Systems and Apparatus for Battery Replacement Detection and Reduced Battery Status Transmission in a Remote Control

• US 20110163886A1
• Filed: 02/23/2011
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Reams, William R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,362,908 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/636.15
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/371 with remote indication, e.g. on external chargers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3835 involving only voltage measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895

Abstract

Various mechanisms are described for indicating to a user a low battery condition of a remote control for a controlled device. More particularly, a remote control detects a low battery condition as well as the replacement of batteries in the remote control. The remote control transmits a low battery message to a controlled device responsive to detecting a low battery condition. The remote control refrains from transmitting one or more subsequent low battery messages to the controlled device prior to detection of replacement of batteries. The remote control transmits a battery status message to the controlled device responsive to detecting the replacement of batteries in the remote control. The controlled device utilizes the low battery message and the battery status message to determine whether to present a low battery indicator to a user regarding a low battery condition of the remote control.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a wireless remote control that includes;

a battery connector with terminals that connect to a battery powering the remote control;

a battery measurement module coupled to the battery connector that measures a first battery terminal voltage at the terminals and that identifies a low battery condition corresponding to the battery based on the measured first battery terminal voltage; and

a transmitter coupled to the input module that transmits control commands to a controlled device and that transmits a low battery status message to the controlled device, wherein the remote control refrains from transmitting a subsequent low battery status message to the controlled device after the low battery status message is transmitted until a battery replacement is detected at the remote control;

the battery measurement module measures a second battery terminal voltage at the terminals and identifies that the battery has been replaced based on the measured second battery terminal voltage;

the transmitter transmits a battery replaced status message to the controlled device;

the controlled device, which includes;

a receiving interface that receives the control commands and the low battery status message from the remote control;

a processor that processes the low battery status message to identify the low battery condition of the remote control;

a presentation interface that presents an indicator to a user regarding the low battery condition of the remote control;

the input interface receives a second battery status message from the remote control;

the processor processes the second battery status message to identify a battery replaced condition of the remote control; and

the presentation interface terminates presentation of the indicator to the user regarding the low battery condition of the remote control.

2. The system of claim 1, the controlled device further comprising a transmitter that transmits an acknowledgment message to the remote control, the acknowledgment message indicating that the first battery status message was received at the controlled device, and the remote control further comprising a receiver that receives the acknowledgment message.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the remote control refrains from transmitting the subsequent low battery message to the controlled device after the receiver of the remote control receives the acknowledgment message until a battery replacement is detected at the remote control.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote control determines the low battery condition by comparing the first battery terminal voltage to a first threshold voltage.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the battery measurement module identifies that the battery has been replaced by identifying that the second battery terminal voltage has increased above a predetermined second threshold voltage.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the battery measurement module identifies that the battery has been replaced by identifying that the second battery terminal voltage has increased by a set threshold above a previously measured terminal voltage.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the set threshold is calculated as a specified voltage increase above the previously measured terminal voltage.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the set threshold comprises a specified percentage of voltage increase above the previously measured terminal voltage.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

a receiving interface that receives a first battery status message from a wireless remote control;

a processor that processes the first battery status message to identify a low battery condition of the remote control;

a transmitter that transmits a first acknowledgment message to the remote control, the acknowledgment message indicating that the first battery status message was received at the apparatus; and

a presentation interface that presents an indicator to a user regarding the low battery condition of the remote control when the processor has identified the low battery condition of the remote control;

the input interface receives a second battery status message from the remote control;

the processor processes the second battery status message to identify a battery replaced condition of the remote control; and

the presentation interface terminates presentation of the indicator to the user regarding the low battery condition of the remote control responsive to the processor identifying the battery replaced condition of the remote control.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first battery status message is a low battery notification message and the second battery status message is a battery replaced notification message.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein, after the transmitter transmits the acknowledgement message to the remote control, the receiving interface does not receive subsequent low battery notification messages from the remote control until the battery replaced notification message is received from the remote control by the receiving interface of the apparatus.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus comprises an entertainment device.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the receiving interface of the entertainment device is configured to receive a command from the remote control, and the processor is configured to modify the output of presentation content from the presentation interface to the presentation device based on the command.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the entertainment device is integrated with a display device and is configured to receive content from one or more content sources.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus comprises a computer, and the remote control comprises a wireless peripheral device.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus comprises an automobile keyless entry system.

17. A remote control comprising:

a battery connector including terminals that connect to a battery powering the remote control;

a battery measurement module coupled to the battery connector that measures a first battery terminal voltage at the terminals and that identifies a low battery condition;

a transmitter coupled to the battery measurement module that transmits one or more low battery status message to a controlled device responsive to the battery measurement module identifying the low battery condition, wherein the controlled device presents a low battery indicator upon receipt of the low battery status message, and the remote control refrains from transmitting subsequent low battery status messages to the controlled device until a battery replacement is detected;

the battery measurement module measures a second terminal voltage at the terminals and identifies that the battery has been replaced based on the measured second terminal voltage; and

the transmitter transmits a battery replaced status message to the controlled device responsive to the battery measurement module identifying the battery replacement, wherein the controlled device ceases presentation of the low battery indicator.

18. The remote control of claim 17, wherein the transmitter sends a fixed number of low battery status messages to the controlled device responsive to the battery measurement module identifying the low battery condition, and refrains from transmitting subsequent low battery status messages to the controlled device until a battery replacement is detected.

19. The remote control of claim 17, further comprising a receiver that receives messages that are transmitted to the remote control by the controlled device, wherein the transmitter of the remote control transmits the one or more low battery status messages to the controlled device prior to the receiver receiving an acknowledgment message from the controlled device, and the transmitter refrains from transmitting subsequent low battery messages to the controlled device once the acknowledgment message is received from the controlled device until a battery replacement is detected by the battery measurement module.

20. The remote control of claim 17, further comprising a stored indicator that indicates whether the remote control has transmitted a low battery status message corresponding to the battery, wherein the stored indicator is set once the remote control transmits the low battery status message to the controlled device and is reset when the battery measurement module identifies that the battery has been replaced.