AUDIBLE FEEDBACK FOR INPUT ACTIVATION OF A REMOTE CONTROL DEVICE

• US 20140125465A1
• Filed: 01/13/2014
• Published: 05/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Schafer, Adam, Tomko, Joseph, Mickelsen, Jeremy
• Granted Patent: US 10,181,260 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/12.54
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/32 Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared

Abstract

A method of informing a user of an identity of an input of a remote control device is presented. In the method, user activation of one of the inputs of the remote control device is detected. An audible signal associated with the activated input is determined. Each of the inputs of the remote control device is associated with a unique one of a plurality of audible signals. The audible signal associated with the activated input is produced to inform the user of the identity of that input.

Claims

1. A method of informing a user of an identity of inputs of a remote control device, the method comprising:

detecting user activation of one of a plurality of inputs of the remote control device for a period of time;

comparing the detected period of time with a time threshold;

in response to the detected period of time being longer than the time threshold, the method further comprising;

activating a function associated with the activated one of the plurality of inputs;

determining an audible signal associated with the activated one of the plurality of inputs, wherein each of the plurality of inputs of the remote control device is associated with a unique one of a plurality of audible signals; and

producing the audible signal associated with the activated one of the plurality of inputs; and

in response to the detected period of time being less than the time threshold, the method further comprising;

activating the function associated with the activated one of the plurality of inputs.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein no audible signal is determined and produced when the detected period of time is less than the time threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the audible signal is a first audible signal, and further comprising:

determining a second audible signal associated with the activated one of the plurality of inputs when the detected period of time is less than the time threshold; and

producing the second audible signal,

wherein the second audible signal has at least one characteristic that is different from a same characteristic associated with the first audible signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote control device is configured to selectively control a plurality of controlled devices, and further comprising:

identifying a currently controlled device from the plurality of controlled devices;

determining an audible signal associated with the activated one of the plurality of inputs associated with control of the currently controlled device;

emitting the audible signal, wherein the emitted audible signal associated with the currently controlled device has at least one characteristic that is different from a same characteristic associated with audible signals from other ones of the plurality of controlled devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the audible signal comprises an audible version of a textual phrase associated with the activated one of the plurality of inputs.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote control device is configured to selectively control a plurality of controlled devices, and further comprising:

identifying a currently controlled device from the plurality of controlled devices; and

producing an audible signal for a time period associated with the currently controlled device,

wherein each of the plurality of controlled devices are each associated with one of a plurality of different time periods that audible signals are produced.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining the audible signal comprises determining a number of audible bursts associated with the activated one of the plurality of inputs; and

producing the audible signal comprises generating the number of audible bursts associated with the activated one of the plurality of inputs.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

detecting the user activation of one of the plurality of inputs comprises detecting a user touch that contacts a touchpad, wherein the user touch on the touchpad defines activation of the touchpad based on a location of the user touch on the touchpad that is defined by a horizontal position on the touchpad and a vertical position on the touchpad;

producing the audible signal based on the location of the user touch on the touchpad.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a frequency of the audible signal is varied in accordance with the horizontal position of the user touch on the touchpad.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein a volume of the audible signal is varied in accordance with the vertical position of the user touch on the touchpad.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication at the remote control device to place the remote control device into a programming mode allowing the user to associate the audible signal with the one of the plurality of inputs, wherein the indication is received before a direction is received; and

placing the remote control device into the programming mode in response to receiving the indication.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein producing the audible signal comprises:

producing the audible signal at a first audio volume when a first controlled device is controlled by the remote control device; and

producing the audible signal at a second audio volume when a second controlled device is controlled by the remote control device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein producing the audible signal comprises;

producing the audible signal for a first time period when a first controlled device is controlled by the remote control device; and

producing the audible signal for a second time period when a second controlled device is controlled by the remote control device.

14. A remote control device, comprising:

a plurality of user input components, wherein each of the user input components is associated with at least one command for an electronic device;

a transmitter configured to transmit commands to the electronic device;

audio generation circuitry configured to generate audio signals for a user; and

control circuitry configured to;

detect a period of time of activation of one of the user input components;

generate a command for the electronic device based on the activated one of the user input components;

transfer the command to the transmitter for transmission to the electronic device;

compare the detected period of time of activation with a time threshold;

determine an audible signal associated with the activated one of the user input components in response to the detected period of time of activation being longer that the time threshold; and

transfer the audible signal to the audio generation circuitry for generation for the user,

wherein no audible signal is determined in response to the detected period of time of activation being less than the time threshold.

15. The remote control device of claim 14,

wherein the plurality of user input components comprises a touchpad,

wherein a user touch on the touchpad defines activation of the touchpad,

wherein a location of the user touch on the touchpad is defined by a horizontal position on the touchpad and a vertical position on the touchpad;

and

wherein a frequency of the audible signal is varied in accordance with the horizontal position of the user touch on the touchpad.

16. The remote control device of claim 14,

wherein the plurality of user input components comprises a touchpad,

wherein a user touch on the touchpad defines activation of the touchpad,

wherein a location of the user touch on the touchpad is defined by a horizontal position on the touchpad and a vertical position on the touchpad;

and

wherein a volume of the audible signal is varied in accordance with the vertical position of the user touch on the touchpad.

17. An electronic device, comprising:

a remote control interface configured to receive commands from a remote control device, wherein the received commands operate the electronic device; and

control circuitry configured to;

receive a command from the remote control device via the remote control interface, wherein the command is transmitted by the remote control device upon activation of a controller on the remote control device, wherein the command is configured to control a predefined operation of the electronic device associated with the activated controller, and wherein the command is transmitted during activation of the controller on the remote control device;

determine a period of time that the controller on the remote control device is activated based on receiving the command from the remote control device;

compare the determined period of time with a time threshold;

in response to the detected period of time being less than the time threshold, executing the command to operate the electronic device in accordance with the predefined operation; and

in response to the detected period of time being longer than the time threshold, not executing the command to operate the electronic device in accordance with the predefined operation.

18. The electronic device of claim 17 wherein the control circuitry is configured to:

determine an audio signal associated with the command, wherein the audio signal is determined in response to the detected period of time being longer than the time threshold; and

emit as an audible sound from the electronic device the audio signal only when the detected period of time is greater than the time threshold.

19. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the control circuitry is configured to:

determine an audio signal associated with the command, wherein the audio signal is determined in response to the detected period of time being longer than the time threshold; and

communicate the determined audio signal to the remote control device,

wherein the remote control device emits as an audible sound the audio signal only when the detected period of time is greater than the time threshold.

20. A method of informing a user of an identity of inputs of a remote control device, the method comprising:

detecting a number of a series of user activations of one of a plurality of inputs of the remote control device;

comparing the detected number of user activations with a threshold;

in response to the detected number of user activations being greater than the threshold, the method further comprising;

activating a function associated with the activated one of the plurality of inputs;

determining an audible signal associated with the activated one of the plurality of inputs, wherein each of the plurality of inputs of the remote control device is associated with a unique one of a plurality of audible signals; and

producing the audible signal associated with the activated one of the plurality of inputs; and

in response to the detected number of user activations being less than the threshold, the method further comprising;

activating the function associated with the activated one of the plurality of inputs.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein no audible signal is determined and produced when the detected period of time is less than the time threshold.