Remote device configuration automation

• US 20060161690A1
• Filed: 01/19/2005
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bright Entertainment Limited
• Original Assignee: Bright Entertainment Limited
• Inventors: Hejna, Donald J. Jr., Bennett, Andrew, Giggins, Niall Carter, Kavanagh, John
• Application Number:
  US11/039,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20060161690A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices

Abstract

A remote control device tries each of a number of command sets and detects a user'"'"'s response to each attempt to identify the correct command set. Each attempt includes sending a signal to a controlled device that, if properly received and understood by the controlled device, would cause the controlled device to display a message to the user instruction the user to perform a predetermined user input gesture on the remote control device. The remote control device recognizes the predetermined user input gesture, e.g., pushing of a button, as acknowledgment from the controlled device that the most recently sent command or commands were successfully received and understood by the controlled device.

Claims

1. A method for identifying which of a number of command sets is an operative command set to which an external device is responsive, the method comprising:

for each of one or more of the command sets;

sending a signal to the external device wherein the signal is selected according to the command set to cause the external device to instruct a user to perform a user input gesture;

determining that the command set is the operative command set upon a condition in which performance of the user input gesture is detected.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the external device is a DVD player.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein sending and determining are performed by a remote control device to thereby program the remote control device to control operation of the DVD player.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the command sets is a collection of remote signals to control operation of one or more types of external devices.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the signal is an infrared signal.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the signal is selected to cause the external device to instruct the user by causing the external device to display predetermined content from a removable storage medium wherein the predetermined content includes instruction to the user to perform the user input gesture.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the user input gesture is the pressing of a button on a remote control device which is separate from the external device.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

recording data identifying the operative command set in non-volatile memory.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

for each of the one or more of the command sets;

waiting a predetermined period of time after the sending of the signal for the user to perform the user input gesture.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

for each of the one or more of the command sets;

determining that the command set is not the operative command set upon a condition in which the user input gesture is not detected within the predetermined period of time.

11. A device readable medium useful in association with a remote control device which includes a processor and a memory, the device readable medium including instructions which are configured to cause the remote control device to identify which of a number of command sets is an operative command set to which an external device is responsive by:

for each of one or more of the command sets;

sending a signal to the external device wherein the signal is selected according to the command set to cause the external device to instruct a user to perform a user input gesture;

determining that the command set is the operative command set upon a condition in which performance of the user input gesture is detected.

12. The device readable medium of claim 11 wherein the external device is a DVD player.

13. The device readable medium of claim 12 wherein sending and determining are performed by a remote control device to thereby program the remote control device to control operation of the DVD player.

14. The device readable medium of claim 11 wherein each of the command sets is a collection of remote signals to control operation of one or more types of external devices.

15. The device readable medium of claim 11 wherein the signal is an infrared signal.

16. The device readable medium of claim 11 wherein the signal is selected to cause the external device to instruct the user by causing the external device to display predetermined content from a removable storage medium wherein the predetermined content includes instruction to the user to perform the user input gesture.

17. The device readable medium of claim 11 wherein the user input gesture is the pressing of a button on a remote control device which is separate from the external device.

18. The device readable medium of claim 11 wherein the instructions are configured to cause the remote control device to identify which of a number of command sets is an operative command set to which an external device is responsive by also:

recording data identifying the operative command set in non-volatile memory.

19. The device readable medium of claim 11 wherein the instructions are configured to cause the remote control device to identify which of a number of command sets is an operative command set to which an external device is responsive by also:

for each of the one or more of the command sets;

waiting a predetermined period of time after the sending of the signal for the user to perform the user input gesture.

20. The device readable medium of claim 19 wherein the instructions are configured to cause the remote control device to identify which of a number of command sets is an operative command set to which an external device is responsive by also:

for each of the one or more of the command sets;

determining that the command set is not the operative command set upon a condition in which the user input gesture is not detected within the predetermined period of time.

21. A remote control device that is configured to identify which of a number of command sets is an operative command set to which an external device is responsive by:

for each of one or more of the command sets;

sending a signal to the external device wherein the signal is selected according to the command set to cause the external device to instruct a user to perform a user input gesture;

determining that the command set is the operative command set upon a condition in which performance of the user input gesture is detected.

22. The remote control device of claim 21 wherein the external device is a DVD player.

23. The remote control device of claim 22 wherein sending and determining are performed by a remote control device to thereby program the remote control device to control operation of the DVD player.

24. The remote control device of claim 21 wherein each of the command sets is a collection of remote signals to control operation of one or more types of external devices.

25. The remote control device of claim 21 wherein the signal is an infrared signal.

26. The remote control device of claim 21 wherein the signal is selected to cause the external device to instruct the user by causing the external device to display predetermined content from a removable storage medium wherein the predetermined content includes instruction to the user to perform the user input gesture.

27. The remote control device of claim 21 wherein the user input gesture is the pressing of a button on a remote control device which is separate from the external device.

28. The remote control device of claim 21 wherein the remote control device is configured to identify which of a number of command sets is an operative command set to which an external device is responsive by also:

recording data identifying the operative command set in non-volatile memory.

29. The remote control device of claim 21 wherein the remote control device is configured to identify which of a number of command sets is an operative command set to which an external device is responsive by also:

for each of the one or more of the command sets;

waiting a predetermined period of time after the sending of the signal for the user to perform the user input gesture.

30. The remote control device of claim 29 wherein the remote control device is configured to identify which of a number of command sets is an operative command set to which an external device is responsive by also:

for each of the one or more of the command sets;

determining that the command set is not the operative command set upon a condition in which the user input gesture is not detected within the predetermined period of time.