System and method for retrieving information while commanding operation of an appliance

• US 10,168,869 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Lilleness, Robert P., Yuh, Han-Sheng, Wang, Weidong William, Scott, Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitaro, Ryan F
• Application Number:
  US13/801,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20140101563A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,120 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/21 Programming remote control devices via third means
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/33 Remote control using macros, scripts
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/42 Transmitting or receiving remote control signals via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/50 Receiving or transmitting feedback, e.g. replies, status updates, acknowledgements, from the controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/91 Remote control based on location and proximity
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/22 Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0025 in a remote control unit remote control tuning in general H03J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/23 Remote control device with display showing data to be transmitted to the controlled apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/25 : Remote control device with display
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/26 : Remote control device with touch screen display
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/20 : for coupling gramophone pick-up, recorder output, or microphone to receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 : by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 : Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/509 : wherein the managed service relates to media content delivery, e.g. audio, video or TV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 : being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 : having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 : home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 : User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42209 : for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4222 : Remote control device emulator integrated into a non-television apparatus, e.g. a PDA, media center or smart toy remote control device for a television receiver integrated into a mobile phone H04M1/72415
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 : Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 : Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 : for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 : Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 : Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 : End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 : End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 : comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8543 : using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 : Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 : Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

When a command key of a controlling platform is activated, the platform performs an operation to initiate a playing of media content and also initiates the retrieval of information from an information source.

Claims

1. A method for causing media content to be presented on an appliance using a remote control device having a display and configured to communicate with the appliance, comprising:

causing the remote control device to display in the display of the remote control device a user interface element representative of a media content provider; and

in direct response to a sensed interaction with the user interface element displayed in the display of the remote control device by the remote control device, causing the remote control device to transmit both a first command to cause the appliance to perform an operation to thereby provide access via the appliance to media content available from the media content provider and a second command to cause a retrieval of information from a network address that is predetermined within the remote control device prior to the sensed interaction with the user interface element; and

causing the remote control to display the information retrieved from the network address in the display of the controlling device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the network address comprises a wide area network address.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, comprising automatically mapping the wide area network address to the user interface element.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, comprising receiving input into the remote control device to manually map the wide area network address to the user interface element.

5. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the wide area network address comprises a URL.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface element representative of the media content provider is pre-stored in a memory of the remote control device.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface element representative of the media content provider is retrieved from a memory of a device external to the remote control device.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the device external to the remote control device comprises an Internet server device.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the information that is retrieved using the network address comprises a further user interface element and wherein, in response to a sensed interaction with the further user interface element, causing the remote control device to transmit a third command to cause a retrieval of further information from a further network address.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first command comprises a channel tuning command.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the display comprises a touch screen display.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the remote control device comprises a table computing device.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first command is caused to be transmitted in a first signal and wherein the second command is caused to be transmitted in a second signal.