VIRTUAL UNIVERSAL REMOTE CONTROL

• US 20100134338A1
• Filed: 12/03/2008
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pratt, James, Belz, Steven M., Sullivan, Marc
• Granted Patent: US 8,350,744 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/00 Electric signal transmission systems G08C17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/21 Programming remote control devices via third means
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42225 characterized by types of remote control, e.g. universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42228 the reprogrammable keys being displayed on a display screen in order to reduce the number of keys on the remote control device itself

Abstract

A method for providing a virtual, universal remote control feature includes displaying a virtual remote interface for an electronic device. A user interaction with an element of the virtual remote interface is detected. The virtual remote interface element is mapped to a device-function code. The device-function code is provided to a code transmitter. The device-function code corresponds to a control command associated with the electronic device.

Claims

1. A computer readable storage medium including computer executable instructions for providing a virtual, universal remote control feature, the instructions comprising instructions to:

display a virtual remote interface for an electronic device;

detect a user interaction with an element of the virtual remote interface;

map the virtual remote interface element to a device-function code; and

provide the device-function code to a code transmitter, wherein the device-function code corresponds to a control command associated with the electronic device.

2. The computer readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the instructions to detect the user interaction comprise instructions to detect signals transmitted by a virtual universal remote control device.

3. The computer readable storage media of claim 2, wherein the instructions to detect the signals comprise instructions to detect a signal selected from a limited set of remote control device signals.

4. The computer readable storage media of claim 3, wherein the limited set of signals consists of a set of direction signals and a selection signal.

5. The computer readable storage media of claim 1, further comprising instructions to display a virtual remote device selection interface, wherein the virtual remote device selection interface includes a set of selectable objects and where each of the objects corresponds to an electronic device.

6. The computer readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the virtual remote interface element is one of a plurality of virtual remote interface elements and wherein the instructions to display include instructions to access a device profile including information indicative of positioning and labeling of the virtual remote interface elements.

7. The computer readable storage media of claim 6 wherein the device profile further includes information indicative of the device-function code.

8. A customer premises equipment (CPE) for use within a client configuration of a multimedia content distribution network, comprising:

a processor;

a network interface configured to receive multimedia content;

a decoder configured to decode multimedia content received via the network; and

processor readable storage media, accessible to the processor, including processor executable instructions, the instructions including instructions for;

responsive to an initial signal from a remote control device, providing a virtual remote device selection table to a display, wherein the virtual remote device selection table includes a plurality of objects representing respective remotely controllable electronic devices;

responsive to detecting a selection of one of the plurality of objects, accessing a device profile and providing a virtual remote device interface for the respective electronic device to the display, wherein the virtual remote device interface includes a plurality of selectable elements representing device-function codes for the electronic device; and

responsive to detecting selection of one of the selectable elements, sending the respective device-function code to the electronic device.

9. The CPE of claim 8, wherein the CPE is a set top box configured to process content received via an Internet protocol television network.

10. The CPE of claim 8, wherein the device profile includes information indicative of the device-function codes corresponding to the selectable elements.

11. The CPE of claim 10, wherein the profile further includes information indicative of positioning and labeling of the selectable elements.

12. The CPE of claim 10, further comprising instructions for initiating wireless transmission of a signal indicative of the device-function code.

13. The CPE of claim 12, wherein initiating the wireless transmission comprises initiating the wireless transmission according to a wireless transmission technology indicated in a device table.

14. The CPE of claim 8, further comprising instructions for receiving device profile updates via an Internet protocol network and for updating the device profiles.

15. A method for providing virtual, universal remote control, comprising:

detecting a select signal from a remote control device while a virtual remote device interface is displaying;

determining an element of a virtual remote interface indicated by the select signal;

determining a device-function code corresponding to the indicated element; and

providing the device-function code to a remote control code transmitter.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising wirelessly transmitting the device-function code to a region in proximity to the code transmitter, wherein the transmitting includes transmitting via a technology selected from the group consisting of infrared, radio frequency, wireless fidelity, and Bluetooth.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising detecting a select signal from the remote control device while a virtual device selection interface is displaying and determining an electronic device corresponding to an object of the virtual remote device selection interface.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising wirelessly transmitting the device-function code to a region in which the electronic device is located.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising responding to a directional signal from the remote control device by visually indicating a different element as the element to be selected.

20. A virtual universal remote control service, comprising:

enabling a client device to acquire remote control profiles for a plurality of electronic devices;

enabling a user to select a remotely controllable electronic device from a plurality of such devices;

responsive to the user selecting a remotely controllable electronic device, displaying a virtual remote control interface for the electronic device, the virtual remote control interface including a plurality of selectable elements; and

responsive to the user selecting an element, generating a device-function code for a device function associated with the selected element.

21. The service of claim 20, further comprising wirelessly transmitting a signal indicative of the device-function code to the selected electronic device.