Programmable universal remote control unit and method of programming same

• US 20040120716A1
• Filed: 12/05/2002
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Contec LLC (Contec LLC /Management/)
• Original Assignee: Contec Corporation (Contec LLC /Management/)
• Inventors: Gustafson, David, Griesau, Eugene W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,154,566 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/112
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control
• 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 21/42225 characterized by types of remote control, e.g. universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42226 Reprogrammable remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

A universal remote control unit stores signal formatting data which includes an indication of the category of device to which the signal formatting data corresponds. During programming of the universal remote control unit, the user provides a numerical entry which corresponds to the signal formatting data stored in the memory. The universal remote control unit automatically stores the code entered by the user at the appropriate memory location corresponding to the category of device by analyzing the signal format data to which the code corresponds.

Claims

1. A method of programming a universal remote control unit comprising the steps of:

initiating, by a user, a programming mode;

entering, by a user, a code associated with a device to be controlled by the remote control unit;

identifying, from the code, a signal formatting data entry, which includes signal formatting data, stored in a memory device in the remote control unit, which signal formatting data includes data determinative of a device type; and

associating a device type in the remote control unit with the signal formatting data entry based upon the device type data, such that when one or more of a device type key associated with a device type is subsequently depressed, subsequent commands sent by the remote control unit have the format specified by the signal formatting data, and when a command key uniquely associated with the device type is depressed, commands sent by the remote control unit have the format specified by the signal formatting data.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

generating a signal for transmission to the device to be controlled based on signal format information in the identified signal formatting data entry.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of associating comprises storing information regarding the identified signal formatting data entry in a memory location associated with the device type key.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of associating comprises:

generating and transmitting a signal to the device to be controlled based on signal format information in the identified signal formatting data entry; and

storing information regarding the identified signal formatting data entry in a memory location associated with the device type key if the device responds to the transmitted signal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the device type is one of a cable set-top box, a television, a VCR, DVD, an audio component or a computer.

6. A method of programming a universal remote control unit comprising the steps of:

initiating, by a user, a programming mode;

entering, by a user, a code associated with a device to be controlled by the remote control unit;

identifying, from the code, a signal formatting data entry, which includes signal formatting data, stored in a memory device in the remote control unit, which signal formatting data includes data determinative of a device type; and

associating a device type in the remote control unit with the signal formatting data entry based upon the device type data.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of:

generating a signal for transmission to the device to be controlled based on signal format information in the identified signal formatting data entry.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of associating comprises storing information regarding the identified signal formatting data entry in a memory location associated with the device type.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of associating comprises:

generating and transmitting a signal to the device to be controlled based on signal format information in the identified signal formatting data entry; and

storing information regarding the identified signal formatting data entry in a memory location associated with the device type if the device responds to the transmitted signal.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the device type is one of a cable set-top box, a television, a VCR, DVD, an audio component or a computer.

11. A universal remote control unit for remotely controlling a plurality of devices, each having at least one of a plurality of types, comprising:

a memory;

a plurality of signal formatting data entries stored at respective locations in the memory, each entry comprising type information identifying a type of device and signal format information specifying signal formats of commands for controlling at least one of the plurality of devices of that type;

a transmitter;

input means; and

a processor capable of accessing the signal formatting data entries in the memory and capable of controlling the transmitter to transmit signals in conformance with the signal format information in the signal formatting data entries in response to actuation of the input means.

12. The universal remote control unit according to claim 11, wherein the input means enables a user to input a code that identifies one of the plurality of signal formatting data entries.

13. The universal remote control unit according to claim 12, wherein the code input by the user can be used to derive a memory location where the identified signal formatting data entry is stored.

14. The universal remote control unit according to claim 12, wherein the memory further stores the code input by the user.

15. The universal remote control unit according to claim 11, wherein the type information comprises one of a cable set-top box, a television, a VCR, a DVD player, a digital video disk player/recorder, an audio component or a computer.

16. The universal remote control unit according to claim 11, wherein the memory comprises a read only memory and a random access memory and the plurality of signal formatting data entries are stored in read only memory and the code input by the user is store in random access memory.