Method and system for pairing a remote control with a device

• US 20090016728A1
• Filed: 02/01/2007
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Vudu Incorporated (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Marquee Holdings Incorporated (AMC Entertainment Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kindle, Brian
• Application Number:
  US11/670,152
• Publication Number:
  US 20090016728A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/106
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices

Abstract

Techniques for pairing a remote control to a device are disclosed. After a specific button is pressed or buttons are pressed in a specific order, a remote control is caused to enter a re-programming mode. In the mode, the transmitting power of the remote control is significantly reduced, resulting in a much smaller working range. In addition, an identifier in the remote control is changed so that all subsequent command signals from the remote carry a different identifier. For the device to respond to the change in the remote control, a user has to bring the remote control up close to the device for receiving a command signal carrying the changed identifier from the remote control. Once the remote control is back to a normal mode, the remote control is paired with the device within its own working range.

Claims

1. A method for pairing a remote control to a device, the method comprising:

activating the remote control to a re-programming mode;

changing an original identifier to a different identifier in the remote control so that all command signals from the remote control carry the different identifier; and

reducing significantly transmitting power of the remote control, which causes a user to bring the remote control up close to the device to receive a special command carrying the different identifier from the remote control, wherein the device subsequently responds only to command signals carrying the different identifier.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said activating the remote control to a re-programming mode comprises activating a specific sequence of buttons on the remote control.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein there is a set of identifiers for the remote controls in accordance with a modulation standard, said changing an identifier to a different identifier in the remote control comprises rotating among the identifiers from the original identifier to the different identifier.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the modulation standard is analog, the identifier includes one or more parameters to control characteristics of signals to be transmitted by a transmitted module in the remote control.

5. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the modulation standard is digital, the identifier includes an address to be embedded in a data stream to be transmitted by a transmitted module in the remote control.

6. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the modulation standard is based on any one of Phase-shift keying (PSK), Frequency-shift keying (FSK), or Amplitutde-shift keying (ASK), and there are N available addresses, the original identifier is one of the N addresses and the different identifier is another one of the N addresses, where N is a finite integer.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the remote control includes a sequence detector that causes the transmitting power to be reduced when the sequence detector detects more than one of the buttons on the remote control have been pressed in a specified order.

8. A system for pairing a remote control to a device, the system comprising:

the device to be controlled by the remote control;

the remote control including;

a sequence detector that causes transmitting power of the remote control to be reduced significantly when the sequence detector detects more than one of buttons on the remote control have been pressed in a specified order;

an identifier generator, configured to be activated by the sequence detector, changing an original identifier to a different identifier in the remote control so that all command signals from the remote control carry the different identifier; and

wherein, as a result of the reduced transmitting power, the remote control has to be brought up close to the device to receive a special command carrying the different identifier from the remote control, wherein the device subsequently responds only to command signals carrying the different identifier.

9. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein there is a set of identifiers for the remote controls in accordance with a modulation standard, said changing an identifier to a different identifier in the remote control comprises rotating among the identifiers from the original identifier to the different identifier.

10. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein the modulation standard is analog, the identifier includes one or more parameters to control characteristics of signals to be transmitted by a transmitted module in the remote control.

11. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein the modulation standard is digital, the identifier includes an address to be embedded in a data stream to be transmitted by a transmitted module in the remote control.

12. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein the modulation standard is based on Phase-shift keying (PSK), Frequency-shift keying (FSK), or Amplitutde-shift keying (ASK), and there are N available addresses, the original identifier is one of the N addresses and the different identifier is another one of the N addresses.