Remote Control for First and Second Apparatus

• US 20160066015A1
• Filed: 04/15/2014
• Published: 03/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Home Control Singapore Pte Ltd. (Morgan Stanley)
• Original Assignee: Home Control Singapore Pte Ltd. (Morgan Stanley)
• Inventors: Thissen, Rogier Louis Jacques Willem, Den Ouden, Teunis
• Granted Patent: US 9,693,090 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42225 characterized by types of remote control, e.g. universal remote control
• 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

Abstract

First apparatuses (1) to be remotely controlled by devices (3) comprise interfaces (11) for receiving first signals from second apparatuses (2) that define that the second apparatuses (2) have received codes from the devices (3), interfaces (12) for sending second signals to the devices (3), and first controllers (21) for detecting the first signals and in response to detection results generating the second signals for providing assistance to the configurations of the devices (3) for remotely controlling the second apparatuses (2). The devices (3) for remotely controlling the first apparatuses (1) comprise interfaces (14) for sending codes to the second apparatuses (2) for remotely controlling the second apparatuses (2), interfaces (15) for receiving the second signals from the first apparatuses (1), and second controllers (22) for detecting the second signals for configuring the devices (3) for remotely controlling the second apparatuses (2).

Claims

1. A first apparatus (1) arranged to be remotely controlled by a device (3), the first apparatus (1) comprising

a first interface (11) for receiving a first signal from a second apparatus (2), the first signal defining the second apparatus (2) having received a code from the device (3),

a second interface (12) for sending a second signal to the device (3), the second signal informing the device (3) of the second apparatus (2) having received the code, and

a first controller (21) for detecting the first signal and in response to a detection result generating the second signal, the detection result indicating that the second apparatus (2) has understood or has not understood the code.

2. The first apparatus (1) as defined in claim 1, the first controller (21) being arranged to start a detection of the first signal on its own initiative or to start a detection of the first signal in response to a reception of a third signal sent by the device (3).

3. The first apparatus (1) as defined in claim 1, the first controller (21) detecting the first signal and in response to the detection result generating the second signal for providing assistance to a configuration of the device (3) for remotely controlling the second apparatus (2).

4. The first apparatus (1) as defined in claim 1, further comprising

a first memory (31) for storing codes, the second interface (12) being arranged to send the codes to the device (3), which codes are destined to be used by the device (3) for said remotely controlling the second apparatus (2).

5. The first apparatus (1) as defined in claim 4, the first interface (11) being arranged to receive the codes from the second apparatus (2), or the first apparatus (1) being arranged to download the codes.

6. The first apparatus (1) as defined in claim 1, further comprising

a third interface (13) for receiving a fourth signal from the device (3) for said remotely controlling of the first apparatus (1) by the device (3).

12. A system comprising the first apparatus (1) as defined in claim 1 and the device (3) as defined in claim 7, the first and second apparatuses (1, 2) each comprising an appliance for mainly providing information to a user, either directly via itself, or indirectly via another appliance, and the first and second apparatuses (1, 2) being no gateways that mainly interface different appliances.

13. The system as defined in claim 12, the first apparatus (1) comprising at least one from a first list comprising a set-top-box, a television, a computer, a video player, a video player/recorder, an audio player and/or an audio player/recorder, and the device (3) comprising at least one from a second list comprising a remote control, a phone, a computer, a video player, a video player/recorder, an audio player and/or an audio player/recorder.

14. The system as defined in claim 12, the second and fifth interfaces (12, 15) operating according to a wireless standard, the first interface (11) operating according to a wired or wireless standard, and the fourth interface (14) operating according to a wireless standard.

15. The system as defined in claim 12, the second and fifth interfaces (12, 15) operating according to a radio-frequency-for-consumer-electronics standard, the first interface (11) operating according to a high-definition-multimedia-interface-standard or a digital-living-network-alliance-standard or a universal-plug-and-play-standard, and the fourth interface (14) operating according to an infrared standard.

7. A device (3) for remotely controlling a first apparatus (1), the device (3) comprising

a fourth interface (14) for sending a code to a second apparatus (2) for remotely controlling the second apparatus (2), the first apparatus (1) being arranged to receive a first signal from the second apparatus (2), the first signal defining the second apparatus (2) having received the code,

a fifth interface (15) for receiving a second signal from the first apparatus (1), and

a second controller (22) for detecting the second signal for configuring the device (3) for remotely controlling the second apparatus (2), the second signal informing the device (3) of the second apparatus (2) having received the code from the device (3), the first apparatus (1) being arranged to detect the first signal and in response to a detection result generate the second signal, the detection result indicating that the second apparatus (2) has understood or has not understood the code.

8. The device (3) as defined in claim 7, the second controller (22) being arranged to start a configuration on its own initiative or to start a configuration in response to a reception of a trigger signal sent by the first apparatus (1).

9. The device (3) as defined in claim 7, further comprising

a second memory (32) for storing codes, which codes are destined to be used by the device (3) for said remotely controlling the second apparatus (2).

10. The device (3) as defined in claim 9, the fifth interface (15) being arranged for receiving the codes from the first apparatus (1), or the device (3) being arranged to download the codes.

11. The device (3) as defined in claim 7, further comprising

a sixth interface (16) for sending a fourth signal to the first apparatus (1) for said remotely controlling of the first apparatus (1) by the device (3).