SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RECONFIGURATION OF AN ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM CONTROLLING DEVICE

• US 20140366059A1
• Filed: 08/26/2014
• Published: 12/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Arling, Paul D., Hayes, Patrick H.
• Granted Patent: US 9,338,497 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/00 Diagnosis, testing or measuring for television systems or their details
• 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 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42226 Reprogrammable remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42228 the reprogrammable keys being displayed on a display screen in order to reduce the number of keys on the remote control device itself
• 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 21/44227 Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus

Abstract

An entertainment device is used to notify a user of a change in an audio visual entertainment system configuration in which at least one of a plurality devices is connected to the entertainment device as an audio and/or visual source and at least one of the plurality of devices is connected to the entertainment device as an audio and/or visual output destination for the entertainment device and/or to notify a user of a perceived problem in a configuration of a controlling device used to control functional operations of the audio visual entertainment system.

Claims

1. A method for using an entertainment device to configure a controlling device used to command operations of an audio visual entertainment system in an activity control mode of the controlling device in which a first device connected to the entertainment device as an audio and/or visual source is intended to be controlled by the controlling device via interactions with a first set of input elements of the controlling device and a second device connected to the entertainment device as an audio and/or visual output destination for the entertainment device is intended to be controlled by the controlling device via interactions with a second set of input elements of the controlling device distinct from the first set of input elements, the method comprising:

receiving at the entertainment device a transmission from the controlling device having data which is indicative of the controlling device having been placed into the activity control mode of the controlling device;

in response to the transmission, causing the entertainment device to transmit to the controlling device an identity data of at least one of the first device and the second device;

using at the controlling device the identity data of at least one of the first device and the second device to identify at least one command code set that is usable by the controlling device to command functional operations of the at least one of the first device and the second device; and

causing the controlling device to automatically map one or more commands from the identified at least one command code set to at least one of the first set of input elements and the second set of input elements.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the identity data is transmitted from the entertainment device to the controlling device in a request for the controlling device to change a state of the at least one of the first device and the second device.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the request comprises a power state change request.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the identity data is obtained via use of a digital connection between the at least one of the first device and the second device and the entertainment device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first set of input elements and the second set of input elements comprise hard keys of the controlling device.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first set of input elements and the second set of input elements comprise soft keys of the controlling device.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first set of input elements comprise transport control input elements.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second set of input elements comprise picture control input elements.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second set of input elements comprise sound control input elements.