System and method for flexible configuration of a controlling device

• US 10,509,548 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2017
• Issued: 12/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Hatambeiki, Arsham, Chambers, Christopher A., Yuh, Han-Sheng, Clegg, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Jennifer N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fortino, Ashley M
• Application Number:
  US15/632,775
• Publication Number:
  US 20170293408A1
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• 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 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/06 using stored programs, i.e. using an internal store of processing equipment to receive or retain programs
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• 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 2201/92 Universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• 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 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42228 the reprogrammable keys being displayed on a display screen in order to reduce the number of keys on the remote control device itself
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8186 specially adapted to be executed by a peripheral of the client device, e.g. by a reprogrammable remote control

Abstract

A system and method whereby an user interface editing device is used to create a user interface for a controlling device, the created user interface including user interface elements that are associated with functional operations of a virtual equivalent of an appliance. After the created user interface is transferred to the controlling device, the virtual equivalent of an appliance is caused to be linked to an intended target appliance whereupon activation of those user interface elements of the graphical user interface that were associated with functional operations of the virtual equivalent of an appliance will cause the controlling device to transmit commands to control corresponding functional operations of the intended target appliance.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable media having stored thereon instruction which, when executed by a processing device of a controlling device, configure the controlling device to command functional operations of an intended target appliance by performing steps comprising:

receiving at the controlling device a non-appliance specific graphical user interface comprised of user interface elements that are associated with functional operations of a virtual equivalent of the intended target appliance;

causing the controlling device to obtain from the network ecosystem a data indicative of a physical node that is associated with the intended target appliance at a time subsequent to the non-appliance specific graphical user interface being received at the controlling device; and

using the data indicative of the physical node that is associated with the intended target appliance to automatically establish within the controlling device a link between the non-appliance specific graphical user interface and the physical node that is associated with the intended target appliance whereupon activation of those user interface elements of the non-appliance specific graphical user interface that were associated with functional operations of the virtual equivalent of the intended target appliance will cause the controlling device to transmit commands to the physical node to control corresponding functional operations of the intended target appliance.

2. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the data obtained from the network ecosystem is caused to be obtained directly from the intended target appliance.

3. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the data obtained from the network ecosystem is caused to be obtained from a device in communication with the intended target appliance.

4. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface elements comprise at least one n-state widget and wherein the at least one n-state widget comprises a widget input that is associated with a status of the intended target appliance.

5. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 4, wherein the non-appliance specific graphical user interface comprises data for causing the controlling device to issue polling requests to thereby retrieve a status of the intended target appliance for use by the widget input of the n-state widget.

6. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 5, wherein the status of the intended target appliance received in response to a polling request is cached within the controlling device to thereby allow the status of the intended target appliance to be used by plural n-state widgets.

7. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the data obtained from the network ecosystem is caused to be obtained in response to an activation of a user interface element of a configuration widget provided to the controlling device.

8. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, comprising using one or more elements of the non-appliance specific graphical user interface to test the link established in the controlling device between the non-appliance specific graphical user interface and the physical node that is associated with the intended target appliance via use of the controlling device before the link established in the controlling device between the non-appliance specific graphical user interface and the physical node that is associated with the intended target appliance is finalized for use within an operational configuration of the controlling device.