FAVORITE CHANNEL REMOTE

• US 20090244402A1
• Filed: 06/13/2008
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: X-10 LTD.
• Original Assignee: X-10 LTD.
• Inventors: Stevenson, George E., Phillips, James R., Rye, David J.
• Application Number:
  US12/139,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20090244402A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/734
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link

Abstract

A remote control and method of using the remote control are provided. The remote control includes a microprocessor, a memory accessible by the microprocessor that includes a database of a plurality of favorite channels, a user interface in signal communication with the microprocessor that allows selection of successive next or previous favorite channels, and a transmitter controlled by the microprocessor that, responsive to user activation of the user interface, transmits wireless signals corresponding to the successive next or previous favorite channel. In an example embodiment, an icon is associated with each favorite channel and the remote includes a display screen that displays the icon associated with the successive next or previous favorite channel when the user interface is activated. The method of using the remote control includes activating the user interface to select a next favorite channel.

Claims

1. A remote control comprising:

a microprocessor;

a user interface in signal communication with the microprocessor;

a transmitter controlled by the microprocessor and configured to transmit a wireless signal from the remote control; and

a memory accessible by the microprocessor, the memory containing;

a database of a plurality of favorite channels, the favorite channels being a subset of all available channels for a media device; and

a set of stored programming instructions that cause the remote, responsive to user activation of the user interface, to send a signal from the transmitter sufficient to cause a channel of the media device to change to at least one of a next successive favorite channel or a previous successive favorite channel.

2. The remote control of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a favorite channel up button and a favorite channel down button.

3. The remote control of claim 2, further comprising a display screen in signal communication with the microprocessor, wherein activation of the next favorite channel button causes an icon corresponding to the next favorite channel to appear on the display screen, and wherein activation of the previous favorite channel button causes an icon corresponding to the previous favorite channel to appear on the display screen.

4. The remote control of claim 2, wherein the next favorite channel after the last channel in the stored database is the first channel in the stored database, and wherein the previous favorite channel before the first channel in the stored database is the last channel in the stored database.

5. The remote control of claim 2, further comprising:

a plurality of favorite channel buttons in signal communication with the microprocessor, wherein pressing the favorite channel buttons causes the microprocessor to operate programming instructions stored in memory; and

an icon holding member having at least one surface positioned adjacent to at least one of the favorite channel buttons such that a first icon corresponding to a first channel of the media device may be placed on the surface adjacent to a first button when the icon holding member is in a first position,

wherein the transmitter is also controlled by the microprocessor to transmit a wireless signal from the remote control in response to the operation of the stored programming instructions caused by pressing the favorite channel buttons, the signal including information to change the channel of the media device to the channel represented by the first icon on the surface adjacent to the pressed first favorite channel button when the icon holding member is in the first position.

6. The remote control of claim 5, wherein the favorite channel up button and the favorite channel down button cycle through the favorite channels in the same order in which their corresponding icons are positioned on the icon holding member.

7. The remote control of claim 2, wherein the remote control is a mobile phone.

8. The remote control of claim 2, wherein the database of stored favorite channels includes favorite video channels for display on a television.

9. The remote control of claim 1, wherein the user interface includes a first multipurpose button configured as a favorite channel up button and a second multipurpose button configured as a favorite channel down button.

10. The remote control of claim 9, wherein the first multipurpose button is a channel up button that cycles up through all channels when not otherwise configured, and wherein the second multipurpose button is a channel down button that cycles down through all channels when not otherwise configured.

11. The remote control of claim 9, further comprising:

a display screen configured to display an icon, the icon corresponding to a media channel of the media device; and

a screen interface that allows a selection of the icon, wherein the selection of the icon causes the microprocessor to operate programming instructions stored in the memory,

wherein the transmitter is also controlled by the processor to transmit a wireless signal from the remote control in response to the operation of the stored programming instructions caused by selection of the icon with the screen interface, the signal containing information to change the channel of the media device to the channel represented by the selected icon.

12. The remote control of claim 11, wherein the first multipurpose button is a channel up button that cycles up through all channels when not otherwise configured, and wherein the second multipurpose button is a channel down button that cycles down through all channels when not otherwise configured.

13. The remote control of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a touch screen.

14. A method of using a remote control with a media device comprising:

providing a remote control comprising;

a microprocessor;

a user interface in signal communication with the microprocessor;

a transmitter controlled by the microprocessor and configured to transmit a wireless signal from the remote control; and

a memory accessible by the microprocessor, the memory containing;

a database of a plurality of favorite channels, the channels being a subset of all available channels for a media device; and

a set of stored programming instructions that cause the remote, responsive to user activation of the user interface, to send a signal from the transmitter sufficient to cause a channel of the media device to change to a next successive favorite channel; and

activating the user interface to select a next favorite channel.