Programmable universal remote control unit and method of programming same
First Claim
Patent Images
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, characters corresponding to at least a portion of the name of a manufacturer of a device to be controlled by the remote control unit;
identifying, from the characters, 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.
17 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
27 Citations
26 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, characters corresponding to at least a portion of the name of a manufacturer of a device to be controlled by the remote control unit;
identifying, from the characters, 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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A method of programming a universal remote control unit comprising the steps of:
-
initiating, by a user, a programming mode;
entering, by a user, characters corresponding to at least a portion of the name of a manufacturer of a device to be controlled by the remote control unit;
identifying, from the characters, 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. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. 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, a manufacturer, 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. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
-
Specification