TOUCH-SCREEN REMOTE CONTROL FOR MULTIMEDIA EQUIPMENT

• US 20090184926A1
• Filed: 11/19/2008
• Published: 07/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nest Labs Incorporated (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nest Labs Incorporated (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Kates, Lawrence
• Application Number:
  US12/274,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20090184926A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/163
• 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 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• 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 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42226 Reprogrammable remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• 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 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape

Abstract

A multimedia control system presents program schedule information to a user in a visually and intellectually-intuitive manner. The multimedia control system can be used to display programming information, control multimedia devices, control home automation devices, etc. In one embodiment, a control screen used to display programming information is configured as a touch screen to allow the user to select programming, control multimedia devices, or perform other functions by touching the screen. In one embodiment, the system uses a consistent, user-selectable, intuitive user interface. In one embodiment, programming information is dynamically updated to provide the user with current programming information, such as, for example, sports scores, commercial breaks, news stories, documentary contents, etc.

Claims

1. A multimedia control system, comprising:

a processor;

a touch-screen display provided to said processor;

a communications interface provided to said processor, said communications interface configured to receive programming information over at least one communications channel; and

one or more remote-control interfaces provided to said processor, said processor configured to receive said programming information from said communications interface and to display said programming information on said touch-screen display as a program screen, said processor configured to control one or more multimedia devices using said one or more remote-control interfaces in response to user inputs from said touch-screen display, said processor further configured to provide a dialog-type display in response to user selection of a program displayed on said program screen, said processor configured to update said program screen to indicate the current content of one or more programs in said programming information.

2. The multimedia control system of claim 1, wherein said remote-control interface comprises an infrared interface.

3. The multimedia control system of claim 1, wherein said remote-control interface comprises a radio-frequency interface.

4. The multimedia control system of claim 1, wherein said communication channel comprises a computer network.

5. The multimedia control system of claim 1, wherein said communication channel comprises an Internet connection.

6. The multimedia control system of claim 1, wherein said communication channel comprises a wireless networking channel.

7. The multimedia control system of claim 1, wherein said communication interface comprises a satellite-radio receiver.

8. The multimedia control system of claim 1, wherein said communication interface comprises a local area network interface.

9. The multimedia control system of claim 1, wherein said communication interface comprises a wireless local area network interface.

10. The multimedia control system of claim 1, wherein said program screen comprise one or more graphical user interface buttons.

11. The multimedia control system of claim 10, wherein at least one of said graphical user interface buttons comprises a button to select a desired program.

12. The multimedia control system of claim 10 wherein at least one of said graphical user interface buttons comprises a button to select a device-control screen.

13. The multimedia control system of claim 10 wherein at least one of said graphical user interface buttons comprises a button to select a setup screen.

14. The multimedia control system of claim 10, wherein at least one of said graphical user interface buttons comprises a button to open a dialog-type window corresponding to a selected program.

15. The multimedia control system of claim 1, wherein said programming information comprises information related to a current score of a program showing a sporting event.

16. The multimedia control system of claim 1, wherein said programming information comprises information related to a current news topic of a news program.

17. The multimedia control system of claim 1, wherein said programming information comprises information related to a current news topic of a news program.

18. The multimedia control system of claim 1, wherein said program screen comprises at least one or more graphical user interface buttons, each graphical user interface button corresponding to a program, each graphical user interface button configured to display an icon corresponding to said program.

19. The multimedia control system of claim 18, wherein said icon displays video content of said program.

20. The multimedia control system of claim 1, wherein said icon corresponds to an episode of said program.

21. The multimedia control system of claim 1, wherein said programming content comprises cable television programming.

22. The multimedia control system of claim 1, wherein said programming content comprises satellite television programming.

