Reconfiguring Remote Control Behavior

• US 20120026097A1
• Filed: 07/27/2010
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: GILSON, Ross
• Granted Patent: US 10,601,457 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0231 Cordless keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• 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 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42215 by measuring the time interval during which a key is pressed, e.g. for inputting sequences of digits when selecting a television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42225 characterized by types of remote control, e.g. universal remote control

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure relate to a remote control which may include one or more buttons configured to provide input to the remote control upon being activated, a transmitter for transmitting data, a receiver for receiving data, a processor and memory storing computer executable instructions that, when executed, cause the two-way remote control to perform a method for configuring repeat transmission behavior of one or more of the buttons of the two-way remote control. Further, the receiver may be configured to receive data from a device configured to be controlled by the remote control and the data may include instructions for configuring the repeat transmission behavior of the one or more buttons of the two-way remote control. Additionally, the two-way remote control may configure the repeat transmission behavior of the one or more buttons of the two-way remote control based on the data received from the device.

Claims

1. A remote control method, comprising:

changing held button behavior of one or more buttons of a remote control in response to a change in remote control mode of operation from a first mode to a second mode, wherein the held button behavior defines how the remote control repeats transmissions when a button is held in a depressed state by a user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the change from said first mode to said second mode includes changing a repeat command timeout value for one of the buttons.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising detecting that a button is held in said depressed state, and varying the timeout value during the holding of the held button.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the changing includes changing a one-time command flag for one of the buttons.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving button presses from a user, wherein the receiving button presses includes receiving button presses as touches on a touch-sensitive display screen.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication that a first button is held during a first mode of operation, and in response repeatedly transmitting a corresponding command at a first time interval while the first button is held; and

receiving an indication that the first button is held during a second mode of operation, and in response repeatedly transmitting a corresponding command at a second time interval while the first button is held.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting directional arrow commands at a first time interval when a directional arrow button is held while the remote control is in a video game mode of operation; and

transmitting directional arrow commands at a second time interval, different from the first time interval, when the directional is held while the remote control is in a program viewing mode of operation.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving new held button behavior parameters from a device being controlled by the remote control in response to the change in mode of operation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the change in remote control mode of operation is a change in mode of operation of a device being controlled by the remote control.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting different repeat command limits for a first button, the different repeat command limits corresponding to a number of times a command is repeated when the first button is held during the respective mode of operation.

11. A remote control device, comprising:

a processor;

one or more buttons; and

a memory, storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the remote control device to perform the following;

changing held button behavior of one or more buttons of the remote control in response to a change in remote control mode of operation from a first mode to a second mode, wherein the held button behavior defines how the remote control repeats transmissions when a button is held in a depressed state by a user.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the change from said first mode to said second mode includes changing a repeat command timeout value for one of the buttons.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the device to detect that a button is held in said depressed state, and varying the timeout value during the holding of the held button.

14. The device of claim 11, further comprising a touch sensitive display, and wherein the one or more buttons are graphical buttons displayed on the touch sensitive display.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the changing includes changing a one-time command flag for one of the buttons.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the device to perform the following:

receiving an indication that a first button is held during a first mode of operation, and in response repeatedly transmitting a corresponding command at a first time interval while the first button is held; and

receiving an indication that the first button is held during a second mode of operation, and in response repeatedly transmitting a corresponding command at a second time interval while the first button is held.

17. The device of claim 11, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the device to perform the following:

transmitting directional arrow commands at a first time interval when a directional arrow button is held in said depressed state while the remote control is in a video game mode of operation; and

transmitting directional arrow commands at a second time interval, different from the first time interval, when the directional is held in said depressed state while the remote control is in a program viewing mode of operation.

18. The device of claim 11, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the device to receive new held button behavior parameters from a device being controlled by the remote control in response to the change in mode of operation.

19. The device of claim 11, wherein the change in remote control mode of operation is a change in mode of operation of a device being controlled by the remote control.

20. A remote control, comprising:

at least one button;

a wireless transceiver; and

a processor configured to;

receive a wireless signal from a device being controlled by the remote control, wherein the signal identifies how frequently the remote control should repeat transmissions when the at least one button is held down by a user; and

reconfigure held button behavior for the button based on the received signal.