Remote Control of Electronic Devices

• US 20100056130A1
• Filed: 11/10/2009
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Shebanek, Michael, Seymour, Eric, Louch, John O.
• Granted Patent: US 8,195,141 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/420
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/007 with remote control systems remote control in general G08C

Abstract

A controlling device (e.g., a telephony device) can remotely control various tasks associated with a controlled device (e.g., a personal computer), including the navigation of user interfaces associated with applications or an operating system associated with the controlled device. A task can be controlled at the controlled device by mapping user input received at the controlling device to control commands suitable for execution at the controlled device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining a first spatial position in relation to a plurality of objects on a user interface;

receiving through a network an input from a telephony device;

determining a second spatial position on the user interface in response to the input; and

outputting an audio segment related to the second spatial position.

2. The method of claim 1, where the input is input from a keypad of the telephony device.

3. The method of claim 1, where the input is a voice signal.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising manipulating a cursor to move from the first spatial position to the second spatial position on the user interface.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising stepping from the first spatial position to the second spatial position in the user interface.

6. A method, comprising:

determining a first state of a device to be controlled;

receiving through a network an input from a telephony device;

determining a second state of the device; and

outputting an audio segment related to the second state.

7. The method of claim 6, where the input is input from a keypad of the telephony device.

8. The method of claim 6, where the input is a voice signal.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising manipulating the device to transition from the first state to the second state.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising stepping from the first state to the second state in a user interface associated with the device to be controlled.

11. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

determining a first spatial position in relation to a plurality of objects on a user interface;

receiving through a network an input from a telephony device;

determining a second spatial position on the user interface in response to the input; and

outputting an audio segment related to the second spatial position.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, where the input is input from a keypad of the telephony device.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, where the input is a voice signal.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, where the operations further comprise manipulating a cursor to move from the first spatial position to the second spatial position on the user interface.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, where the operations further comprise stepping from the first spatial position to the second spatial position in the user interface.

16. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

determining a first state of a device to be controlled;

receiving through a network an input from a telephony device;

determining a second state of the device; and

outputting an audio segment related to the second state.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, where the input is input from a keypad of the telephony device.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, where the input is a voice signal.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, where the operations further comprise manipulating the device to transition from the first state to the second state.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, where the operations further comprise stepping from the first state to the second state in a user interface associated with the device to be controlled.