SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INTERACTIVE APPLIANCE CONTROL

• US 20150048931A1
• Filed: 11/03/2014
• Published: 02/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Kohanek, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 9,357,252 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/12.5
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/40 Remote control systems using repeaters, converters, gateways
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/50 Receiving or transmitting feedback, e.g. replies, status updates, acknowledgements, from the controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• 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 21/42218 for mapping a matrix of displayed objects on the screen to the numerical key-matrix of the remote control
• 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 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• 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 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration

Abstract

A controlling device interacts dynamically with a plurality of appliances using state information known to a master appliance. The master appliance conveys to the controlling device the state information and the controlling device uses the state information to dynamically configure itself to command functional operations of one or more of the plurality of appliances. The master appliance also causes a graphical representation of the current configuration of the controlling device to be displayed on a display device that is associated with the master appliance.

Claims

1. A method for providing proactive appliance control in a system comprised of a master routing device, a controllable appliance in communication with the master routing device, and a controlling device configurable to transmit command communications, the method comprising:

causing the controlling device to be provisioned with a first command code set appropriate for commanding functional operations of the controllable appliance whereupon a command from the first command code set will be issued by the controlling device in response to an activation of a corresponding input element of the controlling device via use of a first transmission system of the controlling device; and

in response to a predetermined input being provided to the controlling device, causing the controlling device to be provisioned with a second command code set appropriate for commanding functional operations of the master routing device whereupon a command from the second command code set will be issued by the master routing device in response to an activation of a corresponding input element of the controlling device via use of a second transmission system of the controlling device while causing the controlling device to prevent transmissions of commands via the first transmission system.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a communication received from the master routing device causes the controlling device to be provisioned with the first command code set.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the master routing device is caused to issue the communication to the controlling device in response to receiving from the controlling device an input selection command.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first transmission system comprises an infrared transmission system and the second transmission system comprises a radio frequency transmission system.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein, in response to the predetermined input being provided to the controlling device, the controlling device is caused to transmit to the master routing device via the second transmission system of the controlling device a first communication having data indicative of the predetermined input and the master routing device responds to the first communication by transmitting to the controlling device a second communication which causes the controlling device to prevent transmissions of commands via the first transmission system.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the master routing device is caused to issue a third communication to the controlling device in response to receiving from the controlling device an input selection command and the controlling device uses the third communication to provision the controlling device with a third command code set appropriate for commanding functional operations of a further controllable appliance whereupon a command from the third command code set will be issued by the controlling device in response to an activation of a corresponding input element of the controlling device via use of the first transmission system of the controlling device and to again allow transmissions of commands via the first transmission system.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the first transmission system comprises an infrared transmission system and the second transmission system comprises a radio frequency transmission system.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the predetermined input comprises an activation of a “

home”

input element of the controlling device.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the “

home”

input element comprises a hard key.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the “

home”

input element comprises a soft key.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the predetermined input comprises an activation of a “

home”

input element of the controlling device.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the “

home”

input element comprises a hard key.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the “

home”

input element comprises a soft key.