CONTROL DEVICE AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING BROADCAST RECEIVER

• US 20120169939A1
• Filed: 11/23/2011
• Published: 07/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Joo-youn, KWON, Yong-hwan, KIM, Jung-a, Lee, Bum-jin
• Granted Patent: US 9,179,175 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/734
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• 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 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup

Abstract

A control device is provided. The control device includes a user interface unit in which information of a broadcast receiver controlled through unidirectional wireless communication is entered, a searching unit which searches an infrared (IR) code set corresponding the broadcast receiver based on the entered information, a managing unit which registers the broadcast receiver as a controllable broadcast receiver within a home network based on the searched IR code set, and a first communication interface unit which, if a control signal for the registered broadcast receiver is received, transmits an IR code corresponding to the control signal from the IR code set corresponding to the registered broadcast receiver to the registered broadcasting receiver.

Claims

1. A control device which controls broadcast receivers, comprising:

a user interface unit which receives information of a broadcast receiver;

a searching unit which searches an infrared (IR) code set corresponding to the broadcast receiver based on the received information;

a managing unit which registers the broadcast receiver as a controllable broadcast receiver based on the searched IR code set; and

a first communication interface unit which, if a control signal for the registered broadcast receiver is input, transmits an IR code from the IR code set corresponding to the control signal to the registered broadcasting receiver.

2. The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user interface unit generates a user interface window including at least one of a first region to select and display a kind of broadcast receiver, a second region to select and display a manufacturer of the broadcast receiver and a third region to select and display a model of the broadcast receiver.

3. The control device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a storage unit which stores a user interface window corresponding to the registered broadcast receiver; and

a control unit which controls the user interface unit to display the user interface window corresponding to the registered broadcast receiver.

4. The control device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the user interface window displays a plurality of icons corresponding to a plurality of control signals for the registered broadcast receiver.

5. The control device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the user interface unit receives an edit command for the user interface window, and

the managing unit stores the user interface window edited by the received edit command in the storage unit as a user interface window corresponding to the broadcast receiver.

6. The control device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a second communication interface unit which requests menu information corresponding to the broadcast receiver and receives the menu information,

wherein the user interface unit displays the user interface window corresponding to the registered broadcast receiver along with the received menu information.

7. The control device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the menu information includes at least one of current channel information, a current volume, a playing time, a remaining reproducing time, a current time and an electronic program guide (EPG).

8. The control device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a storage unit which stores a plurality of IR code sets for each of the broadcast receivers,

wherein the searching unit searches an IR code set from the plurality of IR code sets stored in the storage unit corresponding to the received information.

9. The control device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a second communication interface unit which communicates with an external server through bidirectional wireless communication for an IR code set of the broadcast receiver,

wherein the searching unit controls the second communication interface unit to receive the IR code set of the broadcast receiver from the external server.

10. The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the searching unit searches for a recognizable IR code in response to a message from the broadcast receiver, thereby searching the IR code set.

11. A method of controlling a broadcast receiver with a control device, the method comprising:

receiving information of a broadcast receiver;

searching an infrared (IR) code set corresponding to the broadcast receiver based on the received information;

registering the broadcast receiver as a controllable broadcast receiver based on the searched IR code set;

receiving a control command for the registered broadcast receiver; and

transmitting an IR code corresponding to the control command from the IR code set corresponding to the registered broadcast receiver to the registered broadcast receiver.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the receiving information of the broadcast receiver includes generating a user interface window including at least one of a first region to select and display a kind of broadcast receiver, a second region to select and display a manufacturer of the broadcast receiver and a third region to select and display a model of the broadcast receiver.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising displaying a user interface window previously stored corresponding to the registered broadcast receiver.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the user interface window displays a plurality of icons corresponding to a plurality of control signals of the registered broadcast receiver.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising receiving an edit command for the user interface window,

wherein the registering the broadcasting receiver includes registering the user interface window edited by the received edit command as a user interface window corresponding to the broadcast receiver.

16. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising requesting menu information corresponding to the broadcast receiver and receiving the menu information through bidirectional wireless communication,

wherein the displaying the user interface window includes displaying the user interface window corresponding to the registered broadcast receiver along with the received menu information.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the menu information includes at least one of current channel information, a current volume, a playing time, a remaining reproducing time, a current time and an electronic program guide (EPG).

18. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the searching an IR code set includes searching for an IR code set among a plurality of code sets for each broadcast receiver previously stored corresponding to the received information.

19. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the searching an IR code set includes:

transmitting the received information to an external server through bidirectional wireless communication; and

receiving an IR code set corresponding to the received information.

20. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the searching an IR code set includes:

transmitting a plurality of IR codes to the broadcast receiver using unidirectional wireless communication, checking an IR code recognizable by the broadcast receiver in response to the plurality of IR codes transmitted to the broadcast receiver; and

searching the checked IR code as the IR code set for the broadcast receiver.

21. A method of registering a broadcast receiver in a home network, the method comprising:

entering information corresponding to the broadcast receiver;

searching an infrared (IR) code set according to the entered information corresponding to the broadcast receiver;

registering the broadcast receiver as a controllable broadcast receiver in the home network based on the searched IR code set;

receiving a control command for the registered broadcast receiver; and

transmitting an IR code corresponding to the control command from the IR code set to the registered broadcast receiver.