Remote Control of Electronic Devices Via Mobile Device

• US 20120146918A1
• Filed: 12/08/2010
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2010
• 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: Kreiner, Barrett, Reeves, Jonathan, Schaub, Ryan
• Granted Patent: US 8,937,534 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/00 Transmission systems of control signals via wireless link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/33 Remote control using macros, scripts
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances

Abstract

Devices and systems are provided for controlling electronic devices using a mobile remote control device. A mobile remote control device provides an interface to control a plurality of electronic devices. The mobile device has a unique identifier, and the electronic device transmits a presentation of a remote control to the mobile device. A user of the mobile device controls the electronic device by operating the “virtual” remote control displayed on the mobile device. The user may further define his or her custom remote control. The user may define batches of commands, or “macros” that transmit a specific series of commands to one or more electronic devices. Proximity and motion of a mobile device may be used as an input, such that the electronic devices are programmed to react in specific ways depending upon the position and movement of the user of the mobile device.

Claims

1. A mobile remote control device, comprising:

a memory;

a processor in communication with the memory;

a transceiver in communication with the processor;

a display in communication with the processor;

an input device in communication with the processor; and

logic on the memory for;

transmitting a unique identifier,

receiving a presentation of a remote control from an electronic device across a network, the presentation including an identity of the electronic device, and

displaying the remote control on the display.

2. The mobile remote control device of claim 1, wherein the logic is further for:

receiving an input from a user via the input device,

mapping the input to a command on the remote control, and

transmitting the command to the electronic device.

3. The mobile remote control device of claim 1, further comprising:

customization logic on the memory for enabling a user to define a custom remote control and mapping the received presentation of the remote control to the user-defined custom remote control.

4. The mobile remote control device of claim 1, further comprising:

command logic for;

receiving a plurality of inputs from the user,

generating a macro based on a plurality of commands, and

transmitting the macro to a plurality of electronic devices.

5. The mobile remote control device of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier is a MAC address.

6. The mobile remote control device of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier is a radio-frequency identifier (RFID).

7. The mobile remote control device of claim 1, wherein the display and the input device are both part of a touchscreen display.

8. The mobile remote control device of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is a cellular transceiver, the mobile remote control device further comprising communication logic enabling communication across a cellular network.

9. A system for remotely controlling an electronic device, the system comprising:

a mobile device having a mobile processor, a mobile memory, a mobile transceiver, a display, and an input device, wherein the transceiver enables communication across a network;

an electronic device having a device transceiver to enable communication across the network;

device logic on the electronic device for;

broadcasting an identity of the electronic device,

receiving a unique identifier of the mobile device, and

transmitting a presentation of a remote control of the electronic device to the mobile device via a communication path on the network;

and

mobile logic on the mobile device for;

transmitting the unique identifier,

receiving the presentation of the remote control, and

displaying the remote control on the display of the mobile device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the wherein the mobile logic is further for:

receiving an input via from a user via the input device,

mapping the input to a command on the remote control, and

transmitting the command to the electronic device.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of electronic devices on the network, wherein each of said plurality of electronic devices transmits a device-specific presentation to the mobile device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein two of the plurality of electronic devices are in communication with one another, the system further comprising:

logic on a first of the two electronic devices to transmit a limited presentation to the mobile device, the limited presentation excluding one or more commands that are included in the presentation transmitted by the second of the two electronic devices.

13. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

authentication logic on the electronic device for;

determining that the received unique identifier of the mobile device matches one of a plurality of allowed unique identifiers, and

transmitting the presentation to the mobile device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the authentication logic is further for:

determining that the received unique identifier matches one of a plurality of lower tier unique identifiers, and

transmitting a limited presentation to the mobile device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the authentication logic is further for:

determining that the received unique identifier does not match any of a plurality of unique identifiers of any tier, and

transmitting to the mobile device an offer to purchase a permission to control the electronic device.

16. The system of claim 9, further comprising proximity-sensing logic on the electronic device for determining that the mobile device is within a threshold distance of the electronic device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein a motion and a proximity of the mobile device together provide an input that is transmitted as a command to the electronic device.

18. The system of claim 9, wherein the identity of the electronic device is any combination of a make and a model of the electronic device.

19. A system for remotely controlling an electronic device, the system comprising:

a mobile device having a mobile processor, a mobile memory, a mobile transceiver, a display, and an input device, wherein the transceiver enables communication across a network;

an electronic device having a device transceiver to enable communication across the network;

device logic on the electronic device to broadcast an identity of the electronic device and to receive a unique identifier of the mobile device; and

mobile logic on the mobile device for;

transmitting the unique identifier,

receiving a presentation of a remote control for the electronic device, and

displaying the remote control on the display of the mobile device, wherein the presentation of the remote control for the electronic device is transmitted by a provisioning device.

20. The system of claim 20, wherein the provisioning device transmits to the mobile device a plurality of presentations for a corresponding plurality of electronic devices