SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PERFORMING INITIAL SETUP OF A DEVICE VIA REMOTE CONTROL

• US 20090165060A1
• Filed: 12/19/2007
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Lawrence, Thomas David, Farrell, Lee, Russell, William C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,079,050 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/81
• 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 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver

Abstract

A method for configuring a device using a remote control, includes transmitting a signal from the remote control to a configuration proxy requesting configuration status of the device; waiting for a predetermined period of time for a response from the configuration proxy to the remote control; obtaining help information based on the response received at the remote control from the configuration proxy; and displaying the help information on a display.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a device using a remote control, the method comprising:

transmitting a signal to a configuration proxy requesting configuration status of the device;

setting a timeout period for waiting for a configuration status response from the configuration proxy;

waiting for the first to occur of receiving the configuration status response from the configuration proxy or waiting for the timeout period;

obtaining help information based on the configuration status response received from the configuration proxy or lack of receiving the configuration status response prior to passage of the timeout period; and

displaying the help information on a display.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein if the configuration status response is not received from the configuration proxy prior to passage of the timeout period,

obtaining help information comprises obtaining bootstrap help information for the configuration proxy;

and

displaying the help information comprises displaying the bootstrap help information for the configuration proxy on a display of the remote control.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein if the configuration status response is received from the configuration proxy and the configuration status response indicates that the device is not accessible,

obtaining the help information comprises obtaining bootstrap help information for the device;

and

displaying the help information comprises displaying the bootstrap help information for the device on a display of the remote control.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the bootstrap information for the device stored in the remote control.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the bootstrap information for the device is obtained by the remote control from a source external to the remote control.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein if the configuration status response is received from the configuration proxy within the predetermined period of time and the configuration status response indicates that the device is accessible but the device does not include a currently viewable display,

obtaining the help information comprises obtaining non-working display device help information for the device;

and

displaying the help information comprises displaying the non-working display device help information for the device on a display of the remote control.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein if a configuration status response is received from the configuration proxy within the predetermined period of time and the configuration status response indicates that the device is accessible and the device includes a currently viewable display device,

obtaining the help information comprises obtaining help information based on contents of the configuration status response;

and

displaying the help information comprises determining a help information display device, and displaying the help information on the display help information display device.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the help information display device is a display device on the remote control.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the help information display device is a display on the device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the device includes the configuration proxy.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a media extender, external to the device, includes the configuration proxy.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the device includes a display.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the device is a television.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving user input via a touch screen on the remote control.

15. A remote control for configuring a device, the remote control comprising:

a memory having help information for a device stored therein;

a communication port for communication with a configuration proxy in order to obtain configuration status of the device; and

a display device on which help information obtained from the memory based on the configuration status of the device is displayed.

16. The remote control of claim 15, wherein the configuration proxy device is included in a media extender.

17. The remote control of claim 15, wherein the configuration proxy is included in a television.

18. The remote control of claim 15, wherein the memory has help information for a plurality of devices stored therein.

19. The remote control of claim 15, wherein the display device is a touch screen display and user inputs are received based on a location touched by a user on the display device on which the help information is displayed.

20. A media extender comprising:

a device communication port for communicating with a device regarding configuration status of the device; and

a remote control communication port for transmitting the configuration status of the device to a remote control for retrieval and display of help information based on the configuration status of the device.

21. The media extender of claim 20, further comprising:

a network interface for obtaining help information from an external source based on a request received from the remote control, and

wherein the help information received from the external source is transmitted to the remote control via the remote control communication port.

22. A device comprising:

a communication port for receiving a configuration status request from a remote control via a configuration proxy and providing a configuration status response to the remote control via the configuration proxy.

23. The device according to claim 22, wherein the device includes the configuration proxy.

24. The device according to claim 22, wherein a media extender includes the configuration proxy.

25. The device according to claim 22, wherein the device further comprises a display.

26. The device according to claim 25, wherein help information is displayed on a display on the remote control based on configuration status sent to the remote control via the configuration proxy.

27. The device according to claim 25, wherein help information received from the configuration proxy is displayed on a display at the device.