User interface based on device-state information

• US 10,448,091 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2017
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: B & W Group Ltd (Masimo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: EVA Automation, Inc.
• Inventors: Yu, Gaylord
• Primary Examiner(s): Sax, Steven P
• Application Number:
  US15/607,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20170262021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• 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 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• 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 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/06 Consumer Electronics Control, i.e. control of another device by a display or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector
• 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 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• 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 21/42208 : Display device provided on the remote control
• 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 21/42224 : Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 : involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 : Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• 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 21/43635 : HDMI
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 : involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 : Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 : OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 : End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 : for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/015 : High-definition television systems

Abstract

A portable electronic device with a touch-sensitive display (such as a cellular telephone) provides a wireless remote control for an entertainment device (such as a consumer-electronic device). Based on device-state information that specifies a current state of the entertainment device (which is received from an audio/video (A/V) hub that communicates with the entertainment device) and one or more related states of the entertainment device, the portable electronic device may generate a user interface that includes one or more virtual command icons. Note that the one or more related states are related to the current state in a state diagram by corresponding operations that transition the entertainment device from the current state to the one or more related states. Then, the portable electronic displays the user interface on the touch-sensitive display. In this way, the portable electronic device dynamically adapts the user interface.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

one or more antennas;

an interface circuit communicatively coupled to the one or more antennas and configured to communicate with a separate electronic device; and

a control circuit, coupled to the touch-sensitive display and the interface circuit, configured to;

receive, via the interface circuit, measured device-state information, associated with the separate electronic device, that identifies a specific state of an entertainment device, wherein the measured device-state information corresponds to an intentional ground loop between the separate electronic device and the entertainment device, and wherein the device state information corresponds to the specific state in a set of predefined states, which comprises two or more of;

a power state, a playback state, a trick-mode state, a pause state, a standby state, or a state associated with receiving or providing content, and wherein the ground loop is modified by the specific state such that a particular signal corresponding to the ground loop is identifiable as pertaining to the specific state of the entertainment device;

select, based on the measured device-state information corresponding to the particular signal corresponding to the ground loop, a predefined or predetermined user interface that includes multiple selectable features comprising virtual command icons associated with the specific state and one or more related states of the entertainment device, wherein the user interface is customized to correspond to the specific state, an identified type of the entertainment device and the one or more related states of the entertainment device, wherein the one or more related states of the entertainment device are related to the specific state in a state diagram by corresponding operations that transition the entertainment device from the specific state to the one or more related states, and wherein the one or more related states are in the set of predefined states and are different from the specific state; and

display the user interface on the touch-sensitive display.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to receive, via the interface circuit, one of:

classification information for the entertainment device that specifies the type of the entertainment device;

a manufacturer of the entertainment device; and

context information that specifies a context of content associated with the entertainment device; and

wherein the virtual command icons are further based on one of;

the type of the entertainment device, the manufacturer of the entertainment device, and the context.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to receive activation information specifying activation of a virtual command icon in the virtual command icons;

and

wherein the activation of the virtual command icon specifies a transition of the entertainment device from the specific state to a new specific state in the state diagram.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 3, wherein activation of the virtual command icon involves the portable electronic device performing one of:

detecting contact with the touch-sensitive display within a strike area of the virtual command icon and then breaking of the contact; and

receiving information associated with a verbal command.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 3, wherein the control circuit is configured to:

modify the user interface to change the virtual command icons based on the new specific state; and

display the modified user interface.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the user interface excludes one or more additional virtual command icons associated with one or more unrelated states of the entertainment device that are unrelated to the specific state by direct transitions in the state diagram.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein a given operation directly transitions the entertainment device from the specific state to one of the additional states without passing through an intermediate state in the state diagram.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the specific state includes a power-off state of the entertainment device;

and

wherein the one or more related states only includes a power-on state of the entertainment device.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit comprises:

