SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REMOTE DEVICE PAIRING

• US 20130340002A1
• Filed: 08/22/2013
• Published: 12/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Reams, William R., Bruhn, Christopher W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,338,495 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/37
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/76 Wired systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4367 Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/10 Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable H04N7/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system and method for optimizing pairing between a remote device and a plurality of devices including establishing a list of pairing-capable devices, the list comprising a portion of the plurality of devices, measuring a plurality of link qualities between the remote device and the pairing-capable devices, comparing, with a processor, the plurality of link qualities with one another and determining a highest link quality, selecting, by a computing device, an available pairing-capable device having the highest link quality, pairing with the selected device, and controlling a presentation device, the controlling including checking if the selected device is the associated device and where the selected device is not the associated device, relaying commands via the network to the associated device.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating indirect communication with one of a plurality of set-top-boxes in a network, comprising:

receiving, by a first of the plurality of set-top boxes, a request for a first reply;

replying, by the first of the plurality of set-top boxes, to the request;

in response to the reply, receiving, by a first of the plurality of set-top-boxes, an instruction signal carrying instructions for, and information identifying, a second of the plurality of set-top-boxes;

relaying, by the first set-top box, the instruction via the network from the first set-top box to the identified second set-top-box.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a signal includes receiving a signal from a remote control paired with the first set-top-box.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second set-top-box is associated with the remote control.

4. A method for indirect control of a set-top-box, comprising:

receiving, at a first of a plurality of set-top boxes, a request for a link quality indicator from an external device;

in response to receiving the request, transmitting a link quality indicator to the external device;

receiving, at the first of the plurality of set-top boxes, across a network, from a second of the plurality of set-top boxes, instructions for controlling an audiovisual display associated with the first of the plurality of set-top boxes, the instructions initiated by the external device; and

controlling the audiovisual display according to the instructions received, via the network, from the second of the plurality of set-top boxes.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the external device is a remote control that is paired with the second set-top-box and is associated with the first set-top-box.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising measuring, by the external device, a link quality of the first of the plurality of set-top boxes, as indicated by the link quality indicator.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving, by the external device, a second link quality indicator;

comparing, by the external device, the second link quality indicator to the first link quality indicator; and

associating with the first of the plurality of set-top boxes in response to comparing the second link quality indicator to the first link quality indicator.