SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INTERACTIVE APPLIANCE CONTROL

• US 20090167555A1
• Filed: 12/31/2007
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Kohanek, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 8,154,381 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825.570
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/40 Remote control systems using repeaters, converters, gateways
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/50 Receiving or transmitting feedback, e.g. replies, status updates, acknowledgements, from the controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• 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 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42218 for mapping a matrix of displayed objects on the screen to the numerical key-matrix of the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42225 characterized by types of remote control, e.g. universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration

Abstract

A controlling device interacts dynamically with a plurality of appliances using state information known to a master appliance. The master appliance conveys to the controlling device the state information and the controlling device uses the state information to dynamically configure itself to command functional operations of one or more of the plurality of appliances. The master appliance also causes a graphical representation of the current configuration of the controlling device to be displayed on a display device that is associated with the master appliance.

Claims

1. A method for providing interactive appliance control in a system comprised of a master device, a plurality of devices in communication with the master device including a display device, and a controlling device configurable to transmit commands to one or more of the plurality of devices, the method comprising:

using the master device to determine a state of the system;

causing the master device to transmit to the controlling device a message having data indicative of the state of the system as determined by the master device;

using the data indicative of the state of the system as determined by the master device to automatically configure the controlling device to transmit commands directly to a select one or more of the plurality of appliances in response to activations of input elements of the controlling device; and

causing the master device to display on the display device a representation of the input elements of the controlling device to thereby provide a visual indication of commands that will transmitted from the controlling device in response to activations of input elements of the controlling device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the master device comprises an appliance having audio/visual inputs, at least a subset of the plurality of devices are adapted to provide audio/visual signals to the audio/visual inputs of the master device, and the state of system is indicative of audio/visual signals of one or more of the subset of the plurality of devices being selected for use by the master device.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the master device transmits to the controlling device a message having data indicative of the state of the system as determined by the master device in response to an interaction with the master device to select audio/visual signals of one or more of the subset of the plurality of devices for use by the master device.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the transmission of the message having data indicative of the state of the system as determined by the master device is delayed until the master device determines that the controlling device is in an active state.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the controlling device transmits to the master device a signal which signals to the master device that the controlling device is in an active state.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the controlling device transmits to the master device the signal which signals to the master device that the controlling device is in an active state in response to the controlling device being moved.

7. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the controlling device transmits to the master device the signal which signals to the master device that the controlling device is in an active state in response to an actuation of an input element of the controlling device.

8. The method as recited in claim 2, comprising causing the master device to display on the display device information indicative of a state of one or more of the subset of the plurality of devices adapted to provide audio/visual signals to the audio/visual inputs of the master device.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising causing the master device to display on the display device information indicative of a state of one or more of the plurality of appliances in communication with the master device.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data indicative of the state of the system as determined by the master device comprises data used by the controlling device to assign command codes selected from a library of command codes to input elements of the controlling device.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the data indicative of the state of the system as determined by the master device comprises data indicative of an input element of the controlling device, a one of the plurality of devices to be controlled, and a function of the one of the plurality of devices to be controlled in response to activation of the indicated input element of the controlling device.

9. The method as recited in claim 9, comprising causing the master device to display on the display device an indication that a selected one or more of the subset of the plurality of devices adapted to provide audio/visual signals to the audio/visual inputs of the master device needs to be powered on.

13. A system for providing interactive appliance control, comprising:

a master device;

a plurality of devices in communication with the master device including a display device; and

a controlling device configurable to transmit commands to one or more of the plurality of devices;

wherein the master device has programming used to determine a state of the system, for transmitting to the controlling device a message having data indicative of the state of the system as determined by the master device, and for causing a display on the display device of a representation of input elements of the controlling device to thereby provide a visual indication of commands that will transmitted from the controlling device in response to activations of input elements of the controlling device and wherein the controlling device has programming for using the data indicative of the state of the system as determined by the master device received in the message transmitted by the master device to configure the controlling device to transmit commands directly to a select one or more of the plurality of appliances in response to activations of input elements of the controlling device.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the master device comprises an appliance having audio/visual inputs, at least a subset of the plurality of devices are adapted to provide audio/visual signals to the audio/visual inputs of the master device, and the state of system is indicative of audio/visual signals of one or more of the subset of the plurality of devices being selected for use by the master device.

15. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the master device transmits to the controlling device a message having data indicative of the state of the system as determined by the master device in response to an interaction with the master device to select audio/visual signals of one or more of the subset of the plurality of devices for use by the master device.

16. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the transmission of the message having data indicative of the state of the system as determined by the master device is delayed until the master device determines that the controlling device is in an active state.

17. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the controlling device has programming for transmitting to the master device a signal which signals to the master device that the controlling device is in an active state.

18. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the programming causes the controlling device to transmit to the master device the signal in response to the controlling device being moved.

19. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the programming causes the controlling device to transmit to the master device the signal in response to an actuation of an input element of the controlling device.

20. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the master device has programming for causing a display on the display device of information indicative of a state of one or more of the subset of the plurality of devices adapted to provide audio/visual signals to the audio/visual inputs of the master device.

21. The system as recited in claim 20, wherein the information indicative of a state of one or more of the subset of the plurality of devices adapted to provide audio/visual signals to the audio/visual inputs of the master device comprises an indication that a selected one or more of the subset of the plurality of devices adapted to provide audio/visual signals to the audio/visual inputs of the master device needs to be powered on.

22. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the master device has programming for causing a display on the display device of information indicative of a state of one or more of the plurality of appliances in communication with the master device.

23. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the data indicative of the state of the system as determined by the master device comprises data used by the controlling device to assign command codes selected from a library of command codes to input elements of the controlling device.

24. The system as recited in claim 23, wherein the data indicative of the state of the system as determined by the master device comprises data indicative of an input element of the controlling device, a one of the plurality of devices to be controlled, and a function of the one of the plurality of devices to be controlled in response to activation of the indicated input element of the controlling device.