memory configured to store a program module; and

a processor, coupled to the touch-sensitive display, the interface circuit and the memory, wherein, when executed by the processor, the program module causes the portable electronic device to perform the receiving, the selecting and the displaying.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the selecting and the displaying operations are dynamically performed as the current specific state changes.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for use in conjunction with a portable electronic device, the computer-readable storage medium storing a program module that, when executed by the portable electronic device, causes the portable electronic device to display a user interface by performing one or more operations comprising:

receiving, via an interface circuit in the portable electronic device, measured device-state information, associated with a separate electronic device, that identifies a specific state of an entertainment device, wherein the measured device-state information corresponds to an intentional ground loop between the separate electronic device and the entertainment device, and wherein the device state information corresponds to the specific state in a set of predefined states, which comprises two or more of;

a power state, a playback state, a trick-mode state, a pause state, a standby state, or a state associated with receiving or providing content, and wherein the ground loop is modified by the specific state such that a particular signal corresponding to the ground loop is identifiable as pertaining to the specific state of the entertainment device;

selecting, based on the measured device-state information corresponding to the particular signal corresponding to the ground loop, a predefined or predetermined user interface that includes multiple selectable features comprising virtual command icons associated with the specific state and one or more related states of the entertainment device, wherein the user interface is customized to correspond to the specific state, an identified type of the entertainment device and the one or more related states of the entertainment device, wherein the one or more related states of the entertainment device are related to the specific state in a state diagram by corresponding operations that transition the entertainment device from the specific state to the one or more related states, and wherein the one or more related states are in the set of predefined states and are different from the specific state; and

displaying the user interface on a touch-sensitive display in the portable electronic device.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the one or more operations comprise-receiving, via the interface circuit, one of:

classification information for the entertainment device that specifies the type of the entertainment device;

a manufacturer of the entertainment device; and

context information that specifies a context of content associated with the entertainment device; and

wherein the virtual command icons are further based on one of;

the type of the entertainment device, the manufacturer of the entertainment device, and the context.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the one or more operations comprise receiving activation information specifying activation of a virtual command icon in the virtual command icons;

and

wherein the activation of the virtual command icon specifies a transition of the entertainment device from the specific state to a new specific state in the state diagram.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the activation of the virtual command icon involves one of:

detecting contact with the touch-sensitive display within a strike area of the virtual command icon and then breaking of the contact; and

receiving information associated with a verbal command.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the one or more operations comprise:

modifying the user interface to change the virtual command icons based on the new specific state; and

displaying the modified user interface.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the user interface excludes one or more additional virtual command icons associated with one or more unrelated states of the entertainment device that are unrelated to the specific state by direct transitions in the state diagram.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein a given operation directly transitions the entertainment device from the specific state to one of the additional states without passing through an intermediate state in the state diagram.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the specific state includes a power-off state of the entertainment device;

and

wherein the one or more related states only includes a power-on state of the entertainment device.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the selecting and the providing operations are dynamically performed as the specific state changes.

20. A method for displaying a user interface, wherein the method comprises:

by a portable electronic device;

receiving, via an interface circuit in the portable electronic device, measured device-state information, associated with a separate electronic device, that identifies a specific state of an entertainment device, wherein the measured device-state information corresponds to an intentional ground loop between the separate electronic device and the entertainment device, and wherein the device state information corresponds to the specific state in a set of predefined states, which comprises two or more of;

a power state, a playback state, a trick-mode state, a pause state, a standby state, or a state associated with receiving or providing content, and wherein the ground loop is modified by the specific state such that a particular signal corresponding to the ground loop is identifiable as pertaining to the specific state of the entertainment device;

selecting, based on the measured device-state information corresponding to the particular signal corresponding to the ground loop, a predefined or predetermined user interface that includes multiple selectable features comprising virtual command icons associated with the specific state and one or more related states of the entertainment device, wherein the user interface is customized to correspond to the specific state, an identified type of the entertainment device and the one or more related states of the entertainment device, wherein the one or more related states of the entertainment device are related to the specific state in a state diagram by corresponding operations that transition the entertainment device from the specific state to the one or more related states, and wherein the one or more related states are in the set of predefined states and are different from the specific state; and

displaying the user interface on a touch-sensitive display in the portable electronic device.