System and method for using a mark-up language page to command an appliance

• US 20050216606A1
• Filed: 03/24/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Huang, Steve LanPing, Hayes, Patrick H., Yuh, Han-Sheng, Wang, Weidong William, Presseau, Joyce M., Lim, Jonathan Christian
• Application Number:
  US11/088,694
• Publication Number:
  US 20050216606A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1632 Pen holder integrated in the computer
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/21 Programming remote control devices via third means
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• 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 21/42224 : Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4431 : characterized by the use of Application Program Interface [API] libraries
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 : Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 : Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 : End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 : for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 : for displaying subtitles

Abstract

A hand-held device having a display and a browser application which supports functionality particularly suited for the hand-held device. For example, the browser application supports a full screen tag which allows information to be displayed as a full screen within the display. The browser application may also support a tag for use in displaying a link the activation of which will cause the hand-held device to transmit command codes to a consumer appliance. Still further, the browser application can support a tag which the hand-held device can use to issue reminders.

Claims

1. A computer-readable media having computer executable instructions for displaying information in a display, the instructions performing steps comprising:

retrieving a mark-up language formatted page having an first embedded mark-up language formatted page tag comprised of a first field containing first information indicative of a command code to be transmitted upon activation of a first hyperlink displayed on the display and a second embedded mark-up language formatted page tag comprised of second information for use in retrieving a further mark-up language formatted page upon activation of a second hyperlink displayed on the display;

displaying the mark-up language formatted page including the first hyperlink and the second hyperlink in the display;

determining if either the first hyperlink or the second hyperlink has been activated; and

if the first hyperlink has been activated using the first information in the first field to transmit the command code to a consumer appliance and if the second hyperlink has been activated using the second information to retrieve the further mark-up language formatted page.

2. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the first information comprises data for use in generating the command code.

3. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the first information comprises a pointer to data for generating the command code.

4. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the mark-up language formatted page tag comprises a second field containing third information representing a label which is displayed on the display and which is activatable as the hyperlink.

5. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the mark-up language page depicts a representation of a user interface of a remote control.

6. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the mark-up language formatted page is representative of a media guide.

7. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 6, wherein activation of the first hyperlink is used to transmit a command to tune the consumer appliance to a television channel.

8. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 6, wherein activation of the first hyperlink is used to transmit a command to tune the consumer appliance to a radio channel.

9. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 6, wherein activation of the first hyperlink is used to transmit a command to tune the consumer appliance to a CD track.

10. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 6, wherein activation of the first hyperlink is used to transmit a command to tune the consumer appliance to a DVD chapter.

11. A computer-readable media having computer executable instructions for displaying information in a display, the instructions performing steps comprising:

retrieving a mark-up language formatted page having an embedded mark-up language formatted page tag comprised of a first field containing first information indicative of an infrared code to be transmitted upon activation of a hyperlink displayed on the display;

displaying the mark-up language formatted page including the hyperlink in the display;

determining if the hyperlink has been activated; and

if the hyperlink has been activated, using the first information in the first field to transmit the infrared code to a consumer appliance.

12. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 11, wherein the first information comprises data for use in generating the infrared code.

13. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 11, wherein the first information comprises a pointer to data for generating the infrared code.

14. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 11, wherein the mark-up language formatted page tag comprises a second field containing second information representing a label which is displayed on the display and which is activatable as the hyperlink.

15. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 11, wherein the mark-up language page depicts a representation of a user interface of a remote control.

16. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 11, wherein the mark-up language formatted page is representative of a media guide.

17. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 16, wherein activation of the hyperlink is used to transmit a command to tune the consumer appliance to a television channel.

18. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 16, wherein activation of the hyperlink is used to transmit a command to tune the consumer appliance to a radio channel.

19. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 16, wherein activation of the hyperlink is used to transmit a command to tune the consumer appliance to a CD track.

20. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 16, wherein activation of the hyperlink is used to transmit a command to tune the consumer appliance to a DVD chapter.

21. A method for making a mark-up language formatted page for use in a remote control application, comprising:

creating a mark-up language formatted page tag comprised of a first field containing first information indicative of an infrared code to be transmitted upon activation of a hyperlink displayed on a display; and

embedding the mark-up language formatted page tag within the mark-up language formatted page.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the first information comprises data for use in generating the infrared code.

23. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the first information comprises a pointer to data for use in generating the infrared code.

24. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the mark-up language formatted page tag is comprised of a second field containing second information representing a label which is displayed on the display and which is activatable as the hyperlink

25. A device for use in commanding the operation of a consumer appliance, comprising:

a display;

a memory storing a library of commands for commanding the operation of a plurality of different consumer appliances;

a transmission circuit for transmitting commands to the consumer appliance;

a mark-up language formatted page; and

a browser application for displaying the mark-up language formatted page within the display;

wherein the mark-up language formatted page includes an embedded mark-up language formatted page tag comprising first information representing a command to be transmitted to the consumer appliance upon activation of a displayed hyperlink and wherein the browser application is responsive to activation of the displayed hyperlink to use the first information of the mark-up language formatted page tag to cause the transmission circuit to transmit to the consumer appliance a command selected from the library of commands stored in the memory.

26. The device as recited in claim 25, wherein the transmission circuit comprises an infrared transmitter.

27. The device as recited in claim 25, wherein the device comprises a hand-held remote control.

28. The device as recited in claim 25, wherein the display comprises a touch screen.

29. The device as recited in claim 25, wherein the mark-up language page depicts a representation of a user interface of a remote control.

30. The device as recited in claim 25, wherein the mark-up language formatted page tag comprises second information representing a label which is displayed on the display and which is activatable as the hyperlink.

31. The device as recited in claim 25, wherein the mark-up language formatted page is representative of a media guide.

32. The device as recited in claim 31, wherein activation of the hyperlink is used to transmit a command to tune the consumer appliance to a television channel.

33. The device as recited in claim 31, wherein activation of the hyperlink is used to transmit a command to tune the consumer appliance to a radio channel.

34. The device as recited in claim 31, wherein activation of the hyperlink is used to transmit a command to tune the consumer appliance to a CD track.

35. The device as recited in claim 31, wherein activation of the hyperlink is used to transmit a command to tune the consumer appliance to a DVD chapter.