REMOTE CONTROL SIGNAL LEARNING AND PROCESSING BY A HOST DEVICE AND ACCESSORY

• US 20100283624A1
• Filed: 05/08/2009
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Krueger, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,760,265 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/40 Remote control systems using repeaters, converters, gateways
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared

Abstract

Techniques that facilitate the learning and processing of remote control signals by a host device and an accessory. In one set of embodiments, the host device and the accessory can operate in a first mode in which the host device can learn signals from (and thus be remotely operated by) a variety of different remote controls. For example, in some embodiments the host device can learn signals from a remote control that was not specifically designed to interoperate with the host device or the accessory. In another set of embodiments, the host device and the accessory can operate in a second mode in which the host device and the accessory can process learned remote control signals while minimizing the amount of data transferred between the host device and the accessory.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at an accessory, a first wireless signal from a remote control device;

transmitting, by the accessory, a representation of the first wireless signal to a host device;

receiving, at the accessory, an identifier from the host device, the identifier being associated with the representation of the first wireless signal and a function of the host device; and

storing, by the accessory, the identifier and the representation of the first wireless signal.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, at the accessory, a second wireless signal from the remote control device;

determining, based on the stored representation of the first wireless signal, if the second wireless signal is substantially similar to the first wireless signal; and

if the second wireless signal is substantially similar to the first wireless signal, transmitting the identifier to the host device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first wireless signal is an infrared (IR) signal, and wherein the representation comprises:

time samples that encode a waveform of the IR signal, a sequence of edge times that encode a waveform of the IR signal, or an IR protocol type and associated protocol command string of the IR signal.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the remote control device is designed to control a device other than the accessory and the host device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the host device is a portable media device and wherein the accessory is a portable media device dock.

6. A method comprising:

receiving, at a host device, a representation of a wireless signal from an accessory, the wireless signal having been transmitted to the accessory from a remote control device;

associating the representation of the wireless signal with a function of the host device;

generating, by the host device, an identifier associated with the representation and the function; and

transmitting, by the host device, the identifier to the accessory.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising storing the identifier and the function.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

receiving, at the host device, the identifier from the accessory; and

executing the function in response to receiving the identifier.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising transmitting, by the host device, an acknowledgement to the accessory indicating that the function has been executed.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the wireless signal was transmitted from the remote control device to the accessory in response to an activation of a button on the remote control device by a user, and wherein the function was previously selected by the user for association with the button.

11. An accessory comprising:

a wireless receiver configured to receive wireless signals;

an interface configured to communicate with a host device; and

a control component configured to;

transmit, to the host device, a characteristic of a wireless signal received by the wireless receiver;

receive, from the host device, an identifier associated with the characteristic and a function of the host device; and

transmit the identifier to the host device when a subsequent wireless signal is received having the characteristic.

12. The accessory of claim 11 wherein the steps of transmitting the characteristic of the wireless signal and receiving the identifier are performed by the control component while the control component is operating in a first mode, and wherein the step of transmitting the identifier is performed by the control component while the control component is operating in a second mode distinct from the first mode.

13. The accessory of claim 12 wherein the control component is instructed to enter the first and second modes respectively by the host device.

14. A host device comprising:

an interface configured to communicate with an accessory; and

a processor configured to;

transmit, to the accessory, an identifier associated with a characteristic of a wireless signal and a function of the host device;

subsequently to transmitting the identifier, receive the identifier from the accessory; and

execute the function in response to receiving the identifier.

15. The host device of claim 14 wherein the step of transmitting the identifier is performed by the processor while the processor is operating in a first mode, and wherein the steps of receiving the identifier and executing the function are performed by the processor while the processor is operating in a second mode distinct from the first mode.

16. The host device of claim 15 wherein the processor is configured to enter the first and second modes respectively based on user input.

17. A method comprising:

entering, by a host device, a first mode of operation;

transmitting, by the host device, a command to an accessory instructing the accessory to enter the first mode of operation; and

while in the first mode of operation;

prompting, by the host device, a user to select a function of the host device from a list of selectable functions;

receiving, by the host device, a selection of a function from the user;

prompting, by the host device, the user to activate a button on a remote control device to be associated with the selected function;

receiving, by the host device, a representation of a wireless signal from the accessory, wherein the wireless signal was transmitted from the remote control device to the accessory in response to activation of the button;

generating, by the host device, an identifier associated with the representation and the selected function; and

transmitting, by the host device, the identifier to the accessory.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

entering, by the host device, a second mode of operation distinct from the first mode of operation;

transmitting, by the host device, a command to the accessory instructing the accessory to enter the second mode of operation; and

while in the second mode of operation;

receiving, by the host device, the identifier from the accessory; and

executing, by the host device, the selected function in response to receiving the identifier.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the list of selectable functions is static.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the list of selectable functions varies based on an application context of the host device at a time the first mode of operation is entered.