System and method for using image data in connection with configuring a universal controlling device

• US 20070279244A1
• Filed: 05/19/2006
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Haughawout, Joseph Lee, Hayes, Patrick H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,653,212 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825.220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• 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 2201/21 Programming remote control devices via third means
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4117 for generating hard copies of the content, e.g. printer, electronic paper interfaces to printers G06F3/12; printing data G06K15/02
• 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 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• 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

Abstract

A user provides to an image recognition system an image that is intended to be used to identify one or more appliances that are to be controlled by a universal controlling device. The image recognition system has access to a database of images that have been cross-referenced to appliances and configuration information for those appliances. The image recognition system uses the provided image to identify one or more appliances to be controlled using the universal controlling device and, accordingly, the configuration information for those one or more appliances so identified. The configuration information may then be provided to a user for manual provision to the universal controlling device or be provided in a form for downloading into the universal controlling device, whether directly or via an intermediate device. The configuration information may also be provided to an intermediate device which has programming for use in connection with a process of configuring the universal controlling device.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a universal controlling device to enable the universal controlling device to communicate commands to one or more target appliances, comprising:

receiving an image at an image recognition system having an associated database of images that are cross-referenced to configuration information for a plurality of appliances;

using the image recognition system to discern one or more images from the associated database as being a match for the received image; and

using at least a subset of the configuration information that has been cross-referenced to the one or more images discerned by the image recognition system as being a match for the received image to configure the universal controlling device to enable the universal controlling device to communicate commands to the one or more target appliances.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising keying into the universal controlling device the at least a subset of the configuration information.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising downloading into the universal controlling device the at least a subset of the configuration information.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, comprising downloading the at least a subset of the configuration information into the universal controlling device via an intermediate device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising providing the at least a subset of the configuration information to a computing device having a configuration editor and using the at least a subset of the configuration information and the configuration editor to create a configuration for provision to the universal controlling device to thereby enable the universal controlling device to communicate commands to the one or more target appliances.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising using the at least a subset of the configuration information to select one or more command sets from a library of command sets which selected one or more command sets are to be used in connection with transmitting commands to the one or more target appliances.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, comprising selecting the one or more command sets from a library of command sets stored in a memory of the universal controlling device.

8. The method as recited in claim 6, comprising selecting the one or more command sets from a library of command sets stored in a memory remote from the universal controlling device and downloading the selected one or more command sets to the universal controlling device.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising using the at least a subset of the configuration information to select one or more graphical user interface elements from a library of graphical user interface elements which selected one or more graphical user interface elements are to be used in connection with transmitting commands to the one or more target appliances.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, comprising selecting the one or more graphical user interface elements from a library of graphical user interface elements stored in a memory of the universal controlling device.

11. The method as recited in claim 9, comprising selecting the one or more graphical user interface elements from a library of graphical user interface elements stored in a memory remote from the universal controlling device and downloading the selected graphical user interface elements to the universal controlling device.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising allowing a user to designate one or more portions of the received image which designated portions of the received image are used by the image recognition system when discerning a match.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising including in the configuration information a macro command sequence for commanding multiple operations of the one or more target appliances.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising displaying a plurality of images from the associated database as being a match for at least a portion of the received image, allowing for the selection of one or more of the displayed plurality of images, and using at least a subset of the configuration information that has been cross-referenced to the selected one or more of the displayed plurality of images to enable the universal controlling device to communicate commands to the one or more target appliances.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising uploading the image to the image recognition system from a digital camera.

16. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising uploading the image to the image recognition system from the universal controlling device.

17. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising storing the received image in the database of images associated with the image recognition system and cross-referencing configuration information to the stored, received image.

18. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the received image comprises one or more imageries selected from a group consisting of an appliance image, a remote control image, a bar code image, and a product packaging image.

31. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising uploading to the image recognition system an image of a controlling device and one or more command codes learned from the controlling device represented by the uploaded image, storing the uploaded image in the database of images associated with the image recognition system, and cross-referencing to the uploaded image of the controlling device as configuration information at least the one or more uploaded command codes learned from the controlling device represented by the uploaded image.

19. A method for configuring a universal controlling device to enable the universal controlling device to communicate commands to one or more target appliances, comprising:

receiving data at a system having an associated database of images that have been cross-referenced to identifier data for a plurality of appliances and configuration information for the plurality of appliances;

using the system to discern one or more images from the associated database as being a match for the received data;

displaying the one or more images from the associated database that were discerned as being a match for the received data;

allowing for the selection of one or more of the displayed plurality of images; and

using at least a subset of the configuration information that has been cross-referenced to the selected one or more of the displayed plurality of images to enable the universal controlling device to communicate commands to the one or more target appliances.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the displayed one or more images comprises one or more imageries selected from a group consisting of an appliance image and a remote control image.

21. The method as recited in claim 19, comprising keying into the universal controlling device the at least a subset of the configuration information.

22. The method as recited in claim 19, comprising downloading into the universal controlling device the at least a subset of the configuration information.

23. The method as recited in claim 22, comprising downloading the at least a subset of the configuration information into the universal controlling device via an intermediate device.

24. The method as recited in claim 19, comprising providing the at least a subset of the configuration information to a computing device having a configuration editor and using the at least a subset of the configuration information and the configuration editor to create a configuration for provision to the universal controlling device to thereby enable the universal controlling device to communicate commands to the one or more target appliances.

25. The method as recited in claim 19, comprising using the at least a subset of the configuration information to select one or more command sets from a library of command sets which selected one or more command sets are to be used in connection with transmitting commands to the one or more target appliances.

26. The method as recited in claim 25, comprising selecting the one or more command sets from a library of command sets stored in a memory of the universal controlling device.

27. The method as recited in claim 25, comprising selecting the one or more command sets from a library of command sets stored in a memory remote from the universal controlling device and downloading the selected one or more command sets to the universal controlling device.

28. The method as recited in claim 19, comprising using the at least a subset of the configuration information to select one or more graphical user interface elements from a library of graphical user interface elements which selected one or more graphical user interface elements are to be used in connection with transmitting commands to the one or more target appliances.

29. The method as recited in claim 28, comprising selecting the one or more graphical user interface elements from a library of graphical user interface elements stored in a memory of the universal controlling device.

30. The method as recited in claim 28, comprising selecting the one or more graphical user interface elements from a library of graphical user interface elements stored in a memory remote from the universal controlling device and downloading the selected graphical user interface elements to the universal controlling device.

32. A method for providing a universal controlling device with configuration information to enable the universal controlling device to communicate commands to one or more target appliances, comprising:

uploading to an image recognition system having an associated database of images that are cross-referenced to configuration information for a plurality of appliances an image and one or more command codes learned from a controlling device;

storing the uploaded image in the database of images associated with the image recognition system;

cross-referencing to the uploaded image as configuration information at least the one or more uploaded command codes learned from the controlling device; and

in response to a request to the image recognition system to receive configuration information which includes an image that the image recognition system discerns to be a match for the uploaded image, providing for use in configuring the universal controlling device the configuration information cross-referenced to the uploaded image.

33. The method as recited in claim 32, wherein the uploaded image represents the controlling device from which the command codes were learned.

34. The method as recited in claim 33, comprising uploading to the image recognition system a mapping between the one or more command codes and keys of controlling device from which the command codes were learned and including the mapping as part of configuration information cross-referenced to the uploaded image.

35. The method as recited in claim 34, comprising using a controlling device having a camera and programming for learning command codes to capture an image of the controlling device and to learn the one or more command codes from the controlling device.