Remote key manager

• US 20060041874A1
• Filed: 04/17/2003
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Tenbarge, James Duane, Lynch, David Johnston, Lefevre, Chad Andrew, Cooper, Steven Lee Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,490,329 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/146
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/543 Local
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/545 Gui
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

An apparatus having a memory and an operating system running a plurality of applications that are controlled by user signals, means to register the user signals required by each application, means to receive user signals, and means to send each received user signal to the application registered to require that signal. A method of passing user signals to a plurality of applications running with an operating system comprising receiving from each application information on user signals required by that application; saving in a memory the required user signals associated with each application; receiving a user signal from a user interface device; retrieving from the memory applications that require the received user signal; and sending the received user signal to each of the retrieved applications.

Claims

1. A method for passing user signals to a plurality of applications running with an operating system, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving from each application information on user signals required by that application;

saving in a memory the required user signals associated with each application;

receiving a user signal from a user interface device;

retrieving from the memory applications that require the received user signal; and

sending the received user signal to each of the retrieved applications.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of sending the received user signal to the operating system.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of translating the received user signal into a second signal recognizable by the operating system and sending the second signal to the operating system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating system is Windows CE.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the applications comprise a user interface and a browser.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the user signals are received by IR from a remote control device, from front panel buttons, and/or from the system.

7. The method of claim 1, further including error checking and conversion of user signals.

8. The method of claim 1 comprising registering a key manager with an infrared driver and a front panel assembly driver, registering active application programs and unregistering inactive programs with the key manager, registering a set of keys corresponding to each active program and unregistering the set of keys upon a program becoming inactive, and passing received keys to an active application program for which the received keys are registered.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein upon registration of an application program, a name and size for a message queue corresponding to the program is stored by the key manager, upon which the key manager creates one end of the message queue for passing keys to the application program.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein all keys are translated to match an operating system equivalent, sent to the operating system, and thereafter passed to a top level application, and if the top level application does not want the key, the key is then passed sequentially to a next highest level of application which accepts the key.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the keys are translated to match an operating system equivalent, sent to the operating system, and thereafter passed to each application that responds to the key.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein upon registration of an application program with the key manager, the type of keys required by the application program is registered.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the type of keys is selected from the group consisting of remote control keys, keyboard keys, and front panel assembly keys.

14. An apparatus having a memory and an operating system adapted to run a plurality of applications that are controlled by user signals, means to register the user signals required by each application, means to receive user signals, and means to send each received user signal to the application registered to require that signal.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 comprising a television, a browser, a display, and a keyboard.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 comprising means to display a user interface, means to receive infrared remote control signals, means to receive front panel assembly signals, and means to receive keyboard signals.