Remote Control Device Personalization

• US 20090251619A1
• Filed: 04/07/2008
• Published: 10/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Neufeld, Nadav M., Seidel, Joseph J., Rao, Pradhan S.
• Application Number:
  US12/099,138
• Publication Number:
  US 20090251619A1
• 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 21/42204 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 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42226 Reprogrammable remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children

Abstract

Techniques to personalize a remote control device are described. In an implementation, a remote control device includes a display device and one or more modules. The one or more modules are configured to determine an identity of a user and initiate one or more control functions related to control of a display of content by a client. The one or more modules are also configured to personalize a display of representations of the one or more control functions on the display device based on the determined identity of the user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying a user of a remote control device that has functionality to initiate one or more control functions to control a display of content by a client;

locating one or more configuration settings that correspond to the identified user; and

applying the one or more configuration settings to the remote control device.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the identifying includes reading a fingerprint of the user, use of one or more biometric techniques, use of a unique identifier, or using voice recognition by the remote control device.

3. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the one or more control functions include functionality to select particular channels.

4. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the locating is performed by searching data that is local to the remote control device by the remote control device.

5. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the one or more configuration settings specify a background to be displayed by the remote control device.

6. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the one or more configuration settings specify representations that are to be used to represent the one or more control functions on a display of the remote control device.

7. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the one or more configuration settings specify arrangement of representations, one to another, that are to be used to represent the one or more control functions on a display of the remote control device.

8. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the one or more configuration settings specify which of the one or more control functions are to be represented on a display of the remote control device.

9. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the one or more configuration settings specify a display theme to be employed by the remote control device.

10. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising applying at least one said configuration setting to the client to personalize the client.

11. A method comprising:

identifying a user of a remote control device that has functionality to initiate one or more control functions to control a display of content by a client; and

personalizing a display of representations of the one or more control functions on the remote control device and a display of the content by the client using configuration settings of the identified user.

12. A method as described in claim 11, wherein the content includes a splash screen.

13. A method as described in claim 11, wherein:

the content is an electronic program guide; and

the personalizing of the display of the content includes a selection of a particular background to be used for display of the electronic program guide.

14. A method as described in claim 11, wherein the personalizing of the display of the representations of the one or more control functions includes specifying which of the one or more control functions are to be represented on the remote control device and arrangement of representations of the one or more control functions, one to another.

15. A method as described in claim 11, wherein the personalizing is dynamic such that configuration settings that are used to perform the personalizing are updated automatically and without user invention based on monitored interaction of the identified user with the remote control device.

16. A remote control device comprising:

a display device; and

one or more modules to;

determine an identity of a user;

initiate one or more control functions related to control of a display of content by a client; and

personalize a display of representations of the one or more control functions on the display device based on the determined identity of the user.

17. A remote control device as described in claim 16, wherein:

the display device is configured as a touch screen; and

the one or more representations are displayable and selectable using the touch screen to initiate the one or more control functions, respectively.

18. A remote control device as described in claim 16, wherein the one or more modules are configured to personalize the display of representations of the one or more control functions using data received from the client.

19. A remote control device as described in claim 16, wherein the one or more modules are further configured to output the determined identity to the client to personalize display of the content by the client.

20. A remote control device as described in claim 16, wherein the one or more modules are further configured to determine the identity by forming a communication to be communicated to the client which includes an input supplied by the client and receive the identity found by the client using the input.