Okay here's the real deal. In school I'm working on a yearlong project in an engineering class where you create new products and try to patent them. I thought of an idea for a preset remote control, one that would allow you to preset TV channels much like car radio presets, with around five or six presets. Well , I found a car radio to use. thinking I could just cut and paste a chip, but found out that it was more complex than it looked, and then I tried to create simple d-latch circuits anf SR flip-flop circuits to try to make it work, but to no avail.

The radio I took apart turned out to have circuit boards that were too complex for me to decode. I tried to locate a schematic, but the radio was too old (out of a 1987 Ford) for me to find one.

The D-Latch and SR Flip-Flops allow you to preset and reset a certain output with two inputs. I learned, but I'm wondering how they can do this with only one button to accomplish my project.

If anyone has any input to help me out I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks!

 

You've lost me.
Most TV's already have Preset Channels which are stored to the corresponding Preset number..??

 

I know that most TV's have presets but the way i plan to accomplish this is different. On a car radio, there are 5 or 6 buttons that if held for a short period of time, allow you to preset the radio station that it is currently on. I want to migrate this technology to a TV remote. I want to have around 5 buttons that allow you to preset TV channels on a remote the way you would preset radio stations on a car stereo. I think this way of adding channel presets to a remote will provide an easier method for selecting your favorite channels faster (Sports fanatics?). I know this project might seem dumb but I've been working about 6 months on it and I can't switch what I'm working on in this class. Any help you could give me would be great, Thanks

 

Oh, I also did some research beforehand and there are only two other ways of "preseting TV channels other than mine"

1. A "fav" button that brings you into a menu and allows you to add up to 30 channels to your list. But then you have to press the button however many times to go to each channel.

2. A "Last" or "Recall" button which allows you to go back to the previous channel you were on. This only allows for "presetting" two channels.

These are the only two methods I've found for TV remotes and that is why I think my method of having around 5 preset buttons that work like a car stereo will be effective.

 

I fail to see how latches, S-R flip flops and simple logic can get you to your goal. I think there are two problems with your approach. Configuring a televistion to tune to a prticular channel probably involves more than a couple of bits of information. I'm not exactly sure where this information is stored, but unlike the information in the radio from the 1897 Ford it is not mechanical. It might be stored in the television or it might be stored in the remote. Regardless of where it is stored information needs to be sent from the remote to the television in order to effect the change.
The second problem that I can see is that a TV remote is a one-way pipe. There is no way for the remote to know what channel is being tuned. This would imply that the remote would need to store at least the channel numbers associated with the memory buttons. I don't think the features of what you want to do are contained within the IR remote protocols. You would have to emulate them by sending the IR equivalent of button pushes for the desired channel.

IMHO the idea is a good one, but I think you will have difficulty getting there without the aid of a processor.

One other thing. If you or any of your little friends think getting a patent is a good idea you are sadly mistaken. Large companies will infringe with impunity and dare you to sue them to enforce your rights. They have more money and smarter lawyers than you can ever hope to employ. Once they've bled you dry they'll move on to the next underfunded, undercapitalized, bright eyed idealist. Your only hope is get to market first, build a company around the product, and get out before the big guys notice. It's not the way it should be; it's just the way it is. If you don't believe me then read Lancaster.
http://www.tinaja.com/glib/casagpat.pdf

 

Ok well that was my worst fear that this would be a lot more complex than I thought I wish I had other options on this project but it's too late for me to abandon it now. (Thanks for complimenting the idea by the way).

Well, if there is anyway you think I can manage to finish this project just let me know and I'll try to locate the parts or anything I need. I suppose that I could find a small processor and other parts to allow me to preset these channels.

Gtg, my class is over, Thanks for all your help

PS: thanks for the patent info, I'll try to keep this quiet until I have it working and secure