System and method for informing user how to use universal remote control

• US 20080088474A1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hardacker, Robert, Dawson, Thomas Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 7,952,467 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825.72
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared

Abstract

Control information is exchanged between a component and a remote control device using RFID and then transmitted to a TV using RFID so that the TV can display components to be controlled and/or remote control device buttons and/or functions of remote control device buttons for particular components to be controlled, to train the user.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one remote control device having an associated remote RFID reader/writer;

at least one TV having an associated TV RFID device; and

at least one component having an associated component RFID device, wherein the remote RFID reader/writer can be positioned to receive information from the component RFID device pertaining to functions of buttons on the remote control device for controlling the component, and wherein the remote RFID reader/writer device can be positioned to send the information to the TV RFID device, the TV using the information to present at least one display representing components to be controlled and/or remote control device buttons and/or functions of remote control device buttons.

2. The system of claim 1, comprising plural components with respective RFID devices.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the component is selected from the group consisting of PVRs, DVDs, STBs, PCs, Home Theaters.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote control device communicates commands to the TV via IR.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote control device has only pointing and clicking capability, a user being able to select a button displayed on the TV by means of the remote control device to thereby cause execution in the TV and/or component of a function represented by the button.

6. A method comprising:

reading control information from a component to a remote control device using RFID;

transmitting the information to a TV from the remote control device using RFID; and

presenting at least one display on the TV at least partially based on the information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the display includes at least one display representing components to be controlled and/or remote control device buttons and/or functions of remote control device buttons.

8. The method of claim 6, comprising sending, via RFID, control information from plural components with respective RFID devices to the remote control device.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the component is selected from the group consisting of PVRs, DVDs, STBs.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the remote control device communicates commands to the TV via IR.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the remote control device has only pointing and clicking capability, a user being able to select a button displayed on the TV by means of the remote control device to thereby cause execution in the TV and/or component of a function represented by the button.

12. A remote control device, comprising:

a portable housing;

at least one command transmitter on the housing and configured to send commands to a TV; and

at least one RFID device on the housing and configured to transfer information using RFID.

13. The remote control device of claim 12, wherein the RFID device on the housing receives control information from a component.

14. The remote control device of claim 13, wherein the RFID device on the housing transmits the control information to a TV, the display being presented on the TV at least partially based on the control information.

15. The remote control device of claim 14, wherein the display includes at least one display representing components to be controlled and/or remote control device buttons and/or functions of remote control device buttons.

16. The remote control device of claim 13, wherein the RFID device on the housing receives, via RFID, control information from plural components.

17. The remote control device of claim 13, wherein the component is selected from the group consisting of PVRs, DVDs, STBs, PCs, Home Theaters.

18. The remote control device of claim 12 wherein, the remote control device has only pointing and clicking capability, a user being able to select a button displayed on the TV by means of the remote control device to thereby cause execution in the TV and/or component of a function represented by the button.

19. A television display presenting a graphic depiction of a portable remote control device that presents to the user an illustrated context sensitive guide to the operation of the remote control device for each of a controlled component selected by the user.