23. The multimedia control system of claim 1, wherein said programming content comprises satellite radio programming.

24. The multimedia control system of claim 1, wherein said programming content comprises broadcast radio programming.

25. The multimedia control system of claim 1, wherein said programming content comprises DVD programming.

26. The multimedia control system of claim 1, wherein said programming content comprises audio CD programming.

27. The multimedia control system of claim 1, wherein said programming content comprises previously-recorded programming.

28. The multimedia control system of claim 1, wherein said programming content comprises previously-recorded programming stored in a PVR.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein said sending a remote-control command comprises sending a radio-frequency signal.

32. The method of claim 28, receiving entertainment programming comprises receiving data from a computer network.

33. The method of claim 28, receiving entertainment programming comprises receiving data from an Internet connection.

34. The method of claim 28, receiving entertainment programming comprises receiving data from a wireless communication channel.

35. The method of claim 28, receiving entertainment programming comprises receiving data from a wireless computer network.

36. The method of claim 28, receiving entertainment programming comprises receiving data from a satellite-radio system.

37. The method of claim 28, receiving entertainment programming comprises receiving data from a local-area network.

38. The method of claim 28, receiving entertainment programming comprises receiving data from a cable television network.

39. The method of claim 28, wherein said program screen comprises one or more graphical user interface buttons.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein at least one of said graphical user interface buttons comprises a button to select a desired program.

41. The method of claim 28, further comprising selecting a device-control screen.

42. The method of claim 28, further comprising selecting a setup screen.

43. The method of claim 28, further comprising selecting a program display format.

44. The method of claim 28, further comprising selecting a program screen format.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein said program screen format comprises a matrix of program buttons corresponding to programs that are currently available.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein said program screen format comprises a matrix wherein a first axis corresponds to time and a second axis corresponds to channel.

47. The method of claim 44, wherein said program screen format comprises a matrix wherein a first axis corresponds to time and a second axis corresponds to genre.

48. The method of claim 28, wherein said supplemental programming information comprises information related to a current score of a program showing a sporting event.

49. The method of claim 28, wherein said supplemental programming information comprises information related to a current news topic of a news program.

50. The method of claim 28, wherein said supplemental programming information comprises information related to a current topic of a science-related program.

51. The method of claim 28, wherein said program screen comprises at least one or more graphical user interface buttons, each graphical user interface button corresponding to a program, each graphical user interface button configured to display an icon corresponding to said program.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein said icon displays video content of said program.

53. The method of claim 51, wherein said icon corresponds to an episode of said program.

54. The method of claim 28, wherein said entertainment programming comprises cable television programming.

55. The method of claim 28, wherein said entertainment programming comprises satellite television programming.

56. The method of claim 28, wherein said entertainment programming comprises satellite radio programming.

57. The method of claim 28, wherein said entertainment programming comprises broadcast radio programming.

58. The method of claim 28, wherein said entertainment programming comprises DVD programming.

59. The method of claim 28, wherein said entertainment programming comprises audio CD programming.

60. The method of claim 28, wherein said entertainment programming comprises previously-recorded programming.

61. The method of claim 28, wherein said entertainment programming comprises previously-recorded programming stored in a PVR.

62. The method of claim 28, wherein said human-interface device comprises a touch-screen.

63. The method of claim 28, wherein said human-interface device comprises a computer mouse.

64. The method of claim 28, wherein said human-interface device comprises a trackball.

65. The method of claim 28, wherein said human-interface device comprises a speech-recognition system.

29. A method for controlling one or more multimedia devices, comprising:

receiving entertainment programming information over at least one communications channel;

receiving supplemental programming information over at least one communications channel;

displaying said programming information on a display screen as a program screen;

updating said program screen according to said supplemental programming information to indicate a current content of one or more entertainment programs during a time period of said one or more entertainment programs;

opening a dialog-type window for a first entertainment program in response to a first user-input command; and

sending a remote-control command to one or more multimedia devices to select a second entertainment program in response to a second user-input command.

30. The method of claim 29, said sending a remote-control command comprises sending an infrared signal.