Configurable controlling device having an associated editing program

• US 20060050142A1
• Filed: 09/02/2005
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Scott, Cheryl, Scott, Wayne, Ammari, Ramzi, Yuh, Han-Sheng, Chambers, Christopher A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,266,777 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.50
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/21 Programming remote control devices via third means
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• 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 21/42227 the keys being reprogrammable, e.g. soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/967 Visual or iconic programming

Abstract

A configurable controlling device and associated editor program that allows a consumer to create on a personal computer for downloading to the controlling device a user interface comprised of user interface pages having icons which icons, when activated on the controlling device, cause the controlling device to perform a function, such as to transmit a command to an appliance, to change the user interface page being displayed, etc. The editor program allows for the visualization of links created between user interface pages, single step assigning of commands to logical groups of function keys (both iconic and hard keys), single step assigning of backgrounds to groups of user interface pages, and pre-rendering of user interface pages prior to the downloading of the user interface to the controlling device.

Claims

1. A computer-readable media having instructions executable on a computing device for editing a controlling device user interface downloadable to a controlling device and comprised of a plurality of individual GUI pages including a first GUI page and a second GUI page, the instructions performing steps comprising:

accepting input to edit the controlling device user interface, the input being used to create a link between the first GUI page and the second GUI page where the link is executable on the controlling device to cause the controlling device to transition from the first GUI page to the second GUI page;

accepting input to cause a display of a visual representation of the link created between the first GUI page and the second GUI page; and

accepting input to initiate a download of the edited controlling device user interface to the controlling device.

2. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the visual representation of the link between the first GUI page and the second GUI page comprises a display of an image representative of the first GUI page, a display of an image representative of the second GUI page, and a display of an image representative of the link between the first GUI page and the second GUI page.

3. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 2, wherein the image representative of the link between the first GUI page and the second GUI page is provided with a label which denotes an action which causes the link to be executed by the controlling device.

4. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 3, wherein the action is associated with a transmission of a command from the controlling device to an appliance.

5. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 3, wherein the action is associated with actuation of a GUI element included as a part of the first GUI page.

6. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the edited controlling device user interface is downloadable to the controlling device via a network connection.

7. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the edited controlling device user interface is downloadable to the controlling device via a docking station.

8. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the edited controlling device user interface is downloadable to the controlling device directly from the computing device.

9. A method for interacting with a computing device to edit a controlling device user interface downloadable to a controlling device and comprised of a plurality of individual GUI pages including a first GUI page and a second GUI page, the method comprising:

editing the controlling device user interface on the computing device by providing input used to create a link between the first GUI page and the second GUI page where the link is executable on the controlling device to cause the controlling device to transition from the first GUI page to the second GUI page;

causing the computing device to display a visual representation of the link created between the first GUI page and the second GUI page; and

causing a download of the edited controlling device user interface to the controlling device.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the visual representation of the link between the first GUI page and the second GUI page comprises a display of an image representative of the first GUI page, a display of an image representative of the second GUI page, and a display of an image representative of the link between the first GUI page and the second GUI page.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the image representative of the link between the first GUI page and the second GUI page is provided with a label which denotes an action which causes the link to be executed by the controlling device.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the action is associated with a transmission of a command from the controlling device to an appliance.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the action is associated with actuation of a GUI element included as a part of the first GUI page.

14. A computer-readable media having instructions executable on a computing device for editing a controlling device user interface downloadable to a controlling device and comprising of a set of command keys used to command a set of logically grouped functions of a controllable appliance, the instructions performing steps comprising:

displaying a representation of the logical group of command keys;

displaying a representation of the controllable appliance;

accepting input for editing the controlling device user interface, the input being used to associate the representation of the controllable appliance with the representation of the logical group of command keys whereupon commands from a command set used to command the set of logically grouped functions of the controllable appliance are automatically associated with corresponding command keys of the set of command keys; and

accepting input to initiate a download of the edited controlling device user interface to the controlling device.

15. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 14, wherein a drag and drop operation is used to associate the representation of the controllable appliance with the representation of the logical group of command keys.

16. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 14, wherein the logical group of command keys comprise hard keys of the controlling device.

17. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 14, wherein the logical group of command keys comprise soft keys displayable as part of a GUI page on the controlling device.

18. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 14, wherein the logical group of command keys are used to command a logical group of operations of an appliance selected from a group consisting of:

volume control operations, transport control operations, channel control operations, and digit entry operations.

19. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 14, wherein the instructions accept input for designating which keys from a displayed plurality of command keys comprises the logical group of command keys.

20. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 14, wherein the edited controlling device user interface is downloadable to the controlling device via a network connection.

21. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 14, wherein the edited controlling device user interface is downloadable to the controlling device via a docking station.

22. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 14, wherein the edited controlling device user interface is downloadable to the controlling device directly from the computing device.

