MEDIA RETURN SYSTEM

• US 20090102984A1
• Filed: 12/18/2008
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Arling, Paul D., Hayes, Patrick H.
• Application Number:
  US12/338,249
• Publication Number:
  US 20090102984A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/734
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence

Abstract

A remote control provides a return to channel feature for use with a media device adapted to play media but not itself equipped with a return to channel feature. The remote control stores a primary channel in memory and is programmed such that, in direct response to a first input being manually provided to a remote control, a timer in the remote control is caused to commence a timing of a predetermined interval such that, in response to expiration of the predetermined interval timed by the timer, the remote control is caused to transmit a command signal corresponding to the primary channel stored in memory to the media device.

Claims

1. A remote control adapted to provide a return to channel feature for a media device adapted to play media and not equipped with a return to channel feature, the remote control comprising:

a timer for timing a predetermined interval;

a keypad;

a wireless transmitter;

memory; and

programming stored in memory for performing steps comprising;

storing a primary channel indicator in memory in response to a first predetermined user interaction with the keypad,

causing the timer to start timing the predetermined interval in direct response to a second predetermined user interaction with the keypad, and

in response to expiration of the predetermined interval and without regard to a current state of any media being received by the media device, causing the wireless transmitter of the remote control to transmit to the media device a command signal corresponding to the primary channel indicator to cause the media device to return to the primary channel;

wherein the command signal is selected from a library of command signals pre-established within the remote control as being appropriate for commanding various operations of the media device.

2. The remote control of claim 1, wherein the programming further comprises instructions for causing the wireless transmitter of the remote control to transmit the command signal corresponding to the primary channel indicator to the media device in response to the user repeating the second predetermined interaction with the keypad prior to the predetermined interval expiring.

3. The remote control of claim 1, wherein the second predetermined interaction with the keypad comprises a user operating a predetermined key of the keypad.

4. The remote control of claim 1, wherein the first predetermined user interaction with the keypad is the same as the second predetermined user interaction with the keypad whereby the primary channel is stored in memory and the timer is started in response to the same predetermined user interaction with the keypad.

5. A method for effecting a return to a primary channel in a media device adapted to play media and not equipped with a return to channel feature, the method comprising:

in direct response to a first input being manually provided to a remote control, causing a timer in the remote control to commence timing of a predetermined interval;

storing a primary channel in memory in response to second input being provided to the remote control; and

in response to expiration of the predetermined interval timed by the timer and without regard to a current state of any media being received by the media device, causing a wireless transmitter of the remote control to transmit a command signal corresponding to the primary channel stored in memory to the media device adapted to receive the primary channel;

wherein the command signal is selected from a library of command signals pre-established within the remote control as being appropriate for commanding various operations of the media device.

6. The method of claim 5, comprising, in response to a third input being provided to the remote control, readying the remote control to receive the primary channel data in memory.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first input comprises a user operating a key of a keypad of the remote control and the second user input comprises the user operating the key of the keypad of the remote control.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the third input comprises the user operating the key of the keypad of the remote control and further includes the user operating the key of the keypad of the remote control for a duration greater then a duration required to effect one of the first input or the second input.

9. The method of claim 5, comprising, in direct response to the first input being again manually provided to the remote control at a time prior to the expiration of the predetermined interval, causing the wireless transmitter of the remote control to transmit the command signal corresponding to the primary channel stored in memory.