CODE SET DETERMINATION FOR A REMOTE CONTROL

• US 20110298646A1
• Filed: 02/19/2010
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Home Control Signapore Pte., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Hellemans, Lucas Griet Johan
• Granted Patent: US 8,878,716 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/176
• 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 21/42225 characterized by types of remote control, e.g. universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42226 Reprogrammable remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18

Abstract

Universal Remote Controls are designed for controlling a large amount of appliances. Each of these appliances needs to be controlled by using codes of its own code set. For this reason, Universal Remote Controls store multiple code sets, so that they are able to control any of the appliances by using the corresponding code set. A method is described for determining the right code set to be used for controlling an appliance. Thereto, the remote control sends one or more commands using the corresponding code of at least one of the multiple code sets to the appliance (3040). The code set to be used for controlling this appliance is determined based on at least a command sent to the appliance by a user of the remote control, in reaction thereto (3070).

Claims

1. Method for determining a code set to be used out of multiple code sets (200,300,900) in a remote control (2000) for controlling an appliance comprising the steps of:

sending at least a command using the corresponding code of at least one of the multiple code sets (3040); and

determining the code set to be used based on at least a command sent by a user of the remote control, in reaction thereto (3070).

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the step of sending the at least one command comprises automatically sending a fake command using the corresponding codes from a subset of the multiple code sets;

and wherein it is determined if the user, in reaction to the fake command, sends a command undoing the fake command.

3. Method according to claim 2, wherein the fake command is sent intermittently using the corresponding code of a varying one of the multiple code sets.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein the step of sending the at least one command comprises sending a command selected by the user using the corresponding codes from a subset of the multiple code sets;

and wherein it is determined if the user repeats the command within a time interval.

5. Method according to claim 1, wherein the step of sending the at least one command comprises sending a command selected by a user using the corresponding code of at least one of the multiple code sets a different number of times than the corresponding code of at least another one of the multiple code sets.

6. Method according to claim 5, wherein the command is taken out of the group of commands having an opposite command, the use of the opposite command resulting in an opposite effect at the appliance to the effect caused by the command.

7. Method according to claim 6, wherein the code set to be used is determined based on the proportion of the number of times that the command and the opposite command are selected by the user during a time interval.

8. A computer program comprising computer program code means adapted to perform the steps according to claim 1 when said program is run on a computer.

9. A computer program as claimed in claim 8 embodied on a computer readable medium.

10. A carrier medium carrying the computer program of claim 8.

11. Remote control (2000) adapted for controlling an appliance by using one of multiple code sets, the remote control comprising:

a transmitter (2030) for sending at least one command using the corresponding code of at least one of the multiple code sets; and

a processor (2010) for determining the code set to be used based on commands sent by a user of the remote control, in reaction to the sending of the at least one command.

12. Remote control (2000) according to claim 11, wherein the at least one command is sent by automatically sending a fake command using the corresponding codes from a subset of the multiple code sets;

and wherein the processor is configured to determine if the user, in reaction to the fake command, sends a command undoing the fake command.

13. Remote control (2000) according to claim 11, wherein the at least one command is sent by sending a command selected by the user using the corresponding codes from a subset of the multiple code sets;

and wherein the processor is configured to determine if the user repeats the command within a time interval.

14. Remote control (2000) according to claim 11, wherein the at least one command is sent by sending a command selected by a user using the corresponding code of at least one of the multiple code sets a different number of times than the corresponding code of at least another one of the multiple code sets.