Method and apparatus for automatic set-up of electronic devices

• US 20030066080A1
• Filed: 10/02/2001
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kamieniecki, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,162,733 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/80
• 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 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration

Abstract

A method and apparatus to automatically set-up an electronic device having multiple user-controllable functionalities is provided by an arrangement that provides an interactive menu to a user. The user interacts with the menu to select and set a functionality to a desired setting. The automatic set-up arrangement receives a set-up command corresponding to the menu choice and transmits the set-up command to the electronic device in the form of an IR beam. The IR beam containing the set-up command is used to set the user-controllable functionality of the electronic device to the selected setting.

Claims

1. A method of controlling settings in an electronic device, the electronic device having user-controllable functionalities, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a menu to a user with which at least one of the controllable functionalities may be set by a user;

receiving a user-selected menu choice indicative of a selected setting of the at least one controllable functionality;

receiving from a database, a set-up command corresponding to the menu choice; and

transmitting the set-up command in an IR beam to the electronic device to set the user-controllable functionality of the electronic device to the selected setting.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting step is performed subsequent to receiving an indication of an event.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the event comprises a power loss.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the event comprises a seasonal time change.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected settings are stored in a memory.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the set-up commands corresponding to the stored selected settings are transmitted automatically upon detection of power restoration after a power outage.

7. An apparatus for controlling settings in an electronic device, comprising:

a user interface for providing a menu with which at least one of the controllable functionalities may be set by a user;

a receiver for receiving a user-selected menu choice indicative of a selected setting of the at least one controllable functionality;

an interface, coupled to a database, for receiving a control command corresponding to the menu choice, the control command being extracted from the database; and

an IR transmitter for transmitting the control command in an IR beam to the electronic device to set the electronic device to the selected setting.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further including an event detector for triggering the IR transmitter upon detection of an event.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the event comprises restoration of power following a power outage.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the event comprises a seasonal time change.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 further including a memory for storing a portion of the database.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 further including a controller for triggering the IR transmitter automatically upon restoration of power subsequent to a power outage.

13. The apparatus of claim 7 further including a set-top terminal module.

14. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the apparatus for controlling settings is incorporated substantially within a set-top terminal.

15. A method of configuring an electronic device, the electronic device being controllable by a native remote control, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving an IR signal indicative of a user-controlled command that is transmitted between the native remote control and the electronic device;

sending the command to a memory;

detecting a triggering event;

retrieving, in response to the detected triggering event, the command from the memory; and

transmitting the command in an IR beam to the electronic device.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the event comprises restoration of power following a power outage.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the event comprises a seasonal time change.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the command is automatically transmitted upon detecting the triggering event to restore configuration settings of the electronic device.

19. An apparatus for configuring an electronic device, the electronic device being controllable by a native remote control, comprising:

an IR receiver for receiving an IR signal indicative of a user-controlled command that is transmitted between the native remote control and the electronic device;

an interface to a memory, the memory arranged to store the command;

a detector for detecting a triggering event;

a processor operably coupled to the memory for retrieving the command when the triggering event is detected; and

an IR transmitter for transmitting the command in an IR beam to the electronic device.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the memory is located locally with the processor.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the memory is located at a controller at a remote headend.

22. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the event comprises restoration of power following a power outage.

23. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the event comprises a seasonal time change.

24. The apparatus of claim 19 further including a set-top terminal module.

25. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the apparatus for configuring an electronic device is incorporated substantially within a set-top terminal.

26. A method for configuring an electronic device, the electronic device being controllable by a native remote control, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving an IR signal from the native remote control;

sending an electronic representation of the received signal to a processor to identify the electronic device, the processor comparing the representation to a library of stored characteristics where each stored characteristic has an associated identified electronic device;

retrieving a configuration command matched to the identified electronic device from a memory; and

transmitting the retrieved configuration command in an IR beam to the electronic device.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the step of transmitting is performed in response to a detected event.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the event comprises restoration of power following a power outage.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the event is a seasonal time change.

30. The method of claim 26 wherein the configuration commands are transmitted automatically upon detection of power restoration after a power outage.

31. A apparatus for configuring an electronic device, the electronic device being controllable by a native remote control, comprising:

a receiver for receiving an JR signal from the native remote control;

an interface operably coupled to a comparator through which a representation of the received signal is sent to the comparator to identify the electronic device by comparing the representation to a library of stored characteristics, where each stored characteristic has an associated identified electronic device;

a processor for retrieving a configuration command pertaining to the identified electronic device from a memory; and

an IR transmitter for transmitting the retrieved command in an IR beam to the electronic device.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 further including an event detector for triggering the IR transmitter upon detection of an event.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the event comprises restoration of power following a power outage.

34. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the event comprises a seasonal time change.

35. The apparatus of claim 31 further including a memory for storing a portion of the database.

36. The apparatus of claim 31 further including a controller for triggering the IR transmitter automatically upon restoration of power subsequent to a power outage.

37. The apparatus of claim 31 further including a set-top terminal module.

38. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the apparatus for controlling settings is incorporated substantially within a set-top terminal.

39. A method for restoring configuring settings in an electronic device after a power loss, the electronic device being controllable by a native remote control, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a set of IR signals from the native remote control, the set indicative of a user-defined command;

interpreting the received signal set to identify the electronic device by comparing the representation to a library of stored characteristics, each stored characteristic having an associated identified electronic device;

retrieving a configuration command pertaining to the identified electronic device from a memory subsequent to an occurrence of the power loss; and

transmitting the retrieved command in an IR beam to the electronic device to restore the configuration settings to the original state.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein the step of transmitting is performed in response to a detected event.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein the event comprises restoration of power following a power outage.

42. The method of claim 40 wherein the event is a seasonal time change.

43. A method of configuring an electronic device, the electronic device being controllable by a native remote control, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving an IR signal indicative of a user-input key press on the native remote control that is transmitted between the native remote control and the electronic device;

processing the received IR signal to detect guided set-up triggering criteria; and

providing a guided set-up when the triggering criteria are detected.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein the guided set-up triggering criteria comprise a key press on the native remote control that indicates that the electronic device has not been previously configured.

45. The method of claim 43 wherein the guided set-up triggering criteria comprise a key press on the native remote control that indicates that the user requires assistance in setting up the electronic device.