A method for remote controlling an object with a remote-control unit is provided. At least a first surface S.sub.1, S.sub.2, S.sub.i is defined in a first coordinate system. At least a first function of the object is associated to the first surface S.sub.1, S.sub.2, S.sub.i. A second coordinate system is defined at the position of the remote-control unit. A static pointing vector 28 is defined in the second coordinate system. It is then determined whether the pointing vector points towards the first surface S.sub.1, S.sub.2, S.sub.i. if so, the object is enabled to selectively activate the first operation upon receipt of an activation command.

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.

A method of joining a lighting device (3) to a network (2) and pairing the lighting device with a remote control device (7), the method comprising: transmitting a joining code to one or more lighting devices (3) using an electromagnetic radiation signal (31); selecting a lighting device (3) to be joined to a network (2) and paired with a remote control device (7) by directing a directional beam of electromagnetic radiation (30) onto a sensor (2) of a lighting device (3); in response to receipt of the directional beam of electromagnetic radiation and of the joining code from the electromagnetic radiation signal, by the selected device, joining the selected device to the network if the received joining code is an access code for the network and pairing the joined device (3) with a remote control device (7) such that the joined device is controllable, on the network, by the remote control device (7).

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.

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.

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.

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.

The present application relates to a remote control device for controlling a plurality of controllable devices. The remote control device comprises at least two spaced apart antennas for receiving a radio signal from a same positioning device, a sending unit for sending a control signal, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to determine a position information of the remote control device in relation to the positioning device based on the radio signal, to select a controllable device of the plurality of controllable devices depending on the position information, and to send a control information for controlling the selected controllable device via the control signal with the sending unit to the selected controllable device.

A method and device for the remote control of a function of a vehicle is disclosed. Images of the vehicle are recorded by a camera which is integrated in the mobile control unit. A visual signal is generated at a predetermined position on the vehicle, where remote control is only enabled if the visual signal is recorded by the camera. The device for the remote control of a function of a vehicle includes a mobile control unit with an integrated camera to record the images of the vehicle. A signal generation unit is arranged at a predetermined position on the vehicle for the generation of a visual signal and the vehicle includes a function unit for the control of the function. The function unit is formed in such a way that remote control is only enabled when the visual signal is recorded by the camera.

The present invention relates to a remote control apparatus which can remotely control multiple devices. A remote control apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a key input unit having multiple keys; a reception unit for receiving at least one device identification signal from at least one device or a transmission device corresponding to the device; a processor for detecting an identification signal for a device, which can be remotely controlled, from the at least one received device identification signal, and matching at least one of the multiple keys to a control command for the remote control of the device, on the basis of the detected identification signal; and a transmission unit for transmitting a signal corresponding to the control command when the key matched to the control command is selected. Accordingly, the present invention can remotely control multiple devices.