PROGRAMMABLE REMOTE CONTROL UNIT AND METHOD

• US 20080174449A1
• Filed: 01/22/2008
• Published: 07/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Schwagmann, Norbert, Schmidt, Andreas, Luft, Achim
• Granted Patent: US 8,823,485 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825.22
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/21 Programming remote control devices via third means
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control

Abstract

A programmable remote control unit and method. The remote control unit includes a remote control configuration file request message generating circuit configured to generate a remote control configuration file request message, the remote control configuration file request message comprising operating characteristics of the remote control unit having information about a usage characteristic of a user of the remote control unit. A transmitter is configured to send the remote control configuration file request message to a remote control configuration file generating circuit. A receiver is configured to receive the at least one remote control configuration file. A memory is configured to store the at least one remote control configuration file. A remote control configuration circuit is configured to configure the remote control unit in accordance with the at least one remote control configuration file.

Claims

1. A remote control unit, comprising:

a remote control configuration file request message generating circuit configured to generate a remote control configuration file request message, the remote control configuration file request message comprising operating characteristics of the remote control unit having information about a usage characteristic of a user of the remote control unit;

a transmitter configured to send the remote control configuration file request message to a remote control configuration file generating circuit;

a receiver configured to receive the at least one remote control configuration file;

a memory configured to store the at least one remote control configuration file; and

a remote control configuration circuit configured to configure the remote control unit in accordance with the at least one remote control configuration file.

2. The remote control unit according to claim 1, wherein the operating characteristics comprise at least one of characteristics of at least one input circuit of the remote control unit, and characteristics of at least one output circuit of the remote control unit.

3. The remote control unit according to claim 2, wherein the characteristics of at least one input circuit of the remote control unit comprise at least one of information about function programmability of the at least one input circuit, and information about placement programmability of the at least one input circuit.

4. The remote control unit according to claim 1, wherein the operating characteristics of the remote control unit comprise at least one of the information items selected from the group consisting of:

information about hardware features of the remote control unit;

information about software features of the remote control unit;

information about preferences of the user of the remote control unit; and

information about a history of usage of the remote control unit.

5. The remote control unit according to claim 4, wherein the information about hardware features of the remote control unit comprises at least one of the information items selected from the group consisting of:

device identification characteristics;

number and position of non-programmable keys;

number and position of programmable keys;

number and position of software-based keys;

number, characteristics and position of at least one display circuit; and

available storage space in the memory.

6. The remote control unit according to claim 4, wherein the information about software features of the remote control unit comprises at least one of the information items selected from the group consisting of:

software identification characteristics;

information about codecs supported by the remote control unit for displaying pixels or text elements;

information about macrofunctions supported by the remote control unit; and

maximum permissible concatenation depth of macrofunctions.

7. The remote control unit according to claim 4, wherein the information about preferences of the user of the remote control unit comprises at least one of the user prefers to use an input element of the at least one input circuit, and the user prefers to use an output element of the at least one output circuit.

8. The remote control unit according to claim 4, wherein the information about the history of usage of the remote control unit comprises at least one of the information items selected from the group consisting of:

information about at least one configuration of the remote control unit preceding in time;

information about a frequency of use of an input element of the at least one input circuit; and

information about a frequency of use of an output element of the at least one output circuit.

9. The remote control unit according to claim 2, wherein the characteristics of at least one output circuit of the remote control unit comprise at least one of information about a function programmability of the at least one output circuit, and information about a placement programmability of the at least one output circuit.

10. The remote control unit according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter is set up as an optical transmitter.

11. The remote control unit according to claim 10, wherein the transmitter is set up as an infrared transmitter.

12. The remote control unit according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter is set up as a radio transmitter.

13. The remote control unit according to claim 12, wherein the transmitter is set up as a radio transmitter of an ad-hoc radio communication network.

14. The remote control unit according to claim 13, wherein the transmitter is set up as a radio transmitter of a Bluetooth radio communication network.

15. The remote control unit according to claim 1, wherein the receiver is set up as an optical receiver.

16. The remote control unit according to claim 15, wherein the transceiver is set up as an infrared receiver.

17. The remote control unit according to claim 1, wherein the receiver is set up as a radio receiver.

18. The remote control unit according to claim 17, wherein the receiver is set up as a radio receiver of an ad-hoc radio communication network.

19. The remote control unit according to claim 18, wherein the receiver is set up as a radio receiver of a Bluetooth radio communication network.

20. The remote control unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one remote control configuration file has data in at least one of the formats selected from the group consisting of:

extensible markup language;

hypertext markup language; and

Java computer program code.

21. A remote control unit, comprising:

a remote control configuration file request message generating circuit configured to generate a remote control configuration file request message, the remote control configuration file request message including operating characteristics of the remote control unit;

a transmitter configured to send the remote control configuration file request message to a remote control configuration file generating circuit;

a receiver configured to receive at least one remote control configuration file;

a memory configured to store the at least one remote control configuration file;

a decision circuit configured to decide whether the at least one remote control configuration file is accepted at least partially; and

a remote control configuration circuit configured to configure the remote control unit at least partially in accordance with the at least one remote control configuration file if it has been decided to accept the at least one remote control configuration file at least partially.

22. A remote control configuration file generating circuit, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive at least one remote control configuration file request message, the remote control configuration file request message including operating characteristics of a remote control unit which have information about a usage characteristic of a user of the remote control unit;

a remote control configuration file generator configured to generate a remote control configuration file, taking into consideration the received operating characteristics of the remote control unit; and

a transmitter configured to send the remote control configuration file to a remote control unit.

23. A remote-controllable device with a remote control configuration file generating circuit according to claim 22.

24. A remote control configuration file generator configured to generate a remote control configuration file, taking into consideration received operating characteristics of a remote control unit having information about a usage characteristic of a user of the remote control unit.

25. A method for determining a configuration of a remote control unit, comprising:

generating a remote control configuration file request message, the remote control configuration file request message including operating characteristics of the remote control unit having information about a usage characteristic of a user of the remote control unit;

sending the remote control configuration file request message to a remote control configuration file generating circuit;

receiving at least one remote control configuration file; and

configuring the remote control unit in accordance with the at least one remote control configuration file.