23. A method for interacting with a computing device to edit a controlling device user interface downloadable to a controlling device and comprising of a set of command keys used to command a set of logically grouped functions of a controllable appliance, the method comprising:

providing input to the computing device to display a representation of the logical group of command keys on the computing device;

providing input to the computing device to display a representation of the controllable appliance on the computing device;

providing input to the computing device to edit the controlling device user interface, the input being used to associate the representation of the controllable appliance with the representation of the logical group of command keys whereupon commands from a command set used to command the set of logically grouped functions of the controllable appliance are automatically associated with corresponding command keys of the set of command keys; and

causing the edited controlling device user interface to be downloaded into the controlling device.

24. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein a drag and drop operation is used to associate the representation of the controllable appliance with the representation of the logical group of command keys.

25. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein the logical group of command keys comprise hard keys of the controlling device.

26. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein the logical group of command keys comprise soft keys displayable as part of a GUI page on the controlling device.

27. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein the logical group of command keys are used to command a logical group of operations of an appliance selected from a group consisting of:

volume control operations, transport control operations, channel control operations, and digit entry operations.

28. The method as recited in claim 23, comprising providing input to the computing device to designate which keys from a plurality of command keys displayed on the computing device comprises the logical group of command keys.

29. A computer-readable media having instructions executable on a computing device for editing a controlling device user interface downloadable to a controlling device and comprising a set of GUI pages, the instructions performing steps comprising:

displaying a representation of the GUI pages;

displaying a representation of a GUI page background image;

accepting input for editing the controlling device user interface, the input being used to associate the GUI page background image with a grouped set of GUI pages within the representation of GUI pages whereupon the GUI page background image is automatically designated to be used with each GUI page within the grouped set of GUI pages; and

accepting input to initiate a download of the edited controlling device user interface to the controlling device.

30. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 29, wherein a drag and drop operation is used to associate the GUI page background image with the grouped set of GUI pages.

31. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 29, wherein the representation of GUI pages comprises a tree structure having a hierarchal arrangement of nodes and leaves and wherein a node and each leaf under the node comprise a grouped set of GUI pages.

32. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 31, wherein the GUI page background image is associated with the grouped set of GUI pages by dragging and dropping a copy of the representation of the GUI page background image onto a node of the tree structure.

33. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 29, wherein the edited controlling device user interface is downloadable to the controlling device via a network connection.

34. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 29, wherein the edited controlling device user interface is downloadable to the controlling device via a docking station.

35. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 29, wherein the edited controlling device user interface is downloadable to the controlling device directly from the computing device.

36. A method for interacting with a computing device to edit a controlling device user interface downloadable to a controlling device and comprising a set of GUI pages, the method comprising:

providing input to the computing device to display a representation of the GUI pages on the computing device;

providing input to the computing device to display a representation of a GUI page background image on the computing device;

providing input to the computing device to edit the controlling device user interface, the input being used to associate the GUI page background image with a grouped set of GUI pages within the representation of GUI pages whereupon the GUI page background image is automatically designated to be used with each GUI page within the grouped set of GUI pages; and

causing the edited controlling device user interface to be downloaded to the controlling device.

37. The method as recited in claim 36, wherein a drag and drop operation is used to associate the GUI page background image with the grouped set of GUI pages.

38. The method as recited in claim 36, wherein the representation of GUI pages comprises a tree structure having a hierarchal arrangement of nodes and leaves and wherein a node and each leaf under the node comprise a grouped set of GUI pages.

39. The method as recited in claim 36, wherein the GUI page background image is associated with the grouped set of GUI pages by dragging and dropping a copy of the representation of the GUI page background image onto a node of the tree structure.

40. A computer-readable media having instructions executable on a computing device for editing a controlling device user interface downloadable to a controlling device and comprising a GUI page having a plurality of soft keys, the instructions performing steps comprising:

accepting input for editing the controlling device user interface, the input being used to select for each of the plurality of soft keys an image which is to be used to represent an unactivated state of each of the plurality of soft keys; and

accepting input to initiate a download of the edited controlling device user interface to the controlling device wherein, prior to the download of the edited controlling device user interface, the selected images and a background image of the GUI page are automatically rendered into a single graphic element.

41. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 40, wherein the edited controlling device user interface is downloadable to the controlling device via a network connection.

42. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 40, wherein the edited controlling device user interface is downloadable to the controlling device via a docking station.

43. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 40, wherein the edited controlling device user interface is downloadable to the controlling device directly from the computing device.

44. A method for interacting with a computing device to edit a controlling device user interface downloadable to a controlling device and comprising a GUI page having a plurality of soft keys, the method comprising:

providing input for editing the controlling device user interface, the input being used to select for each of the plurality of soft keys an image which is to be used to represent an unactivated state of each of the plurality of soft keys; and

causing the edited controlling device user interface to be downloaded to the controlling device wherein, prior to the download of the edited controlling device user interface, the selected images and a background image of the GUI page are automatically rendered into a single graphic element.