Activity-based remote control device

• US 20030120831A1
• Filed: 12/20/2001
• Published: 06/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Ornatskaya, Tanya, Daniel, Diane, Dubil, Thomas James
• Granted Patent: US 6,748,462 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/8
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/33 Remote control using macros, scripts
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control
• 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 21/42204 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 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; 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 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A remote control device provides commands and options based on the configuration of components in a user'"'"'s environment, and based on a defined user activity. A storage device contains a user profile that includes the configuration of components at the user'"'"'s environment, and defined set of user activities, such as “watching television”, “viewing a movie”, “watching a sports program”, and so on. Each user activity has a corresponding mapping of keys on the remote control device to facilitate the user activity. When the user identifies a preferred activity, the remote control device communicates commands to the components of the system to support the activity, and subsequently communicates commands to each component corresponding to this activity. A user may define multiple user activities, and the storage device may contain configurations and activities from multiple users.

Claims

1. A remote control system, comprising:

a storage device that is configured to store a plurality of activity sets,

a remote control device that is configured to selectively access each activity set of the plurality of activity sets from the storage device,

wherein;

each activity set includes a mapping of select component functions to assigned keys of the remote control device, the select component functions being associated with a plurality of components, and

the remote control device is configured to control a first component of the plurality of components when a key in a first set of the assigned keys are activated, and to control a second component of the plurality of components when a key in a second set of the assigned keys are activated, based on the selectively accessed activity set.

2. The remote control system of claim 1, wherein

the remote control device is further configured to provide an initial sequence of commands to at least one of the first and second components to effect the selectively accessed activity set.

3. The remote control system of claim 1, wherein

the storage device is located at an Internet web site, and

the remote control system further includes

an Internet access device that is configured to facilitate access to the storage device by the remote control device.

4. The remote control system of claim 1, further including

a user interface that facilitates creation of the plurality of activity sets.

5. The remote control system of claim 1, further including

an activity manager that facilitates creation of the plurality of activity sets.

6. The remote control system of claim 5 wherein

at least one of the activity manager and the storage device is located at an Internet site.

7. An activity manager, comprising:

a user interface that is configured to obtain user input regarding an activity set, and

a control device interface that is configured to provide a plurality of control codes to a remote control device, based on the activity set,

wherein

the activity set identifies a mapping of functions among a plurality of components,

the plurality of control codes that are provided to the remote control device correspond to more than one component of the plurality of components, and,

each control code of the plurality of control codes is uniquely mapped to a key of a plurality of keys of the remote control device.

8. The activity manager of claim 7, further including

a storage device that is configured to store the activity set as one of a plurality of activity sets, and

wherein the control device interface is further configured to facilitate a selection from among the plurality of activity sets.

9. The activity manager of claim 7, wherein

the activity manager is configured to obtain the user input via an Internet connection.

10. The activity manager of claim 7, wherein

the activity manager is configured to provide the plurality of control codes to the remote control device via an Internet connection.

11. The activity manager of claim 7, wherein

at least some of the activity manager is located at an Internet web site.

12. The activity manager of claim 7, wherein

the activity manager is further configured to effect one or more control options when a user selects the activity set.

13. A remote control device comprising:

a plurality of keys, and

a storage device that is configured to store control codes corresponding to each of a plurality of activity sets, wherein

each of the plurality of activity sets identifies a mapping of the plurality of keys to control codes of a plurality of components,

at least one key of the plurality of keys facilitates a selection of a select activity set of the plurality of activity sets.

14. A method of providing a plurality of command codes to a remote control device, comprising:

determining a set of control functions corresponding to keys of the remote control device,

determining an activity set that defines a mapping of the set of control functions to the plurality of components,

determining control codes corresponding to the set of control functions and the plurality of components, and

communicating the control codes to the remote control device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein

the control codes include codes corresponding to more than one component of the plurality of components.