Remote control device and remote control method using the same

1. An automatic control device, comprising:

a camera unit configured to capture an image of a target device;

a communication unit configured to receive, from the target device, contents information about contents provided by the target device and transmit a control signal to the target device;

a display unit configured to display a synthesized image of a captured actual image of the target device and a virtual image of the contents provided by the target device based on the contents information;

a user input unit configured to receive a user input; and

a control unit configured to control/display the virtual image according to the received user input.

2. The automatic control device of claim 1 , wherein the target device is a broadcast receiving device, and the contents information is channel information of the broadcast receiving device.

3. The automatic control device of claim 1 ,

wherein the contents include plural discrete content units,

wherein the virtual image of the contents comprises plural virtual images corresponding to the plural discrete content units, and

wherein the display unit is configured to display the plural virtual images in a predetermined pattern.

4. The automatic control device of claim 3 , wherein the control unit is configured to move the plural virtual images according to the user input.

5. The automatic control device of claim 1 , wherein the user input unit includes one of a touchscreen, a keybutton and a motion sensor.

6. The automatic control device of claim 5 , wherein the user input unit includes a touchscreen configured to detect a drag gesture of a user, and the control unit is configured to move the virtual image according to the drag gesture.

7. The automatic control device of claim 5 , wherein the user input unit includes a motion sensor configured to detect a motion of the remote control device, and the control unit is configured to move the virtual image according to the detected motion.

8. The automatic control device of claim 1 , wherein the user input unit is configured to receive a user input to select the virtual image, and the control unit is configured to generate/transmit a control signal to display the contents provided by the target device.

9. The automatic control device of claim 5 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine the motion of the remote control device by analyzing the captured actual image of the target device, and move the virtual image according to the determined motion.

10. The automatic control device of claim 1 , wherein the communication unit is further configured to receive information about at least one external device connected to the target device, and the display unit is further configured to display at least one of a virtual image of the at least one external device and an image representing contents of the at least one external device.

11. The automatic control device of claim 10 , wherein the user input unit is configured to receive a user input to select the virtual image of the at least one external device, and the control unit is configured to generate an external input conversion signal to control an output signal of the at least one external device, corresponding to the selected virtual image, to be outputted from the target device.

12. The automatic control device of claim 11 , wherein when the external input conversion signal is transmitted to the target device, the communication unit is configured to receive information about contents of the at least one external device and the control unit is configured to perform a control operation to display a synthesized image of the captured actual image of the target device and a virtual image of the contents of the at least one external device.

13. An automatic control method of a remote control device, comprising:

capturing, by the remote control device, an image of a target device;

receiving, by the remote control device, information about contents provided by the target device;

generating, by the remote control device, a virtual image of the contents based on the received contents information; and

displaying, on the remote control device, a synthesized image of the captured actual image of the target device and the virtual image of the contents of the target device based on the contents information.

14. The automatic control method of claim 13 , further comprising:

receiving, by the remote control device, a user input to control the virtual image; and

controlling/displaying, by the remote control device, the virtual image according to the received user input.

15. The automatic control method of claim 13 , wherein the target device is a broadcast receiving device and the contents information is channel information.

16. The automatic control method of claim 14 , further comprising:

detecting a drag gesture on a touchscreen of the remote control device; and

moving the virtual image according to the drag gesture.

17. The automatic control method of claim 14 , further comprising:

detecting a motion of the remote control device through a motion sensor of the remote control device; and

moving, on the remote control device, the virtual image according to the detected motion.

18. The automatic control method of claim 13 , further comprising:

receiving a user selection of the virtual image of the contents;

generating, by the remote control unit, a control signal to execute the contents, corresponding to the selected virtual image, in the target device; and

transmitting the control signal from the remote control unit to the target device.

19. The automatic control method of claim 13 , further comprising:

receiving, by the remote control unit, information of an external device connected to the target device; and

displaying, by the remote control unit, a virtual image of the external device based on the received external device information.

20. The automatic control method of claim 19 , further comprising:

receiving, by the remote control unit, a user selection of the virtual image of the external device; and

generating, by the remote control unit, an external input conversion signal to control an output signal of the external device, corresponding to the selected virtual image, to be outputted from the target device.