VCR with cable tuner control

Abstract

A single remote control transmitter can advantageously control three units including a cable tuner/descrambler, a video recorder/player and a television receiver. One of these three units, preferably the video recorder/player, is a master unit. It receives remote control signals from a hand held remote control transmitter. The master unit is initialized using on screen prompts to learn the remote control signals for the other units which are slaves. The prompts ask the user to operate various controls on the remote control transmitter of the proposed slave unit, while receiving and analyzing the remote control transmissions. This permits the master unit to build a translation table for control of the slave units. The master unit may include a read only memory of remote control codes for a number of possible slave units. The master unit can abort the initialization process if it recognizes the requested remote control transmission is according to one of the remote control codes stored in the memory. The system preferably separates control of the plural processes so that each one of the cable tuner/descrambler, the video recorder/player and the television receiver are employed for only certain functions.

Having thus described my invention I claim: 
     
       1. In a television viewing system of the type including a television receiver that receives control signals, a first hand-held remote transmitter that transmits control signals to at least said television receiver, a first associated unit that provides video signals to said television receiver, and a second hand-held remote transmitter that transmits control signals to at least said associated unit, wherein said television receiver and said first hand-held remote transmitter constitute a master unit and said first associated unit and said second hand-held transmitter constitute a slave unit, said master unit being trainable to transmit control signals to said slave unit, the method of training said master unit as to the required control signal codes for transmission to the slave unit comprising the steps of: generating displays on the screen of the television receiver requesting the operator to use the second hand-held transmitter of the slave unit to transmit at least certain control signals to said master unit;   receiving said control signals at the master unit from the second hand-held transmitter of the slave unit; and   establishing a conversion memory within said master unit, based on such received control signals, to enable said master unit to transmit control signals to the slave unit.   
     
     
       2. The method of claim 1 in which said first associated unit is a video recorder/player. 
     
     
       3. The method of claim 2 in which said television viewing system further includes a second associated unit comprising a tunable video signal receiver and scrambled signal descrambler and a third hand-held remote transmitter, wherein said second associated unit and third hand-held remote transmitter constitute a second slave unit, said master unit being further trainable to transmit control signals to said second slave unit, said method further including the steps of: generating displays on the screen of the television receiver requesting the operator to use the hand-held transmitter of the second slave unit to transmit at least certain control signals;   receiving said control signals at the master unit from the hand-held transmitter of the second slave unit; and   establishing a conversion memory within said master unit, based on such received control signals, to enable said master unit to transmit control signals to the second slave unit.   
     
     
       4. The method of claim 1 in which said associated unit is a tunable video signal receiver and scrambled signal descrambler. 
     
     
       5. The method of claim 1 in which said master unit includes a code memory containing codes representing the control codes of a plurality of known hand-held remote transmitters, said method further comprising the steps of: comparing said control signals received at the master unit from the second hand-held transmitter with the contents of said code memory; and   establishing said conversion memory within said master unit as a matching portion of said code memory if said received control signals match a portion of said code memory.   
     
     
       6. In a television viewing system of the type including a television receiver that receives control signals, a first hand-held remote transmitter that transmits control signals to at least said television receiver, a first associated unit that provides video signals to said television receiver, and a second hand-held remote transmitter that transmits control signals to at least said first associated unit, wherein said first associated unit and said second hand-held remote transmitter constitute a master unit and said television receiver and first hand-held remote transmitter constitute a slave unit, said master unit being trainable to transmit control signals to said slave unit, the method of training said master unit as to the required control signal codes for transmission to the slave unit comprising the steps of: generating displays on the screen of the television receiver requesting the operator to use the first hand-held transmitter of the slave unit to transmit at least certain control signals to said master unit;   receiving said control signals at the master unit from the first hand-held transmitter of the slave unit; and   establishing a conversion memory within said master unit, based on such received control signals, to enable said master unit to transmit control signals to the slave unit.   
     
