DEVICE CONTROL BY MULTIPLE REMOTE CONTROLS

• US 20110012710A1
• Filed: 07/15/2009
• Published: 01/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2009
• 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: Sullivan, Marc, Pratt, James, Belz, Steven M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,659,399 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.64
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24163 Authentication tag in configuration file
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24165 Use codes to activate features of controller
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25187 Transmission of signals, medium, ultrasonic, radio

Abstract

A method and system for remotely controlling a remote-controlled device (RCD) includes receiving an instruction from a remote control (RC). The instruction may include an RC code and a control code. The RC code may identify the RC and the control code may identify an operation to be performed on the RCD. RC codes matching an authorized set of RC codes may cause the control code to be accepted, since the RC is authorized. If a non-matching RC code is received, the control code may be rejected as coming from a prohibited RC. An authorization mode on the RCD may allow modification of the authorized set of RC codes.

Claims

1. A method for operating a remote-controlled device (RCD), comprising:

receiving an instruction to operate the RCD from a remote control (RC), wherein the instruction includes an RC code corresponding to the RC and a control code; and

responsive to determining that the RC code indicates authorization to control the RCD, performing an RCD operation corresponding to the control code.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining further comprises:

comparing the RC code with a stored set of RC codes indicating a respective set of RCs that are authorized to control the RCD.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

responsive to receiving user input, initiating an authorization mode for determining which RC codes are included in the stored set of RC codes.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving a new RC code corresponding to a new RC; and

adding the new RC code to the stored set of RC codes, wherein the new RC is authorized to control the RCD.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

deleting an RC code from the stored set of RC codes, wherein an RC corresponding to the deleted RC code is no longer authorized to control the RCD.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

outputting a user indication that the authorization mode is active.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the stored set of RC codes is stored on a memory device included in the RCD.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein an empty set of RC codes results in the RCD being non-responsive to instructions received from any RC.

9. A remote-controlled device (RCD), comprising:

a processor;

a wireless receiver to receive wirelessly transmitted instructions; and

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

receive the wirelessly transmitted instruction to operate the RCD from a remote control (RC), wherein the wirelessly transmitted instruction includes an RC code unique to the RC and a control code;

compare the RC code with a stored set of RC codes indicating a respective set of RCs that are authorized to control the RCD; and

responsive to finding a match for the RC code in the stored set of RC codes, execute an RCD operation corresponding to the control code.

10. The RCD of claim 9, wherein the RC is a universal remote control (URC), and wherein the URC is configured to send the wirelessly transmitted instructions to more than one RCD.

11. The RCD of claim 10, wherein the stored set of RC codes indicates a set of RCs including the URC.

12. The RCD of claim 10, wherein the stored set of RC codes are stored in the memory media.

13. The RCD of claim 10, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions executable to:

initiate an authorization mode, wherein, during authorization mode, the stored set of RC codes may be modified; and

terminate the authorization mode.

14. The RCD of claim 13, wherein the instructions further comprise processor executable instructions to:

receive a new RC code corresponding to a new RC device; and

add the new RC code to the stored set of RC codes.

15. The RCD of claim 13, wherein the instructions further comprise processor executable instructions to:

delete one of the RC codes in the stored set of RC codes.

16. Computer-readable memory media, including instructions for operating a remote-controlled device (RCD), said instructions executable to:

receive an instruction to operate the RCD from a remote control (RC), wherein the instruction includes an RC code corresponding to the RC and a control code;

identify the RC code and the control code; and

responsive to finding a match for the RC code in a stored set of RC codes indicating a respective set of RCs that are authorized to control the RCD, execute an RCD operation corresponding to the control code.

17. The memory media of claim 16, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions executable to:

receive first input for initiating an authorization mode on the RCD; and

receive second input for terminating the authorization mode.

18. The memory media of claim 17, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions executable to:

receive a new RC code corresponding to a new RC; and

add the new RC code to the stored set of RC codes to authorize the new RC to control the RCD.

19. The memory media of claim 18, wherein the new RC code is received from the new RC.

20. The memory media of claim 18, wherein the new RC code is received from a programming device.

21. The memory media of claim 17, wherein the first input and the second input are both user inputs.

22. The memory media of claim 17, wherein the first input and the second input are received from a programming device.

23. The memory media of claim 17, further comprising instructions executable to:

delete an RC code from the stored set of RC codes to prohibit an RC corresponding to the deleted RC code from controlling the RCD.