PROGRAMMING A UNIVERSAL REMOTE CONTROL VIA PHYSICAL CONNECTION

• US 20110037635A1
• Filed: 08/11/2009
• Published: 02/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2009
• 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: Edwards, Gregory, Van Vleck, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,624,713 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/176
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/21 Programming remote control devices via third means
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/281 indicating a format for calling an appliance service function in a home automation network for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play

Abstract

A method and system for programming a universal remote control (URC) to operate with a remote-controlled device is disclosed. A connection to the remote-controlled device may be established. In response, the remote-controlled device may send device information. The device information may include programming codes for programming the URC to control the remote-controlled device. The device information may also be used to query a server to obtain the programming codes.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a universal remote control (URC), comprising:

responsive to establishing a connection with a remote-controlled device, receiving device information from the remote-controlled device; and

based on the device information, programming the URC via a wireless communication link to control the remote-controlled device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the device information includes programming codes for the remote-controlled device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the device information includes an identifier for the remote-controlled device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

sending a request to a server for programming codes for the remote-controlled device, the request including the identifier; and

in response to the request, receiving programming codes from the server.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the server is included in a multimedia content distribution network.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a confirmation indicating that the URC has been successfully configured with at least one programming code for the remote-controlled device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the URC, a device command; and

causing the remote-controlled device to execute the device command by communicating with the remote-controlled device via the connection.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the device command is associated with at least one of the programming codes.

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

a processor;

a local transceiver;

a device interface; and

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

establish a connection with a remote-controlled device via the device interface;

in response to establishing the connection, receive, via the device interface, device information from the remote-controlled device; and

responsive to receiving the device information, program, via the local transceiver, a universal remote control (URC) to control the remote-controlled device.

10. The CPE of claim 9, further comprising processor executable instructions to:

in response to sending a request including the device information to an MCDN server, receive programming codes for the remote-controlled device from the MCDN server; and

use the programming codes to program the URC.

11. The CPE of claim 9, wherein the local transceiver is a wireless transceiver.

12. The CPE of claim 9, wherein the device interface is a compact digital audio and video local bus interface, including at least one bidirectional control channel.

13. The CPE of claim 9, wherein the device information includes programming codes for the remote-controlled device, and further comprising programming instructions executable to:

use the programming codes to program the URC.

14. The CPE of claim 9, further comprising processor executable instructions to:

receive, at the local transceiver, a device command from the URC; and

cause the remote-controlled device to execute the device command by communicating with the remote-controlled device via the device interface.

15. Computer-readable memory media, including instructions for configuring a universal remote control (URC), said instructions executable to:

detect a connection to a remote-controlled device via a local bus interface;

instruct the remote-controlled device to transmit device information via the local bus interface; and

responsive to receiving the device information via the local bus interface, program the URC to control the remote-controlled device.

16. The memory media of claim 15, further comprising instructions executable to:

send a request to a server for programming codes, the request including the device information;

receive programming codes from the server; and

wherein said instructions executable to program the URC further include instructions executable to;

use the programming codes for programming the URC.

17. The memory media of claim 15, further comprising instructions executable to:

obtain programming codes included with the device information; and

wherein said instructions executable to program the URC further include instructions executable to;

use the programming codes for programming the URC.

18. The memory medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions executable to:

receive, from the URC, an instruction to control the remote-controlled device; and

cause the remote-controlled device to execute the instruction by communicating with the remote-controlled device via the local bus interface;

wherein the received instruction is associated with at least one programming code used to program the URC.

19. The memory medium of claim 15, wherein the URC is programmed via a wireless interface.

20. The memory medium of claim 15, wherein the local bus interface includes at least one bidirectional control channel.

21. The memory medium of claim 20, wherein the local bus interface is a compact digital audio and video interface.