     
       7. The method of claim 6 in which said first associated unit is a video recorder/player. 
     
     
       8. The method of claim 7 in which said television viewing system further includes a second associated unit comprising a tunable video signal receiver and scrambled signal descrambler and a third hand-held remote transmitter, wherein said second associated unit and third hand-held remote transmitter constitute a second slave unit, said master unit being further trainable to transmit control signals to said second slave unit, said method further including the steps of: generating displays on the screen of the television receiver requesting the operator to use the third hand-held transmitter of the second slave unit to transmit at least certain control signals;   receiving said control signals at the master unit from the third hand-held transmitter of the second slave unit; and   establishing a conversion memory within said master unit, based on such received control signals, to enable said master unit to transmit control signals to the second slave unit.   
     
     
       9. The method of claim 6 in which said first associated unit is a tunable video receiver and scrambled signal descrambler. 
     
     
       10. The method of claim 9 in which said television viewing system further includes a second associated unit comprising a video recorder/player and a third hand-held remote transmitter, wherein said second associated unit and third hand-held remote transmitter constitute a second slave unit, said master unit being further trainable to transmit control signals to said second slave unit, said method further including the steps of: generating displays on the screen of the television receiver requesting the operator to use the third hand-held transmitter of the second slave unit to transmit at least certain control signals;   receiving said control signals at the master unit from the third hand-held transmitter of the second slave unit; and   establishing a conversion memory within said master unit, based on such received control signals, to enable said master unit to transmit control signals to the second slave unit.   
     
     
       11. The method of claim 6 in which said master unit includes a code memory containing codes representing the control codes of a plurality of hand-held remote transmitters, said method further comprising the steps of: comparing said control signals received at the master unit from the first hand-held transmitter with the contents of said code memory; and   establishing said conversion memory within said master unit as a matching portion of said code memory if said received control signals match a portion of said code memory.   
     
     
       12. In a television viewing system of the type including a television receiver that receives control signals, a first hand-held remote transmitter that transmits control signals to at least said television receiver, a video recorder/player that provides video signals to said television receiver, a second hand-held remote transmitter that transmits control signals to at least said video recorder/player, a tunable video signal receiver and scrambled signal descrambler that provides video signals to at least said television receiver, and a third hand-held remote transmitter that transmits control signals to at least said descrambler, wherein said video recorder/player and said second hand-held remote transmitter constitute a master unit and said descrambler and third hand-held remote transmitter constitute a slave unit, said master unit being trainable to transmit control signals to said slave unit, the method of training said master unit as to the required control signal codes for transmission to the slave unit comprising the steps of: generating displays on the screen of the television receiver requesting the operator to use the third hand-held remote transmitter of the slave unit to transmit at least certain control signals to the master unit;   receiving said control signals at the master unit from the third hand-held transmitter of the slave unit; and   establishing a conversion memory within said master unit, based on such received control signals, to enable said master unit to transmit control signals to the slave unit.   
     
     
       13. The method of claim 12 in which said master unit includes a code memory containing codes representing the control codes of a plurality of hand-held remote transmitters, said method further comprising the steps of: comparing said control signals received at the master unit from the third hand-held transmitter with the contents of said code memory; and   establishing said conversion memory as a matching portion of said code memory if said received control signals match a portion of said code memory.   
     
     
       14. In a television viewing system of the type including a television receiver that receives control signals, a first hand-held remote transmitter that transmits control signals to at least said television receiver, a video recorder/player that provides video signals to said television receiver, a second hand-held remote transmitter that transmits control signals to at least said video recorder/player, a tunable video signal receiver and scrambled signal descrambler that provides video signals to at least said television receiver, and a third hand-held remote transmitter that transmits control signals to at least said descrambler, wherein said descrambler and said third hand-held remote transmitter constitute a master unit and said video recorder/player and said second hand-held remote transmitter constitute a slave unit, said master unit being trainable to transmit control signals to said slave unit, the method of training said master unit as to the required control signal codes for transmission to the slave unit comprising the steps of: generating displays on the screen of the television receiver requesting the operator to use the second hand-held transmitter of the slave unit to transmit at least certain control signals to said master unit;   receiving said control signals at the master unit from the second hand-held transmitter of the slave unit; and   establishing a conversion memory within said master unit, based on such received control signals, to enable said master unit to transmit control signals to the slave unit.   
     
