System and method for simplified setup of a universal remote control

• US 20070052547A1
• Filed: 09/05/2006
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Hayes, Patrick, Huang, Steve, Haughawout, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 7,907,222 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825.220
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/00 Electric signal transmission systems G08C17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26291 for providing content or additional data updates, e.g. updating software modules, stored at the client deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• 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 21/4221 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 21/42225 characterized by types of remote control, e.g. universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42226 Reprogrammable remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42227 the keys being reprogrammable, e.g. soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/433 Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence

Abstract

A system and method for enabling set up of a controlling device capable of controlling a plurality of appliances, via an interactive instruction set and associated programming. The programming is accessible by a STB or other controllable appliance and is configured to appropriately display interactive instructions and prompts to a user during a user initiated set up procedure for configuration of another controllable device (e.g., DVD, VCR, DVR, etc) available to the user. Appropriate set up data, generally in the form of command library codes, is displayed to the user by the interactive instruction set and associated programming for entry and trial by the user in set up of the desired appliance(s).

Claims

1. A method for providing interactive instructions to a user to set up a controlling device used to command a plurality of controllable appliances, the method comprising:

providing on a first controllable appliance programming for the display of instructions to the user in response to input from the user via the controlling device;

providing input by the user to the first controllable appliance via the controlling device indicating that the controlling device is to be set up to command a second controllable appliance;

accessing instruction data associated with the second controllable appliance by the programming provided on the first controllable appliance; and

in response to input by the user via the controlling device, displaying the instruction data by the programming provided on the first controllable appliance for use by the user in setting up the controlling device to command the second controllable appliance.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the instruction data is accessed by the programming provided on the first controllable appliance from a remote source.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the instruction data is provided automatically to the first controllable device by a remote source.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the programming provided on the first controllable appliance is provided from a remote source.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the programming is provided automatically to the first controllable appliance by a remote source.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the instructions include a series of navigable menus from which the user can select the device type and brand of the second controllable appliance.

7. A method for configuring a controlling device having a plurality of function keys, the method comprising:

receiving input into the controlling device which functions to place the controlling device into a first setup mode wherein activation of one or more function keys from a first group of the plurality of function keys will cause transmissions of commands to a first controllable appliance for the purpose of invoking and navigating displayable instructions for configuring the controlling device to command operations of a second controllable appliance and wherein activation of one or more function keys from a second group of the plurality of function keys in a manner indicated by the displayable instructions is used to select a command set from a library of command sets stored within the controlling device to be used in communicating commands to the second controllable appliance whereupon activation of one or more function keys from a third group of function keys will cause transmissions of commands from the selected command set to the second controllable appliance to thereby allow for testing of the selected command set as being appropriate for the second controllable appliance.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the first group of the plurality of function keys comprise a setup key and navigation keys.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the second group of the plurality of function keys comprise digit keys.

10. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the third group of the plurality of function keys comprise a group consisting of one or more of volume control keys, channel control keys, and a power control key.

11. The method as recited in claim 7, comprising downloading at least a portion of programming for displaying the displayable instructions into the first controllable device via an Internet connection.

12. The method as recited in claim 7, comprising downloading at least a portion of programming for displaying the displayable instructions into the first controllable device via a cable connection.

13. The method as recited in claim 7, comprising storing at least a portion of programming for displaying the displayable instructions on a removable storage media readable by the first controllable appliance.

14. The method as recited in claim 7, comprising downloading at least a portion of programming for displaying the displayable instructions into the first controllable appliance via a satellite connection.

15. The method as recited in claim 7, comprising receiving input into the controlling device which functions to place the controlling device into a second setup mode wherein activation of one or more function keys from a first group of the plurality of function keys will cause transmissions of commands to the first controllable appliance for the purpose of invoking and navigating displayable instructions for configuring the controlling device to command operations of a second controllable appliance using a predetermined set of the plurality of function keys and wherein activation of one or more device indicating keys of the controlling device in a manner indicated by the displayable instructions is used to select one or more commands from a command set from the library of command sets stored within the controlling device that corresponds as a result of performing steps within the first setup mode to the device indicating keys activated to be used in communicating commands in response to activation of ones of the predetermined set of the plurality of function keys.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the predetermined set of the plurality of function keys comprise a group consisting of one or more of volume control keys, channel control keys, or a power control key.

17. The method as recited in claim 15, comprising using activation of the one or more device indicating keys during the second setup mode to automatically reconfigure a macro command sequence stored within the controlling device.

18. A method for configuring a controlling device having a plurality of function keys, comprising:

receiving input into the controlling device which functions to place the controlling device into a setup mode whereupon one or more keys of the plurality of function keys are activatable to enter a code used to cause the controlling device to automatically assign commands stored within the controlling device and associated with a first device type mapped within the controlling device to the code entered to a first predetermined group of the plurality of function keys and to automatically assign commands stored within the controlling device and associated with a second device type mapped within the controlling device to the code entered to a second predetermined group of the plurality of function keys.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, comprising creating a configuration table which functions to map different codes enterable in the setup mode to corresponding permutations of types of devices to be controlled upon activation of the first predetermined group of the plurality of function keys and the second predetermined group of the plurality of function keys, the configuration table to be used as a guide to instruct a user as to which of the plurality of function keys to activate within the setup mode to achieve a desired configuration result.