Two way communication using light links

• US 20050280743A1
• Filed: 09/27/2001
• Published: 12/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Hayes, Patrick H., Yun, Youping (Edward), Dresti, Mauro
• Granted Patent: US 7,193,661 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/734
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/50 Receiving or transmitting feedback, e.g. replies, status updates, acknowledgements, from the controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0025 in a remote control unit remote control tuning in general H03J9/00
• 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 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• 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 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

Two-way communications between a video system and a control device is disclosed. The communications links comprise visible light, IR light, or a combination of visible and IR light. The communications link provide a convenient route to capture data or lock system features or various combinations thereof.

Claims

1. A media system comprising:

a video screen;

a screen generator connected to the video screen and comprising programming to flash the video screen to convey via a predetermined serial protocol channel identification information that functions to specify a channel that is currently being displayed on the video screen; and

a remote control comprising;

a memory having a favorite channel table;

an optical receiver connected to receive the video screen flashes and convert them to an electrical signal;

a controller connected to the optical receiver for decoding the electrical signal to thereby store in the favorite channel table of the memory the channel identification information; and

programming response to actuation of a favorite channel key which retrieves from the favorite channel table of the memory the channel identification information and which uses the channel identification information to cause a transmission of a command adapted to tune an appliance to the a channel corresponding to the channel identification information.

2. The media system of claim 1, wherein the video screen is operably connected to flash light and dark screens.

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

5. A method of editing a favorite channel table in a remote control, the method comprising:

transmitting from the remote control to a video system a channel identification request;

receiving through an optical receiver in the remote control a series of video screen flashes;

decoding the series of video screen flashes to determine the channel identification; and

modifying the favorite channel table in the remote control with the channel identification;

wherein the channel identification functions to specify a channel that was being displayed on a video screen when the channel identification request was transmitted.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein modifying the favorite channel table comprises deleting from the favorite channel table a channel corresponding to the channel identification.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein modifying the favorite channel table comprises adding to the favorite channel table a channel corresponding to the channel identification.

8. A computer readable medium for use in a remote control, the medium comprising programming for:

transmitting via IR a channel request to a video system;

receiving by an optical receiver in the remote control a series of video screen flashes transmitted by the video system, the video screen flashes functioning to specify a channel that was being tuned to by the video system when the channel request was transmitted;

determining the a channel based upon the series of video screen flashes transmitted by the video system and received by the optical receiver in the remote control; and

modifying a favorite channel table stored in memory of the remote control with the determined channel.

9. The medium of claim 8, comprising programming for:

sensing a user activating a predetermined key input on the remote control;

initiating the transmission of the channel request in response to sensing the predetermined key input; and

basing the programming for modifying the favorite channel table on the predetermined key input.

10. The medium of claim 9, wherein the predetermined key input consists of a single key input.

11. The medium of claim 10, wherein the programming for modifying the favorite channel table comprises programming for adding to the table a channel corresponding to the determined channel.

12. For use in a remote control having a memory, a method for storing and using channel identification information, comprising:

receiving a signal that functions to specify a channel that is currently being tuned to by an appliance;

converting the signal to an electrical signal;

decoding the electrical signal to obtain the channel identification information;

storing the channel identification information in a favorite channel table of the memory; and

in response to actuation of a favorite channel key, retrieving from the favorite channel table of the memory the channel identification information and using the channel identification information to cause a transmission of a command adapted to tune an appliance to a channel corresponding to the channel identification information.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising transmitting a request to receive the signal.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the signal comprises a visible light pattern flashed on a video display.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the signal comprises a serial transmission of data.

16. For use in a remote control having a memory, a computer-readable medium having instructions for storing and using channel identification information, the instructions performing steps comprising:

converting a received signal to an electrical signal the received signal functioning to specify a channel currently being tuned to by an appliance;

decoding the electrical signal to obtain the channel identification information;

storing the channel identification information in a favorite channel table of the memory; and

in response to actuation of a favorite channel key, retrieving from the favorite channel table of the memory the channel identification information and using the channel identification information to cause a transmission of a command adapted to tune an appliance to a channel corresponding to the channel identification information.

17. The readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions perform the step of transmitting a request to receive the signal.

18. The readable medium of claim 16, wherein the signal comprises a visible light pattern flashed on a video display.

19. The readable medium of claim 16, wherein the signal comprises a serial transmission of data.