     
       15. The method of claim 14 in which said master unit includes a code memory containing codes representing the control codes of a plurality of hand-held remote transmitters, said method further comprising the steps of: comparing said control signals received at the master unit from the second hand-held transmitter with the contents of said code memory; and   establishing said conversion memory as a matching portion of said code memory if said received control signals match a portion of said code memory. .Iadd.   
     
     
       16.  The method of claim 6 in which said television viewing system further includes a second associated unit comprising a tunable video signal receiver and scrambled signal descrambler and a third hand-held remote transmitter, wherein said second associated unit and third hand-held remote transmitter constitute a second slave unit, said master unit being further trainable to transmit control signals to said second slave unit, said method further including the steps of: generating displays on the screen of the television receiver requesting the operator to use the third hand-held transmitter of the second slave unit to transmit at least certain control signals;   receiving said control signals at the master unit from the third hand-held transmitter of the second slave unit; and   establishing a conversion memory within said master unit, based on such received control signals, to enable said master unit to transmit control signals to the second slave unit..Iaddend..Iadd.17. The method of claim 6 in which said television viewing system further includes a second associated unit comprising a video recorder/player and a third hand-held remote transmitter, wherein said second associated unit and third hand-held remote transmitter constitute a second slave unit, said master unit being further trainable to transmit control signals to said second slave unit, said method further including the steps of:   generating displays on the screen of the television receiver requesting the operator to use the third hand-held transmitter of the second slave unit to transmit at least certain control signals;   receiving said control signals at the master unit from the third hand-held transmitter of the second slave unit; and   establishing a conversion memory within said master unit, based on such received control signals, to enable said master unit to transmit control signals to the second slave unit..Iaddend..Iadd.18. In a television viewing system including a television receiver and an associated unit controlled by a hand-held remote-control signal transmitter, the associated unit being connected to said television receiver to provide a video signal thereto, a master unit, comprising:   video display generation means operative to display a message on said television receiver requesting a user to transmit a remote-control signal to said master unit using the hand-held remote-control signal transmitter of said associated unit;   a remote-control signal receiver to receive said transmitted signal;   a remote-control signal transmitter; and   a controller in electrical communication with said remote-control signal receiver and transmitter, said controller being operative to interpret said received signal, enabling said master unit to control the operation of said associated unit using said remote-control signal transmitter..Iaddend..Iadd.19. The television viewing system of claim 18, wherein said associated unit is capable of performing multiple functions, and wherein said controller, upon interpreting said received signal, enables said master unit to control said multiple functions..Iaddend..Iadd.20. The television viewing system of claim 19, further including:   a second hand-held remote-control signal transmitter to which said master unit remote-control signal receiver is responsive, said master unit being further operative to control the operation of said associated unit in accordance with a signal received from said second hand-held remote-control signal transmitter..Iaddend..Iadd.21. In a television viewing system including a television receiver and a system component responsive to a hand-held remote-control transmitter, a master component, comprising:   a remote-control signal transmitter;   a remote-control signal receiver;   video display generation means; and   a controller in communication with said remote-control signal transmitter and receiver and said video display generation means, said controller being operative to perform the following functions: cause said video display generation means to display a request on said television receiver instructing a viewer to use said hand-held remote transmitter to transmit a control signal associated with the operation of said system component,   receive and interpret said control signal, enabling said master unit to assume control over the operation of said system component using said remote-control signal transmitter..Iaddend..Iadd.22. The television viewing system of claim 21, further including multiple system components, and wherein:     said controller is operative to display requests associated with the operation of each system component enabling said master unit to control each of said system components..Iaddend..Iadd.23. The television viewing system of claim 21, wherein said system component is a video recorder/player..Iaddend..Iadd.24. The television viewing system of claim 21, wherein said system component is a cable converter/descrambler..Iaddend..Iadd.25. The television viewing system of claim 21, wherein said system component is said television receiver..Iaddend.