OBTAINING CONSUMER ELECTRONIC DEVICE STATE INFORMATION

• US 20080316305A1
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jonathan G. Ritchie
• Original Assignee: Jonathan G. Ritchie
• Inventors: Ritchie, Jonathan G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,102,414 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/61
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/002 Specific input/output arrangements not covered by G06F3/01 - G06F3/16 other optical apparatus G02B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/50 Receiving or transmitting feedback, e.g. replies, status updates, acknowledgements, from the controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/51 Remote controlling of devices based on replies, status thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/10 Indicating arrangements; Warning arrangements G11B15/04, G11B19/04, G11B27/34, G11B27/36 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces

Abstract

Apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to obtain an image of a consumer electronic device, the image comprising at least one visual indication of a first operating state of the consumer electronic device, and to transmit one or more commands to the consumer electronic device to change to a second operating state different from the first operating state, responsive to determining the first operating state by extracting information associated with the at least one visual indication from the image. The commands may be determined by accessing a database having control instructions associated with the consumer electronic device. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an image detection device to obtain an image of a consumer electronic device;

a transmitter to transmit control instructions to the consumer electronic device responsive to information extracted from the image; and

a first database to be coupled to a processor, the processor to extract the information from the image, and the database comprising descriptions of icons to be visually provided by the consumer electronic device.

2. The system of claim 1, the image detection device comprising:

at least one of a camera or an optical sensor.

3. The system of claim 1, the consumer electronic device comprising:

at least one of a television, a video recorder, or a home theater system.

4. The system of claim 1, the transmitter comprising:

an infra-red transmitter.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second database comprising instructions to change an operational state of the consumer electronic device.

6. The system of claim 5, the second database comprising:

a consumer infra-red database.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a network to couple the transmitter to the processor.

8. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a device control application;

an image detection device to couple to the processor, the image detection device to obtain an image of a consumer electronic device;

a transmitter coupled to the processor; and

a database to be coupled to the processor, the database comprising instructions to change an operational state of the consumer electronic device, the processor to extract information associated with at least one icon from the image, and the transmitter to transmit one or more commands to the consumer electronic device to change the operational state responsive to the information and to execution of the device control application by the processor.

9. The system of claim 8, the commands comprising:

commands that mimic hand-held remote control commands associated with the consumer electronic device.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

an image processing module to compare the information with stored descriptions of icons accessible to the processor.

11. A method, comprising:

obtaining an image of a consumer electronic device, the image comprising at least one visual indication of a first operating state of the consumer electronic device; and

transmitting one or more commands to the consumer electronic device to change to a second operating state different from the first operating state, responsive to determining the first operating state by extracting information associated with the at least one visual indication from the image, the commands determined by a first database having control instructions associated with the consumer electronic device.

12. The method of claim 11, the obtaining further comprising:

obtaining the image using at least one of a camera or one or more optical sensors.

13. The method of claim 11, the at least one visual indication comprising:

an icon.

14. The method of claim 11, the transmitting further comprising:

transmitting infra-red commands to the consumer electronic device.

15. The method of claim 11, the transmitting further comprising:

activating the consumer electronic device by changing from the first operating state comprising an off state to the second operating state comprising an on state.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

controlling lighting proximate to the consumer electronic device.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

retrieving stored icon descriptions; and

comparing the stored icon descriptions with the information.

18. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, such that the instructions, when executed, cause a computer to:

obtain an image of a consumer electronic device, the image comprising at least one visual indication of a first operating state of the consumer electronic device; and

transmit one or more commands to the consumer electronic device to change to a second operating state different from the first operating state, responsive to determining the first operating state by extracting information associated with the at least one visual indication from the image, the commands determined by a first database having control instructions associated with the consumer electronic device.

19. The medium of claim 18, the instructions comprising a device control application, which when executed, causes the computer to:

determine the one or more commands after accessing the first database.

20. The medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the computer to:

access a second database to determine the first operating state.