Talking remote control with display

• US 20040168187A1
• Filed: 11/03/2003
• Published: 08/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1996
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Allen Chang
• Original Assignee: Allen Chang
• Inventors: Chang, Allen
• Application Number:
  US10/701,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20040168187A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/40
• 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 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42225 characterized by types of remote control, e.g. universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A remote controller includes a display screen (12) and a speaker (14). The remote controller receives and stores transmitted television program information, preferably including an electronic program guide (EPG). Preferably the program information is transmitted over a wireless paging system (FIG. 6) at a preferred frequency of about 900 MHz. A microcontroller (46) in the controller includes a digital signal processor for sorting and storing the retrieved program information. In response to a viewer command input through a keypad (15) on the remote controller, the microcontroller selectively retrieves and displays at least a portion of the program information on the display screen of the remote controller. The display changes as the viewer changes channels or scrolls through the EPG. The remote controller also has a voice message function. When the voice message function is activated, the microcontroller retrieves and processes a voice message for announcement through the speaker. The voice message corresponds to the television program currently displayed on an associated television system or a selected program in the EPG.

Claims

1. A remote controller for controlling a plurality of apparatus, comprising:

a display screen;

a receiver for receiving transmitted data representing a program guide containing a schedule of program listings wherein the listings include a plurality of program titles, the transmitted data further including voice data corresponding to the schedule of program listings in the program guide;

a memory for storing the received program guide data;

user input means for inputting user commands;

a microcontroller configured to retrieve a portion of the program guide data, including a portion of the schedule of program listings, from the memory in response to a first user command and display the selected portion of the program guide on the display screen, wherein the microcontroller is further configured to retrieve from the memory that portion of the voice data that corresponds to the retrieved portion of the schedule of program listings in the program guide displayed on the display screen, convert the voice data to voice messages, and output the voice messages through a speaker; and

a transmitter for transmitting signals to a selected one of the plurality of apparatus.

2. A television system comprising:

a source of data representing a program guide containing a schedule of program listings wherein the listings include a plurality of program titles;

a system transmitter for transmitting the program guide data;

a plurality of apparatus at a user site; and

a remote controller at the user site for selectively controlling the plurality of apparatus, comprising

a receiver for receiving the transmitted program guide data including voice data corresponding to the schedule of program listings in the program guide,

a memory for storing the program guide data,

a display screen,

user input means for inputting user commands,

a microcontroller configured to retrieve a selected portion of the program guide data, including a portion of the schedule of program listings, from the memory in response to a first user command and display the selected portion of the program guide on the display screen, wherein the microcontroller is further configured to retrieve from the memory that portion of the voice data that corresponds to the retrieved portion of the schedule of program listings in the program guide displayed on the display screen, convert the voice data to voice messages, and output the voice messages through a speaker, and

a remote controller transmitter for transmitting signals to a selected one of the plurality of apparatus.

3. The television system of claim 2, wherein the system transmitter is a pager carrier system and the receiver is a pager receiver.

4. The remote controller of claim 3, wherein the system transmitter transmits the program guide data at a frequency of about 900 Mhz.

5. The television system of claim 2, wherein the microcontroller is further configured to scroll the display on the display screen through different portions of the program guide in response to a second user command.

6. In a remote controller having a display screen, a method for navigating a program guide comprising information regarding a plurality of television programs comprising the steps of:

receiving a signal including data representative of the program guide guide containing a schedule of program listings, wherein the listings include a plurality of program titles and voice data corresponding to the schedule of program listings in the program guide;

storing the program guide and voice data in a memory;

selecting a program guide display in response to a user command;

retrieving a first portion of the program guide, including a first portion of the schedule of program listings, from the memory that includes information regarding a currently selected program broadcast on a currently selected channel;

displaying the first portion of the program guide on the display screen;

retrieving voice data that corresponds to the first portion of the schedule of program listings in the first portion of the program guide displayed on the display screen;

converting the voice data to a voice message;

announcing the voice message through a speaker;

selecting a second portion of the program guide in response to a user command;

retrieving the second portion of the program guide from the memory; and

displaying the second portion of the program guide on the display screen.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second portion of the program guide consists of currently broadcast programs.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the second portion of the program guide consists of programs broadcast on the currently selected channel.

9. A remote controller for controlling a user terminal having a television tuner, comprising:

a display screen displaying a television program guide containing a schedule of television programs;

a receiver receiving transmitted data representing the program guide;

a memory storing the received program guide data;

user input means for inputting user commands;

a microcontroller configured to select one of the television programs on the display screen in response to a first user command, wherein the microcontroller determines whether the selected television program is currently being broadcast and wherein the microcontroller automatically tunes the television tuner to the selected television program in response to the first user command if the selected television program is currently being broadcast, and wherein the microcontroller is further configured to automatically program an associated VCR to record the selected television program in response to the first user command if the selected television program is scheduled to be broadcast in future; and

a transmitter coupled to the microcontroller for transmitting signals that tunes the television tuner or program the associated VCR;

wherein the microcontroller is configured to transmit the program guide data to the television tuner through the transmitter.

10. The remote controller of claim 10, wherein the television program guide includes the title of the television program.

11. The remote controller of claim 10, wherein the microcontroller further comprises a digital signal processor for sorting the program guide data and storing the program guide data in the memory.

12. The remote controller of claim 10, further comprising a speaker, wherein the transmitted program guide data includes voice data corresponding to the program guide, and wherein the microcontroller is further configured to retrieve from the memory voice data corresponding to the selected portion of the program guide displayed on the display screen, convert the voice data to voice messages, and announce the voice messages through the speaker.

13. The remote controller of claim 10, further comprising means for storing in the memory data representing textual information relating to the television tuner, and wherein the microcontroller is further configured to display textual information corresponding to a television tuner in response to a second user command.

14. The remote controller of claim 10, wherein the selected program listing is a current television program, and the microcontroller tunes the television to the channel carrying that program in response to the user command.

15. The remote controller of claim 10, wherein the selected program listing is a future television program, and the microcontroller sets the television tuner to record the future program in response to the user command.