PROGRAMMING A UNIVERSAL REMOTE CONTROL USING AN IDENTIFYING DEVICE MARK

• US 20100302057A1
• Filed: 06/01/2009
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2009
• 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, Edwards, Gregory, Belz, Steven M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,129,516 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825.69
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/21 Programming remote control devices via third means
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared

Abstract

A method and system for programming a universal remote control (URC) to operate with a new remote controlled device having a digital mark is disclosed. A digital representation of the mark is generated and sent to a multimedia content distribution network (MCDN) server, along with MCDN account information. The digital mark may be used to retrieve programming codes, which are sent to client premises equipment (CPE) at an MCDN client identified by the MCDN account information. The CPE may be instructed to reprogram the URC to control the new device using the programming codes. The digital mark may be scanned and sent to the server using wireless telephony service provided by the MCDN service provider.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a universal remote control (URC) over a multimedia content distribution network (MCDN), comprising:

receiving a request to configure the URC to operate a new remote-controlled (RC) device, including receiving a digital mark indicating a model type of the new RC device and receiving an MCDN account identifier;

based on the digital mark, retrieving programming codes for the new RC device; and

sending the programming codes for the new RC device to client-premises equipment (CPE) of the MCDN, wherein an identity of the CPE is determined using the MCDN account identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing the CPE to configure the URC using the programming codes, wherein the programming codes enable the URC to remotely control the new RC device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said causing occurs by sending a CPE instruction to configure the URC.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said causing the CPE to configure the URC includes causing the CPE to wirelessly configure the URC.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital mark is received as an image.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the image includes a bar code, and further comprising:

interpreting the bar code to generate a model identifier corresponding to the model type.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the image includes information for non-visible frequencies in the electromagnetic spectrum.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital mark is received as a text message, wherein the text message includes a model identifier corresponding to the model type.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording the digital mark using an optical device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the optical device is a camera device included in a wireless telephony device, and wherein the request is originated by the wireless telephony device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the MCDN account identifier is associated with an identifier for the wireless telephony device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a confirmation indicating that the URC has been successfully configured with the programming codes.

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

a processor;

a network adapter configured to receive multimedia content;

a local transceiver; and

memory media accessible to the processor, including instructions executable by the processor to;

receive, via the MCDN, an instruction to configure a universal remote control (URC) to operate a new remote-controlled (RC) device having a digital mark;

receive, via the MCDN, programming codes for the URC;

use the local transceiver to establish a communication link with the URC; and

use the communication link to configure the URC using the programming codes.

14. The CPE of claim 13, wherein the programming codes enable the URC to generate control signals for the new RC device.

15. The CPE of claim 13, further comprising:

a display device coupled to the processor; and

further comprising processor instructions executable to;

display an indication that the instruction has been received via the MCDN; and

when the URC has been configured using the programming codes, display an indication that the configuration was successful.

16. The CPE of claim 15, further comprising processor instructions executable to:

initiate configuration of the URC in response to user input.

17. The CPE of claim 13, further comprising processor instructions executable to:

send an indication via the MCDN that the configuration was successful.

18. The CPE of claim 13, wherein the local transceiver is a local wireless transceiver.

19. The CPE of claim 18, further comprising processor instructions executable to:

receive a remote control command from the URC using the local wireless transceiver.

20. The CPE of claim 13, wherein the local transceiver is mechanically coupled to the URC.

21. Computer-readable memory media, including instructions for configuring a universal remote control (URC) over a multimedia content distribution network (MCDN), said instructions executable to:

obtain an optical scan of a digital mark affixed to a new remote-controlled (RC) device;

send a URC configuration request, including information associated with the optical scan, to an MCDN server; and

receive an indication from the MCDN server that the URC has been successfully configured to operate the new RC device.

22. The memory media of claim 21, wherein the digital mark is a bar code.

23. The memory media of claim 22, wherein said instructions to obtain the optical scan further comprise instructions executable to:

interpret the digital mark to obtain a text message indicating a model identifier of the new RC device.

24. The memory media of claim 21, wherein said instructions to obtain the optical scan further comprise instructions executable to:

generate a digital image of a portion of the surface of the new RC device, the portion including the digital mark.

25. The memory media of claim 24, further comprising instructions executable to:

interpret the digital mark from the digital image to obtain a model identifier of the new RC device.

26. The memory media of claim 21, wherein the information associated with the optical scan includes a model identifier of the new RC device.

27. The memory media of claim 26, further comprising instructions executable to:

use the model identifier to obtain programming codes for a remote control interface of the new RC device, wherein the information associated with the optical scan includes the programming codes.

28. The memory media of claim 21, wherein said instructions executable to send the URC configuration request further comprise instructions executable to send account information for an MCDN client.

29. A wireless telephony device including an optical sensor for obtaining the optical scan, and further comprising the memory media of claim 21.

30. The wireless telephony device of claim 29, wherein account information for an MCDN client is associated with an identifier for the wireless telephony device.