit by detecting a ringing signal from the telephone set; an electric apparatus having a plurality of operation modes to be selected; a tone decoder for converting a remote control signal transmitted through the telephone circuit to a code after a loop is formed by said loop means; key code preset means; comparator means for comparing a key code preset by said key code preset means and the key code supplied by the remote control signal and converted by said tone decoder; means for disengaging the loop engaged by said loop means in accordance with a noncoincidence signal from said comparator means; selecting means for selecting a desired operation mode of said electric apparatus in accordance with an output from said tone decoder; operation time interval preset means for presetting an operation time interval of said electric apparatus in accordance with the output from said tone decoder; a counter for setting an output for selecting the operation mode and/or the operation time interval of said electric apparatus from said tone decoder; pulse generating means for generating pulses the number of which corresponds to a count set in said counter; and audible signal oscillating means for transmitting an audible signal onto the telephone circuit in response to an output from said pulse generating means. 
     
     
       2. An electric apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said electric apparatus comprises a video tape recorder. 
     
     
       3. An electric apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the remote control signal is a signal generated upon depression of a button or a pushphone. 
     
     
       4. An electric apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the remote control signal for selecting the operation mode of said electric apparatus and the remote control signal for presetting the operation time interval thereof are signals generated by numeric buttons of said pushphone. 
     
     
       5. An electric apparatus, connected to a telephone circuit and incorporating means for operation of the electric apparatus in response to reception of a code over the telephone line consisting of "dialed" or "push button-entered" numbers, said means comprising: loop means for automatically engaging a telephone set with the telephone circuit by detecting a ringing signal of the telephone set; a tone decoder for converting to a code a remote control signal generated by various buttons of a pushphone and transmitted through the telephone circuit after a loop is formed by said loop means; selecting means for selecting a desired operation mode of said electric apparatus in accordance with an output from said tone decoder corresponding to a remote control signal generated by numeric buttons of said pushphone; start time preset means for presetting a start time of said electric apparatus in accordance with the number of outputs generated by said tone decoder which correspond to a remote control signal .Iadd.generated .Iaddend.by a specific button other than the numeric buttons of said pushphone; and operation time interval preset means for presetting the operation time interval after the start time of said electric apparatus in accordance with the number of outputs generated from said tone decoder which correspond to a remote control signal generated by a button other than the numeric buttons and the specific button of said pushphone. 
     
     
       6. An electric apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said tone decoder is enabled when a specific remote control signal is supplied thereto. 
     
     
       7. An electric apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said electric apparatus comprises a video tape recorder. 
     
     
       8. An electric apparatus according to claim 5, wherein an automatic telephone answering apparatus is connected to said remote control device, and a remote control operation of said electric apparatus is recorded on an incoming tape of said automatic telephone answering apparatus. .Iadd. 
     
     
       9.  An electric apparatus comprising: a remote control device; a tone decoder for converting to a code a remote control signal generated by various buttons of the remote control device; selecting means for selecting a desired operation mode of said electric apparatus in accordance with an output from said tone decoder corresponding to a remote control signal generated by numeric buttons of said remote control device; start time preset means for presetting a future start time of said electric apparatus in accordance with the number of outputs generated by said tone decoder which correspond to a remote control signal generated by a specific button (e.g., "#") other than the numeric buttons of said remote control device (e.g., each pressing of the specific button corresponds to thirty minutes); and operation time duration preset means for presetting the operation time duration after the start time of said electric apparatus in accordance with the number of outputs generated from said tone decoder which correspond to a remote control signal generated by a further button (e.g., "*") other than the numeric buttons and the specific button of said remote control device (e.g., each pressing of the further button corresponds to a thirty minutes duration). .Iaddend. .Iadd. 
     
     
       10.  The apparatus of claim 2, including means for coupling audio sounds generated by said electric apparatus on said telephone circuit so that a caller can hear the audio sounds to confirm that a program being recorded by said electric apparatus is a desired one. .Iaddend. .Iadd.11. The apparatus of claim 7, including means for coupling audio sounds generated by said electric apparatus on said telephone circuit so that a caller can hear the audio sounds to confirm that a program being recorded by said 
     
     
        electric apparatus is a desired one. .Iaddend. .Iadd.12.  The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said electric apparatus comprises a VTR, including means for transmitting audio sounds generated by said VTR to a remote location to enable a user at said remote location to detect the audio sounds to confirm that a program being recorded by said VTR is a desired one. .Iaddend. .Iadd.13. A system for controlling the operation of a video tape recorder (VTR) by remote control over a telephone line, comprising: means for connecting the VTR to a telephone circuit including the telephone line;   loop means for automatically engaging a telephone set with the telephone circuit by detecting a ringing signal;   means for prestoring control codes;   a decoder for converting a remote control signal transmitted by a caller through the telephone circuit to a code after a loop is formed by said loop means;   means for comparing said code from said decoder to said control codes to select a particular operation of said VTR including a recording operation;   means for controlling said VTR in accordance with said particular operation; and   means for coupling audio sounds generated by said VTR on said telephone circuit so that a caller can hear the audio sounds to confirm that a television program being recorded by said VTR is a desired program.   
     
     
        .Iaddend. .Iadd.14.  The system of claim 13, wherein said coupling means includes transformer means for coupling said audio sounds from said VTR to said telephone line. .Iaddend. .Iadd.15. The system of claim 14, wherein said VTR includes an earphone terminal and said coupling means further includes means for amplifying electrical signals generated by said VTR at said earphone terminal to form amplified electrical signals and a line transformer for applying said amplified electrical signals to said telephone line. .Iaddend.