Locating Remote Control Devices Utilizing Base Unit Positioning

• US 20120056715A1
• Filed: 10/15/2010
• Published: 03/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Network Technologies India Private Limited
• Original Assignee: Sling Media Pvt Ltd. (Dish Network Corporation)
• Inventors: Rajagopal, Harish Nair
• Granted Patent: US 8,587,416 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/8.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/91 Remote control based on location and proximity

Abstract

A base may locate a remote control by transmitting a first location signal, receiving a second location signal at base receivers from a remote control device transponder transmitted in response, and calculating a location of the remote control device based on the received second location signal. The base may provide navigation information based on the calculated location. In some implementations, the base may perform a setup routine by providing an interface that accepts position information, accepting an indication that the remote control is located at a position, transmitting a first calibration signal, receiving a second calibration signal at the receivers transmitted by the transponder in response, and recording baselines for the position. When the base unit subsequently analyses a second location signal to calculate a location of the remote control, the base may base the calculated location at least partly on the baselines.

Claims

1. A method for locating a remote control device, the method comprising:

transmitting a first location signal from a transmitter of a base unit to a transponder of an associated remote control device, the associated remote control device utilizable to control operations of the base unit;

receiving a second location signal by at least a first and second receiver of the base unit, the second location signal transmitted by the transponder of the associated remote control device in response to receipt of the first location signal; and

calculating a location of the associated remote control device relative to the base unit, utilizing the base unit, based at least on a time the second location signal is received at least by the first receiver, a signal strength of the second location signal received at least by the first receiver, or a comparison of a phase of the second location signal received by the first receiver with a phase of the second location signal received by the second receiver.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing navigation information based at least on the calculated location to a display device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the navigation information describes a path from the base unit to the associated remote control device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a setup routine, utilizing the base unit, operable to receive information on at least one identified position at a location;

receiving an indication that the associated remote is located at the at least one identified position; and

recording a baseline measurement based at least on receiving a second calibration signal by the first and second receiver transmitted by the transponder of the associated remote control device in response to receipt of a first calibration signal.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said operation of calculating the location of the associated remote control device comprises determining the location is the at least one identified position based at least on the baseline measurement.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said operation of calculating a location comprises determining a distance between the base unit and the associated remote control device by comparing the time the second location signal is received at least by the first receiver with an expected time.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second location signal comprises a plurality of signals that form a pattern.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the time the second location signal is received at least by the first receiver comprises a start time when a first signal of the plurality of signals is received and an end time when a final signal of the plurality of signals is received.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said operation of calculating a location comprises determining a distance between the base unit and the associated remote control device by comparing the signal strength of the second location signal received at least by the first receiver with an expected signal strength.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said operation of calculating a location comprises determining a direction of the associated remote control device from the base unit based at least on the comparison of the phase of the second location signal received by the first receiver with the phase of the second location signal received by the second receiver.

11. A system for locating a remote control device, comprising:

a base unit, comprising;

at least one transmitter operable to transmit a first location signal;

at least a first and second receiver; and

at least one processing unit; and

an associated remote control device, comprising;

a transponder operable to receive the first location signal and transmit a second location signal in response to the second location signal;

wherein the at least the first and second receiver receive the second location signal and the at least one processing unit calculates a location of the associated remote control device relative to the base unit based at least on a time the second location signal is received at least by the first receiver, a signal strength of the second location signal received at least by the first receiver, or a comparison of a phase of the second location signal received by the first receiver with a phase of the second location signal received by the second receiver.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the transponder comprises a radio-frequency identification tag.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the associated remote control device further comprises a power source that powers operation of the remote control device and the transponder is powered by a source other than the power source.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the source is a transponder battery included in the transponder and the transponder battery is separate from the power source.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the transponder is activated by and powered to transmit the second location signal by receipt of the first location signal.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the base unit further comprises an output component operable to provide navigation information based at least on the calculated location to a display device.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the base unit further comprises at least one input component operable to receive input from an output component of the associated remote control device and at least one non-transitory storage media that stores a series of instructions executable by the at least one processing unit to:

collect information from the associated remote control device via the input component and the output component, the information specifying at least one identified position at a location;

receive an indication, from the associated remote control device via the input component and the output component, the indication specifying that the associated remote is located at the at least one identified position; and

record a baseline measurement for the at least one identified position based at least on receiving a second calibration signal by the first and second receiver transmitted by the transponder of the associated remote control device in response to receipt of a first calibration signal transmitted by the at least one transmitter.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one processing unit determines that the location of the associated remote control device corresponds to the at least one identified position by comparing the baseline measurement with the time the second location signal is received at least by the first receiver and the comparison of the phase of the second location signal received by the first receiver with the phase of the second location signal received by the second receiver.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one processing unit calculates a location of the associated remote control device relative to the base unit by:

determining a distance between the base unit and the associated remote control device by comparing the time the second location signal is received at least by the first receiver with an expected time and by comparing the signal strength of the second location signal received at least by the first receiver with an expected signal strength; and

determining a direction of the associated remote control device from the base unit based at least one the comparison of the phase of the second location signal received by the first receiver with the phase of the second location signal received by the second receiver.

20. A computer program product, comprising:

a first set of instructions, stored in at least one non-transitory computer readable medium, executable by at least one processing unit to transmit a first location signal from a transmitter of a base unit to a transponder of an associated remote control device, the associated remote control device utilizable to control operations of the base unit;

a second set of instructions, stored in the at least one non-transitory computer readable medium, executable by the at least one processing unit to receive a second location signal by at least a first and second receiver of the base unit, the second location signal transmitted by the transponder of the associated remote control device in response to receipt of the first location signal; and

a third set of instructions, stored in the at least one non-transitory computer readable medium, executable by the at least one processing unit to calculate a location of the associated remote control device relative to the base unit, utilizing the base unit, based at least on a time the second location signal is received at least by the first receiver and a comparison of a phase of the second location signal received by the first receiver with a phase of the second location signal received by the second receiver.